News Africa

Guber polls: My administration will invite foremost European football club to set up facility in Abia APC standard-bearer

Published

2 years ago

September 27, 2022

admin

The 2023 Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has disclosed plans to reposition sporting activities when elected as governor of the state.

In a statement on Monday, Ogah, who was the immediate past minister of state for Mines and Steel Development, explained that his vision for sports in Abia state would see Abia invest more in specific sporting activities such as football, track and field basketball among others in which we may have readily identifiable talents so as making Abia state becomes a household name in each of those prime sporting activities.

He said that his administration will go all out, set up self-sustaining systems as is obtainable in developed countries to ensure our vision for sports in Abia state keeps renewing itself and creating value for our people, and for Nigerians at large.

The frontline Abia governorship standard-bearer, also assured that when elected as Abia governor, his administration will involve experts from other climes who would partner with the government to situate their excellent facilities within the state to ensure sustenance in the state’s sports initiative.

According to Dr Ogah, “we would invite a foremost football club in Europe to set up their facility in Abia state which would help hone the skills of our people who are interested in football.

“This arrangement will help produce world class footballers for Nigeria, boost internal revenue and foreign exchange for the nation”.

The Doyen of Abia Rejoice further pledged to equally provide world class facilities and attract technical partners in other sports to develop the skill set of our athletes whose interests are in other sports.

Continuing, he stated, “I understand sports as i participated in it in my school days and as an entrepreneur with varied experiences, i equally understand the humongous benefits that sports can generate to our state and her people.

“When we begin to actualize the content of our sports plan, Abia state will begin to lead other states in Nigeria’s National Sports Festivals, our people will dominate in individual sporting activities while winning personal and group sports laurels that will place our dear Abia state at rhe zenith of sports in Nigeria”, the APC gubernatorial candidate added.

Parts of the statement, “Sports has gone beyond a recreational activity to a huge revenue earner for those who have professionally keyed into it from different contact points. Our people engage in sports mostly as a relaxation activity but armed with the knowledge of the vast opportunities that are available in different sporting activities and the requirements to catalyze such activities into veritable ventures, there is need to commence conscious efforts to reposition sporting activities in our state.

“My stand as it concerns sports in Abia State is to make it profitable to our sports men and women which would equally rub off on our state. This would entail early identification of talents in different sporting activities, investment in their training with world class facilities and ceaseless endowment of their upkeep with gratuitous financial support so they grow from amateurs to renown sports professionals.

Recall that Uche Ogah had on 26th of May 2022, emerged as the Abia governorship standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress in the recently-concluded gubernatorial primary elections for the forthcoming 2023 general elections in Abia state.

He was declared the winner of the just concluded gubernatorial primary elections after he scored 141,952 votes to beat his closest rival, Paul Ikonne who scored 27,054.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRESS RADIO MOBILE APP

Other gubernatorial aspirants includes, Chief Ikechi Emenike who polled 9,446, Emeka Atuma with 7,429, Obinna Oriaku with 5,553, Alex Otti scored 2,41, and Daniel Eke who got 1,953 at the keenly contested direct primaries.

Source: Thepressradio.com| Nigeria| Emeruwa Emeruwa