Bayelsa State Governor-Elect David Lyon Donates N750,000 to Chess Champion Deborah Quickpen

Bayelsa state Governor-elect,  David Lyon  at the weekend said his administration would use sport to restore hope  among the youth in the state.

The Governor-elect  was represented by Prince Ebitimi Amgbare at the presentation  N750,000 to  Miss Deborah Quickpen.

Miss Deborah Quickpen who is only seven years old will represent Nigeria at the African Youth Chess Championship coming up in Namibia this month.

According to Hon. Lyon, “It is for this reason that our incoming administration intends to use sport as a veritable tool for development, with  the understanding that sport can serve as an impetus for social transformation and change as the state moves to the next of rapid socio-economic development.

He noted that sport can also serve as a tool for crime prevention, conflict resolution and promote inclusive good governance,  with a view to creating a peaceful environment for meaningful development.

While appreciating the good gesture of the Governor-elect, recipient of the seven hundred and fifty thousand naira cheque, Miss Deborah Quickpen thanked the Governor-elect for coming to her aid to enable her represent Nigeria at the forthcoming African Youth Chess Championship in Namibia,  assuring that she will not disappoint the country at the continental competition.

Also speaking,  father of the girl, Mr. Ben Quickpen, who also is the current world’s number 10th man in scrabble and a three times national champion in the game, expressed surprise that his daughter would be sponsored to participate in the forthcoming African Chess Youth Championship in Namibia by the Governor-elect whom he had never met in life.

On his part, Chairman,  Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Samuel Numonengi, said the good gesture of the Governor-elect in taking up the bills of Miss Quickpen to enable her participate in the African Youth Chess Championship speaks volumes of his benevolence and passion for sports development.

Also speaking, a lecturer with the Niger Delta University,  Amassoma,  Dr. Phillips Okolo described the gesture of the Governor-elect as a pointer to good things to come to Bayelsa state. 

He used the occasion to appeal to the incoming administration to run an open and inclusive government where every stakeholder would be accommodated irrespective of political divides.

Source: newtelegraph.ng.com