Abel Orih Idoma
27 November 2008
Makurdi — Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state has inaugurated Board members for the 23 sports associations in the state with a charge to them to drive the various sports to the next level through hard work. This is the first of such, coming up ten years after the last boards were put in place.
The governor enjoined the Board members to sacrifice their time, energy and resources in order for Benue sports to meet the desired standard as talents abound in the state.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr. Audu Achigili, Suswam urged members of the private sector to partner with his administration to develop sports in the state, saying "Sports is a viable instrument for fighting social ills such as drug abuse, cultism, stealing and truancy among other anti-social behaviour".
He stated that sports has a very important role to play in the lives of every individual and reiterated that his administration would continue to commit whatever resources into the sector in order to better the lives of the people of the state and register the state among other developed states in sports across the country.
He noted that sporting associations have not been constituted over a period of time and assured that government would continue not only to sponsor events for the youths but would also continue to encourage them to embrace sports for their own good and for promoting the image of the state and the nation at large.
The governor therefore, charged the members of the various association to be committed, hard-working and be ready to sacrifice at all times to ensure the success of these associations so as to regain the past glory in sports for which the state had been known for.
He assured of government's preparedness to continue to provide condusive working environment for better performance and announced the upgrading of Gboko, Otukpo and Katsina-Ala Stadium as well as completion of the indoor sports hall and
the swimming pool at the Aper Aku Stadium Complex Makurdi.
The governor therefore, called on individuals and organized private sector to join hands with government in the task of developing sports in the state.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Mr Benjamin Vember, while recounting the achievements of the Suswam administration in sports, revealed that his Ministry
had just taken delivery of abundant sports kits worth N89 million, and thanked government for the gesture.
Mr. Vember also stated that the massive funding of sports was aimed at providing the opportunities and incentives to all would-be sports men and women, adding that there would
be no dull moment in sports in the state any longer.
Earlier, the state Director of Sports, Chief Gilbert Kaso, stressed the need for the sporting associations, which he noted were the life-wires for progressive sports, and expressed appreciation to the state governor for reviving sports in the state after over two decades.
Responding on behalf of the Board members, Prof. Armstrong Adejo assured of their commitment and pledged that the associations would place Benue state in the sports map of
the country, and thanked the state government for finding them worthy of the service, assuring that success would definitely be achieved at the end of the day.
Board members were inaugurated in athletics, judo, karate, boxing and table tennis among others.
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