Local Organising Committee Inaugurated for the Maiden Edition of the West African Public Service Games (ECOWAS )

9 January 2012
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Economic Community of West African States (Abuja)
press release

Port Harcourt - Nigeria — The Local Organising Committee for the maiden edition of the West African Public Service Games (WAPSGA) has been inaugurated in Port Harcourt, in Nigeria's Rivers State by the State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Fred Igwe who used the opportunity to reaffirm the State's commitment to host the games.

Athletes from Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo are participating in this inaugural edition of the games being planned for the first quarter of 2012 and which will bring together public sector workers in the region to compete in Sports. They will compete in athletics, basketball, football in male and female categories, handball, lawn and table tennis, wrestling and tug of war and a novelty match of institutions. Rivers State offered to host the games as part of its contributions to the promotion of regional integration, a point emphasized by the Commissioner during the inauguration ceremony on the 22nd December 2011.

"We have more than the required facilities for hosting the games and look forward to a successful hosting in the tradition that the State has established for hosting national and international sports competitions," the Commissioner affirmed. The multi-disciplinary Committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the State's Sports Ministry, Engineer Paulinus Nwankwoala, has responsibility for carrying out preparatory activities for the games as contained in the committee's Terms of Reference.

These include establishing an organizing committee of competent persons, obtaining an insurance policy cover for all the participants, ensuring that the facilities for the games meet international standards, and providing logistic, security and medical support for the games. The Committee will also organize inspection of the competition venues and accommodation sites to ensure that these are ready before the competition. It will also see to the provision of accommodation, reception and feeding facilities for all the participants. The Committee will ensure coordination with the ECOWAS Commission and is expected to submit reports on various aspects of the preparations.

The Commission's delegation to the inauguration was led by Dr. Sintiki Tarfa Ugbe, Director, Gender Development, Youth/Sports and Civil Society, who commended the State government for offering to host the games. She said the competition would not only contribute to the promotion of greater understanding among public sector workers in the region, but would also ensure the building of mentally and physically fit professionals for effective and efficient contributions to regional development.

The ECOWAS Commission and the Rivers State Government are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will delineate the responsibilities of both parties for the success of the games.

Read the original article on Ecowas.

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