Proverbs from Izonland

POPULAR IZON PROVERBS

1. A child who hides what he is doing from his father will always go to the old man for help when trouble comes.

2. The person, whom the fairy strikes, is always struck on no other place, but the neck.

3. A woman can never be the oldest person in a village any day.

4. When the canoe capsizes, the things are never complete.

5. He, who sees a rough river and tries to cross with a small canoe, should not blame God.

6. He, who has a bad stay in the city, is off.

7. The tongue is only 3 inches, but it can kill a man that is 6ft tall.

8. A sheep that associates with dog will eat dung.

9. A person who has not secured a place on the floor should not look for a mat.

10. It is when the wind blows that we see the anus of a fowl.

11. It is the wrapper the whole town cuts for a man that reaches his waist.

12. A woman with only one wrapper does not go under the rain.

13. A man who thinks everything around his is sweet should remember that bitter leave grow in the bush with oranges.

14. If the singer is a fool, the listener is also a fool.

15. The fish that dwells in the waterside of a village never lives to its old age unless it is cunning.

16. No matter how a man cries, he never cries to bring blood.

17. He whose house is on fire does not pursue rat.

18. The tortoise says if it knew that it could ever become an elder, it would have recommended the use of a big cup to serve drinks for the elders.

19. You do not tell a little child to swear not to play with girls.

20. The knife which rejoices when it is cutting what it calls an old sheathe, is indeed destroying its home.

21. To whom nothing is given, of him nothing can be required.

22. The crab may try, but it will never walk straight.

23. Happiness in marriage is a matter of stance.

24. He who has not sat on the marital stool does not know the problems of marriage.

25. If you praise a child today for not killing a grass-cutter, when next he goes out hunting he will kill an antelope.

26. A plantain sucker will not produce fruit before his mother.

27. A cricket with one wing says that it is good to travel early.

28. A kindred that know how to circumcise don’t do it because the knife is sharp.

29. A dry grass dare not challenge fire to a duel.

30. It is shame for the mother of a squirrel to cook without palm oil.

31. Who would have believed that the pestle can beat the mortar.

32. One does not protect another's head in such a manner as to allow the hawk to lift one's own off one's shoulder.

33. A dog will always recognize its owner even when he is angry.

34. When elders are in the market place, the head of a child on his mother's back is not allowed to droop.

35. A wise fish knows that a beautiful worm that looks so easy to swallow has a sharp hook attached to it.

36. Whoever does not spread flour to dry will not be afraid of an approaching rain.

37. A house for which we use spittle to mix its mortar will collapse during a mist.

38. The death that will kill a man begins as an appetite.

39. Death has no business on a deserted house. He who has nothing loses nothing.

40. The man who lends one cloth tells one where to sit.

41. The man chews the stick acceptable to it.

42. The bachelor who complains of poor turnout at the market should be asked how many of his wives and children are attending.

43. Neither whose reign brings peace and stability nor the one whose reign brings turbulence would be forgotten.

44. The palm wine tree that is afraid of the calabash should stop producing palm wine.

45. The man who jumps from the ground onto an anti-hill is still on the ground.

46. One who has no mother should not sustain a sore on the back.

47. The vulture says he is happy whenever his wife is pregnant. If she bears the child alive good; and if she delivers a dead child, it is also good because meat will be provided.

48. Money is a stranger; it only stays with those who take good care of it.

49. If it were not for the ears, the heart will never be angry.

50. When there is no more rats to be had in the bush the fetid hedgehog becomes welcome.

51. When a blind man dies, he is not stranger to the spirit.

52. No body asks from where a married woman gets her pregnancy.

53. The wild cat does not roam the streets in day time; a man of good breeding does not roam the night.

54. The cock belongs to one person but its crow is for the whole neighbourhood.

55. The dog that opens its eyes while chewing bones invites pepper into its eyes.

56. The world is like a dancing masquerade. If you want to see it well, you do not stand is one place.

57. The rat says he has no quarrel with its killer but with the one who informs on its whereabouts.

58. The tongue is a good thing as far as it doesn’t belong to a woman.

59. Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he's well dressed.

60. To whom nothing is given, of him nothing can be required.

61. The crab may try but it will never walk straight.

62. Happiness in marriage is a matter of chance.

Investment opportunities

Bayelsa State has a very n bright economic future if plans for its development e can be properly articulated and rigorously imple- e mented, in an investor-friendly atmosphere. Based on the local resources outlined above, several industries can be developed. There is, as yet, little e or no industrial manufacturing in the state.
e Industrialisation therefore, has the opportunity of i- being planned from a zero base such that its spatial e distribution would influence development positively e throughout the state. Governments, since the cre- e stio" of the state, did little or nothing to promote o industrialisation but the first elected governor of the y state has taken some steps towards providing a i. good investment climate that would woo investors y to the state.
These steps include: (i) Development of housing estates in h Yenagoa, Odi, Amassoma, Ogbia; g (ii) Development of industrial estates at rf Yenagoa and Odi; (iii) Encouraging political harmony among ethnic groups and between migrants and the indigenes of the state; (iv) Mass electrification of towns and vil- lages of the state; (v) Provision of other basic socio-econom- ic infrastructure; (vi) Development of efficient inter-state links through land and water; (vii) Identification of local industrial raw materials and invitation of local and for- eign entrepreneurs to establish indus- tries with forward and backward link- ages in the state.
All these strategies were contained in the '' Governor's speech of 4 January, 2000. The state a government has also laid other incentives for indus- e trialists such as tax relief, tax holiday and capital s allowance. All these constitute a comprehensive and attractive package for potential investors. The state government has a liberal investment policy aimed at encouraging potential and genuine entre- preneurs to participate in the infrastructural and industrial development of the state.
Industrial Potentialities:
The potentialities for industrial take-off of Bayelsa State are very bright, despite the present problem of transportation and communications, unreliable power supply, water, and other basic infrastructure. Agricultural products on which small - to rnedi- d urn - scale industries could be established include palm oil, coconut, rubber; while the fishing industry a could concentrate on fish oil extraction, fish pack- aging/canning et cetera. Other farm products on which industries can be based are local gin distillery from raffia palm and palm wine tapping. However, the major areas for investments in agro -allied industrial development are as follows:
a) Vegetable Oil extraction from coconut and palm kernels.This is an industrial investment area that has not been exploited in the state. Opportunities abound for production of fatty oil used in paint and soap manu- facture; production of gin from raffia palm and palm wine is economically viable.
(b) Rubber: Production of such items as belts, inner tubes, tyres, pipes, mats and shoe heels and soles is econom- ically feasible;
(c) 'Ogbono': Production of Ogbono on a commercial scale is viable, but this area of trade has not been exploited.
(d) Timber: This can be exploited for the production of toilet rolls, corrugated boards for packaging, tooth picks, ice cream sticks and straw matting for packing.
(e) Ancillary Facilities for Fishing Industry: In fishing industry industrial opportunity exists, in addition to fish oil extraction, for ancillary industries such as fish net making, boat building and fish canning.
Products from mineral based industries also offer wide opportunities for investments in the state. These encompass a wide range of industries con- tingent on crude oil, by-products of petroleum refin- ing such as jelly greases, rubber products, floor tiles, tarpauline and so on.

History of Bayelsa State

Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw; however, like the rest of Nigeria, English is the official language. The state was formed in 1996 from part of Rivers State and thus, it is one of the newest states of the Nigerian federation.

Economy
Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in Nigeria. As a result petroleum production is extensive in the state. However, the majority of Bayelsans live in poverty. They are mainly rural dwellers due to its peculiar terrain and lack of adequate transportation, health, education or other infrastructure as a result of decades of neglect by the central governments and petoleum prospecting companies. This has been a large problem in the state since its creation and successive state governments have not been able to address and repair the issue. The state, as a result, has an almost non-existent commerce. Successive state governments have, however, embark on various industrial projects (even venturing into the oil and gas sector), and "poverty-alleviation" programs to reverse this situation.
The local population engage in fishing on a subsistence and commercial level. The Bayelsa State government is otherwise the main employer of labor in the state.

Geography
Bayelsa has a riverine and estuarine setting. A lot of her communities are almost (and in some cases) completely surrounded by water, hence making these communities inaccessible by road.
Other important cities besides Yenagoa include Akassa, Amassoma (the home of the Niger Delta University), Twon-Brass,Okpoama-Brass, Kaiama, Nembe, Odi, Ogbia, Oporoma and Sagbama.

Notable natives
Notable sons of Bayelsa State include veteran novelist and poet, Gabriel Okara; pioneering Nigerian journalist and pre-independent freedom fighter, Ernest Ikoli; Nigerian Civil War hero, Major Isaac Adaka Boro (Nigerian Army) and Canadian Olympic gold medalist and world wrestling champion, Daniel Igali. The First Bayelsan to attain the Rank of a full general and become the chief of army staff and is the current Chief of Defence staff General Owoye Andrew Azazi. Others include revolutionaries and martyrs of April 22, 1990 Captains Perebo Dakolo and Harley Empere (Nigerian Army); former Governor of Rivers State, HRM Alfred Diete-Spiff (now king of the city of Twon-Brass, Nigeria); the current vice-president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan. A young Bayelsan, Timi Dakolo, nephew of Captain Perebo Dakolo, won the first ever Idols West Africa competition in May, 2007.
Due to massive overseas scholarship programs implemented by the old Rivers State in the 1970s and recent Bayelsa State governments, large numbers of Bayelsan professionals reside in Europe and North America. This is part of the general brain-drain trend affecting many African communities.

Administrative divisions
Bayelsa is divided into eight Local Government Areas:
Brass
Ekeremor
Kolokuma/Opokuma
Nembe
Ogbia
Sagbama
Southern Ijaw
Yenagoa

Local Governments in Bayelsa State

Local Governement Areas

Bayelsa State was made up of only eight local government areas on the eve of May 29, 1999. These were created out of the old Brass, Yenagoa and Sagbama local governemnt areas. They are: Nembe,Ogbia (from Brass), Southern Ijaw, Kolokuma/Opokima (from Yenagoa) and Ekeremor (from Sagbama) Following the military disengagement from political power, the successive civilian administration of Chief D. S. P. Alamieyeseigha initiated a bill culminating in the creation of additional twenty-four local government areas. This was to bring government closer to the people and encourage grassroot development in the State.


The 32 L. G. A.s of the State
1.Akassa -
2.Alabeni
3. Aleibiri
4.Anyama
5.Apoi/Olodaima
6. Brass
7. Bassan Koluama
8 Bomo East
.9.Bomo Central/West
10.Ekeremor
11.Gbarain/Ekptiama
12. Kaiko/Ibeawo
13.Kolokuma/Opokuma
14.Kolo Creek
15. Mein/Oyiakiri
16. Mini-Ikensi
17. Nembe West
!8. Nembe East
19. Odi
20. Ogbia
21. Ogbia Central
22.Okordia/Zarama/Biseni
23. Ogboin North
24. Ogboin South/Tarakiri
25. Okoroma/Tereke
26. Oporomor West
27. Opuokede reek
28. southern Ijaw
29. Sagbama
30. Tarakiri
31. Toru-Abubou
32. Yenagoa
Headquarters
Ogbokiri
Egbemo-Angalabiri
Aleibiri
Anyama
Ikibiri 1
Twon
Foropa 1
Opuama
Igbematoru
Ekeremor
Okolobiri
Okpoama
Kaiama
Kolo
Ogobiri
Agrsaba
Ogblomabiri
Bassambiri
Odi
Ogbia
Otuoke
Agbobiri
Amassoma
Otuan
Ologoama
Peretorugbene
Amabulou
Oporoma
Sagbama
Ebedebiri
Elemebiri
Yenagoa city

Local Governments in Bayelsa State

Tourism in Bayelsa

Bayelsa State is naturally endowed with rich tourist potentials. Some of these potentials date back to pre-colonial times. This portrays the level of development and growth in political, socio-economic, cultural as well as technological fabric before the advent of modernity. There are significant historic sites, museums and monuments, artifacts recovered from archaeological finds, settlements, birthplaces of notable persons, arts, crafts, traditional festivals etc. that serve as attractions to tourists.


Museums and Monuments


1. The White Graveyard at Twon-Brass in Brass LGA.
2. The Slave Tunnel at Akassa in Brass LGA
3 Olodi Museum at Ogbolomabiri in Nembe LGA.
4. Olodi Museum at Ogbolomabiri in Nembe LGA.
5. Olodi Museum at Ogbolomabiri in Nembe LGA.
6. King Ockiya’s Mausoleum at Ogbolomabiri in Nembe LGA
7. Late Chief Christopher Iwowari’s Monument at Bassambiri in Nembe LGA
8. Bronze Heads at Opume in Ogbia LGA
9. The proposed National Oil Museum at Oloibiri in Ogbia LGA, where crude oil was first struck in commercial quantity in Nigeria in 1956.
10. Isaac Boro Memorial Monument at Kaiama in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.
11 The Akassa Light House in Brass Local Government Area
12
The Okpoama Beach in Brass Local Government Area
13
The Koluama Holiday Resort in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area
14 Lake Efi at Sabagreia in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area


Beaches


Famgbe Beach CArnival
Town/LGA: Famgbe in Yenagoa LGA
Description: Ceremonial
Period: [n]
Ogori ba Uge Beach

Town/LGA: Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA Description:killing of Buffalo Period: 27 July



Agricultural Palm Beach
Town/LGA: Ekeremor in Ekeremor LGA Description: Ceremonial Period:
Okpoama Beach
Town/LGA: Brass in Brass L. G. A. Description: Ceremonial

Egbebiri Beach Carnival
Town/LGA: Biseni Okordia/Zarama/Biseni LGA