Governor Alex Otti in a group photograph with the athletes and Ministry of Sports and Youths Development officials during the reception
Otti splashes N75m on Abia sports officials, athletes, offers automatic employment to 15 laurel-winning athletes
*Promises support for Super Eagles Legend, Christian Chukwu
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has given n75 million cash rewards to official and athletes of the state Ministry of Sports and Youths Development and also offered automatic employment to 15 athletes from the state who won various laurels at both international and national sporting competitions.
Governor Otti, announcement the cash rewards and job offers at his Nvosi country home in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, during a reception held for the victorious athletes and congratulated them for making the state proud.
The reception was organized for the Abia State Sports Council athletes who emerged champions at the Paralympics games in Paris, France; the Para-badminton team that won laurels in Uganda and the Under-15 team that participated at the National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State.
According to the Governor, the two Paralympic Power Lifting International Champions of Abia origin, Onyinyechi Gift Mark and Esther Nworgu would receive N20 million, while other athletes would get N33 million, with the coaching crew having N22 million.
The Governor who described the event as one of his happiest days in office, also approved other requests from the Sports Council, including an operational Coaster Bus, official car for the Director, enhancing the working conditions of the Staff, upgrading the office of the Director of Sports as well as the maintenance of Umuahia Township Stadium.
He said the move was aimed at boosting the morale of the athletes, as well as preventing exodus of star athletes from the state to seek opportunities elsewhere.
He reiterated his administration’s abolition of the non-indigene distinction, stressing that anyone residing in Abia State is considered an Abian.
While thanking the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development officials for their unwavering commitment, the Governor restated his administration’s dedication to fostering youth participation in sports and expressed gratitude to God for making the athletes’ achievements possible.
Dr. Otti used the forum to acknowledge the efforts of former Super Eagles Player, Coach Christian Chukwu, who came to present his authorized biography to the Governor and promised to support him by ensuring that he receives the best medical attention.
“The truth is that any society that forgets people like this is doomed to fail. You must remember where you started. This is not the time to forget him. We will look after him and ensure his health is restored,” Gov Otti assured.
In his address, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Nwaobilor Ananaba, attributed all the remarkable successes recorded by the Sports Council to the valuable supports and unflinching love of Governor Otti to the Ministry.
The Commissioner, while reeling out achievements of the Sports Council since the inception of the present administration, noted that the recent Para-lympic games in France and National Games held in Delta State were the direct result of deliberate investment in sports infrastructure, purchase of equipment and focused athletes’ development programmes.
According to him the sponsorship the Governor provided the athletes the opportunity to train and compete in international tournaments held in Dubai, Egypt, Thailand and Kenya, which he noted, played fundamental role in the successes recoded by the athletes, adding that the impressive performance of the athletes has added a feather to the cap of Abia state.
He commended the Governor for raising the state from “extreme low level of sports development” to one of the best in the country and appealed to the Governor to absorb the athletes that made the state proud into the Sports Council.
Presenting the athletes, the State Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George, applauded the Governor for his support towards grassroots sports development in Abia, noting that it has started yielding positive results.
Comrade George expressed happiness that the Governor has redeemed Abia State Sports Council, which was in shambles, through the sponsorship of sporting activities, purchase of sports equipment, renovation of facilities; revealing that the last time Abia athletes were hosted to such a reception was in 2004.
He used the forum to list the numerous achievements of the Council in the last one year of the Governor Otti’s administration and described some of the Abia result as the best in the entire South East States.
He expressed hope that the Council would achieve more laurels with greater motivation in the area of provision of operational vehicles, employment of star-athletes and coaches, procurement of more sports equipment, retrofitting of the Sports Council office and stadium, as well as tackling of other challenges.
