The Special Adviser (SA) to Imo state Governor on Diaspora Affairs, Cllr Celia Osakwe-Hibbert has disclosed that one of her office strategy is to encourage Imo diasporans to repatriate their wealth of experience back home for the development of the state especially sports.
“One of our key area for development is sports and so my office is aiming at encouraging some of our professional sports men and women in diaspora to bring back their wealth of experience and with that we can make some magic to happen”, Celia Osakwe stated.
Osakwe who incidentally also possesses a Post Graduate Certificate in Coaching having played professional football in Nigeria before sojourning to England where her pro -carrier was cut short by an injury maintained that the diasporans are not just asked to repatriate their money for investment but the juicy wealth of experience they have garnered playing abroad to help developed the sports sector as well as create jobs and discover talents in the state.
The SA who made this known when she recently granted an interview with Radio Nigeria, Owerri (Heartland FM) said the state has some of their illustrious Sons and Daughters who are doing very well in their chosen sports outside the shores of the country like; Emmanuel Emenike (who once played for Fenabersche in Turkey, West Ham United in England among other Clubs), Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City in England, Kelechi Nwakali of Huesca in Spain (who just gained promotion back to La Liga), Chaimaka Nnadozie Super Faalcons and Paris FC goalkeeper among other sports men and women that we intend to urge repatriate their wealth of experience to work with the SA Diaspora office and make the visions and programmes of the 3R administration work for a better Imo.
She therefore called on Imolites especially those in diaspora who are into one sports or the other to synergise with office of the SA on Diaspora and return home with those juicy experience they have experienced playing in the advanced nations and inject them into our sports sector which will inturn boost our economy.
She however shared her experience on how she got into coaching and became a certified FA Coach in England as well as a certified FA Referee in England encouraging Imo women to embrace sports and exploit the opportunities and advantages there in.
