54th State Executive Council Meeting:

Gov. Diri Awards Scholarship to Bayelsa-born 9-year old African Chess Champion, Miss. Deborah Quickpen

...Gifts Deborah, her Parents and Sports Team N4 Million

...Charges Bayelsa Parents to Emulate Mr. and Mrs. Quickpen in Raising Children

"Nine years old Deborah Quickpen, Nigerian Champion, African Champion, we honour you today, and we appreciate your parents who have trained you very well, for every giant begins from the home. We pray that you move from glory to glory, and win more Nobel Prizes for your country, as you are now an ambassador to the youths in Bayelsa State, and your country Nigeria.

I hereby announce that they should choose for you a school that have both academics and sports, particularly chess, be it in Nigeria or outside Nigeria. Your state government will from today take over your expenditures, it follows therefore, that you have been awarded a scholarship by the state government, from secondary school to your University. And because you, your parents and the sports team took over the bills even without approvals from the state government, and tried as much as possible to represent this state and country, I hereby announce the award of 4 Million Naira to you with immediate effect.
I call on all other parents to see the example of Mr/Mrs. Quickpen and train up their children on the way they should go, so that they will become assets not only to themselves, but also to our society, our state and our country."

~ Sen. Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, speaking while receiving the Nigerian Chess prodigy, Deborah Quickpen during today's State Executive Council meeting at the council chambers, Government House, Yenagoa.

Photo Credits: Moses Sule and Gabriel Inam Emmanuel

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