Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, has called on traditional rulers across the State to continue to preserve the Ijaw cultural heritage to drive home developmental processes and promote peace. King Dakolo made the call while speaking on the significance of 'Bayelsa thirtieth anniversary of Statehood' in his Palace at Gbarantoru in Yenagoa local government area of the State. The monarch who is also Chairman of the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders as well as Chairman of the Awards Sub-Committee for Bayelsa's thirtieth Anniversary said traditional rulers must remain vanguards of the people’s welfare and custodians of the Ijaw people's culture. King Dakolo while assessing the development of Bayelsa State since its creation on October first , nineteen ninety-six, said the State has made about eighty five percent progress, recalling how at creation, the State capital, Yenagoa had only one major road, one general hospital, and one filling station but currently, can boasts of five universities, among other achievements. While wishing the Government and Bayelsans a remarkable thirtieth anniversary, King Dakolo urged the people to celebrate the milestone reached and support authorities to sustain the peace and development of the State. He however, cautioned against the erosion of Ijaw culture through excessive Westernization, describing cultural preservation as central to identity while expressing hope for the creation of additional Ijaw states as vehicles to accelerating the development of the region.