..Insists Sports Remains Only Unifying Factor In Nigeria
The Imo state Commissioner for Education Professor Johncliff Nwadike has revealed the plans Imo state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma’s plans to re-introduce School Sports in the state’s school system.
Nwadike made this known while addressing members of the sports writers association of Nigeria (SWAN), Imo state chapter when they paid him a Courtesy call and solidarity visit to his office at the Imo state secretariat, New Owerri.
The Education boss further affirmed that sports has been the only Unifying factor in Nigeria and is also a source of wealth when you catch them young and this is why Imo state Government are leaving to stone unturned in its bid to get school sports working again.
He pointed out to that this achievement will help reduce the level of drug abuse and juvenile delinquency in the state, noting that so many sports celebrities today are products of school sports.
Prof Nwadike continued that the motion and plans to bring back school sports is on going and that it is only a matter of days now, it will be a done deal here in Imo state.
“Part of the 3R mantra of His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma is recovery and I told the HOD that one thing we must do in this ministry is to recover school sports because most of our youths are now engaging in drug addiction and abuse.
“If we have enough activities to keep them busy through sports they would not indulge in drug abuse and crime.
“I have discussed with his excellency while waiting for the memo, I will send it to him so every person knows the importance of school sports. if we don’t rehabilitate sports, it means we are shooting ourselves on the foot. sports is now money. from my primary school and secondary the greatest gift I got as a sports man is an handkerchief and oranges but today people are earning money through sports and if you don’t start early enough and make them interested in it they would not appreciate it.
“If we rehabilitate it definitely it will lead to the good of our people when it becomes necessary I will get you involved and thank you for your interest.
While highlighting the importance of sports as a unifying factor in Nigeria, he stated that it makes this school sports project a priority adding that SWAN has a huge role to play in the actualizing it.
“SWAN is very special and I want to tell you that if there is anything that has kept Nigeria together, it’s sports.
“sports is a powerful instrument of nation building and the way people know what is happening in the sports world is through the activities of SWAN.
“SWAN and its members are doing a very nice work, if you go to newspaper stands, you see people who purchase newspapers just because of sport news.
“Sports papers do not stay beyond the period of production so you have a sacred duty of making people very happy at times contributing to states and nation building.
“I want to say that without SWAN the whole place will be dull so I thank you for the happiness and smiles you put on people and it’s my prayers that you will be sustained.
“You raised some critical issues about school sports, all of us are beneficiaries, it’s rather unfortunate that some of us entered sports when it was not lucrative, if I had known that one day sports will be this lucrative, I would have been active. many of us benefited from school sports we know the importance.” Nwadike concluded.
Earlier, the Chairman of SWAN, Imo state chapter, Rtn Everst Ezihe highlighted their mission and urged the Commissioner on carrying the body along in his ministry’s activities especially school sports.
