By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor has charged participants of the maiden Niger Delta Sports Festival to build friendship and promote peace in the region through the festival.
Pastor Umo Eno, who gave the charge Wednesday, during the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Festival, which took place at the Uyo Township Stadium, with the theme: “Beyond Oil: Harnessing Talents”, enjoined the competitors to make judicious use of the opportunity by building friendship, promoting unity and showcasing their talents, while challenging the Akwa Ibom contingent to put in their best effort to win medals so as to justify the hosting right.
Eno described the sports fiesta as being in line with one of the thematic areas of his administration’s ARISE Agenda, which is human capital development.
The governor noted that the vision of the current management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to restore the past glory of sporting excellence in the region aligns with the vision of Akwa Ibom State Government in discovering talents through sport events as seen in his administration’s creation of a stand-alone Ministry of Sports headed by a veteran sports Journalist, and an international football administrator, Paul “Sports” Bassey.
He recalled the period when athletes from the region dominated Nigerian sports such as athletics, boxing, table tennis and weightlifting from the beautiful, peaceful and serene capital city of Uyo to the bustling oil and gas hub in Eket, and to the Rafia City of Ikot Ekpene.
Eno urged the athletes to uphold discipline as well as the spirit of sportsmanship and peace in the region, even as he tasked the State’s contingent to host the competition to win, saying beyond winning medals, the event was an opportunity to build friendship, promote unity and showcase the talent of the youths of the Niger Delta.
“To Akwa Ibom State Contingent, I challenge you to go out there to win medals for our State. We are not only hosting these games, we are hosting to win.”
The chairman, National Sports Commission, Alhaji Shehu Dikko, who represented President Tinubu, commended Governor Eno for his proactive and impactful efforts at ensuring the successful hosting of the event.
The Ondo State governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the support given to the NDDC to organise the festival, maintaining that the sports fiesta would serve as a bridge and help to fast track the discovery of sports talents in the Niger Delta region.
The executive director of NDDC, Finance and Administration, Alabo Boma Iyaye, who doubles as chairman of the festival’s planning committee, thanked Governor Eno for his support and for granting the NDDC the opportunity to host the competition in his State.
Iyaye noted that the success of the event would not have been possible without Eno’s cooperation and support, adding that the festival was part of the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu-led administration aimed at gathering youths across the Niger Delta to ensure their talents are motivated.
He called on prospective volunteer hosts to indicate interests to enhance the effective planning of subsequent festivals.
Meanwhile, Governor Eno, before the opening ceremony, had received the symbolic torch that marked the commencement of the festival from the famous Olympic medalist, Mr. Aniefiok Udobong, at Government House, Uyo.
Receiving the torch in the presence of members of the State Executive Council, Eno appreciated the privilege accorded Akwa Ibom by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to host the maiden festival.
The excited Eno acknowledged the impact of the event on the State, noting that sports talents would be discovered through the regional sports event.
Chairman of the festival planning committee, Mr. Alabo Boma Iyaye, said the sports fiesta was the first of its kind in the South South region of Nigeria, hinting that the sports fiesta would witness over 4,000 participating athletes, from States of the Niger Delta region, competing in various sporting activities for medals.
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