Give more attention and funding to sports – NSF President, Engineer Aka tells new Kogi governor
The President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Olobatoke Aka, has called on the new Governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, to give more attention and funding to sportsin the State.
Engineer Olobatoke Aka, came out with this shortly after the new Governor was sworn in at the weekend in Lokoja, the State capital.
“Support sport, so that Kogi State can also be a force to recon with in Nigeria, and that is possible, if only the government supports sports.” Aka, a former President of the Pan African Scrabble Association (PANASA) said.
The Hydro Engineer went further to explain, “The Governor and the State should put more attention to sports and encourage more sporting activities, because it’s a way of taking the youth away from the streets and we have a teeming youth population in Kogi State that sports can bring together and leverage on the useful game.”
Aka stated that the central location of Kogi State makes it very ideal and strategic for sports to flourish and other states in the country can use Lokoja as camp site whenever Abuja is hosting any sporting event.
Kogi State is bordered to the West by Ekiti and Kwara, to the North by the Federal Capital Territory, to the North East by Nasarawa State, to the North West by Niger State, to the South West by Edo and Ondo States; to the South East by the states of Anambra and Enugu, and to the East by Benue State.
It’s noteworthy to mention that Kogi State is the only state in Nigeria to border ten other states and the State has produced world class athletes like late Sunday Bada, who was also a highly respected Police Officer.
The late Sunday Bada, a 400 metres Olympic Champion from Ogidi, in Ijumu Local Government of the State, was the Technical Director of Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
Bada who specialized in the 400 metres event, won three medals at the World Indoor Championships, including a gold medal in 1997. His personal best time was 44.63 seconds, and with 45.51 seconds.
He holds the African indoor record. He set a national record in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2000 Olympics, where the Nigerian team also won gold medals after the disqualification of the US.
Another international sportsman produced by the State is Shola Ameobi, an Ayetoro Gbede born Ijumu. Born in Nigeria but raised in England, Ameobi was capped by the England U- 21 team before making his Nigeria debut in 2012 and representing the country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Abdul Kareem Sule, an ex-international is another big football name from Kogi State.
Kogi United, Babanwa Football Club and Confluence Queens are household football teams from the State.
Engineer Toke Aka, a former board member of Nigeria Cricket Association (NCA), now the President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), stressed that Kogi State is blessed with abundant talented young sportsmen and women and sports administrators that can help change the gloomy narrative in sport to a positive note.
“All we need in Kogi State is the political will, moral and financial backing from the government and the teeming sporting youth population in the State will blossom in no distance time. Engineer Aka, an executive member WESPA, the World Governing Body of Scrabble added.
“His Excellency Governor Ododo, should take a keen interesting in upgrading existing sports facilities, build new ones were necessary, training of coaches and administrators as well providing the enabling environment for sports business and private sector to partner with the State Government.” The Kogi born Scrabble encyclopedia and administrator further emphasized.
“I Strongly believe that Sport is a key and very important as well as effective vehicle any government should use to build and grow it’s economy, fight crime and reach out to all the youth. “The youths account for sixty percent of the over four million population of the Confluence State.” Aka concluded.
