Egbe lights up Apoi communities with soccer tournament
...Tasks NDDC, oil companies to buy into it
By George Aluo
Soccer is for the first time being on the New Year menu of the riverine Apoi communities of Southern Ijaw local government of Bayelsa State, thanks to a son of the soil, Ebi Egbe.
Egbe, the CEO of Monimichelle is sponsoring a grassroots football tournament in the communities which has eight wards.
The tournament which started a fortnight ago would be decided on January 2 , 2021 in what Egbe has promised to be a befitting grand finale.
Speaking on why he decided to sponsor the meet, the Monimichelle boss said as a major stakeholder in the sports industry, he wants to use football to turn things around in the Southern Ijaw local government which is the heartbeat of militancy in the Niger Delta.
“I m out to change the narrative of Southern Ijaw being the hotbed of militancy. I m confident sports, especially football can be used to redirect the energy of the youths. Rather than engage in militancy, I want them to be engaged in football. Already, the crowd that is watching the matches that are being played is amazing. On January 2, the finals would be decided and I want to make it a carnival of some sort…” Egbe said.
He urged the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region to queue into the sports agenda which he pointed out would be the game changer when it comes to youths restiveness and militancy.
“If the NDDC and the oil companies put just 10 percent of what they are using to fight militancy into sports and the provision of sporting infrastructure in Southern Ijaw there would be nothing like militancy anymore…I can put my money on this,” Egbe said adding…”We all know the power of football, especially in the Niger Delta region where soccer talents abound.”
