Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has announced employment for 15 athletes who won Gold and Silver Medals in international and National Sporting Competitions.
Otti, who made the announcement at his residence in Nvosi, Isialangwa South Local Government Area, during a reception held for Abia’s victorious athletes from both international and national competitions, congratulated the athletes for making the State proud.
The event also honoured Gold and Silver Medalists from the recently concluded Paralympics, along with their coaching crew.
While describing the event as one of his happiest days in Office, the governor emphasized that the move is aimed at boosting the morale of athletes and retaining talent as well as preventing them from leaving the state to seek opportunities abroad and in other states.
He said, “Since I assumed office, what I met was an embargo on employment, and I’ve maintained it, but because of these our athletes that have done well, we don’t want them to ‘Japa’ either abroad or to other states”.
“I am going to lift that embargo to employ about fifteen of them and reinstate it back”.
Otti reiterated his administration’s abolition of the non-indigene distinction, stressing that anyone residing in Abia State is considered an Abian.
He also announced a cash reward of N20 million for the two Paralympic powerlifting international Champions of Abia origin, Onyinyechi Gift Mark and Esther Nworgu, commended them for their exceptional performance, noting that “With determination, nothing is impossible”.
The governor further announced that other athletes will receive the sum of N33m while their coaching crew will receive N22m
Otti promised to address infrastructural concerns raised by the athletes, including the maintenance of the stadium, enhancing their working conditions and upgrading the office of the Director of Sports and assured them that a brand-new Coaster Bus for the team and an official car for the Director of Sports would be delivered before the end of November.
The governor, while acknowledging the efforts and contributions of a former Super Eagles coach in sports development, Christian Chukwu, who graced the occasion and presented his book to the Governor, 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 that his health is restored”, he assured.
While thanking the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development for their unwavering commitment, Otti reiterated his administration’s dedication to fostering youth participation in sports and expressed gratitude to God for making the athlete’s achievements possible.
In his address, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba, attributed all the remarkable successes recorded by the sports council to the valuable support and unflinching love of Governor Otti to the Ministry.
The commissioner, while rolling out the achievements of the Sports Council since the inception of the new administration, noted that the recent Paralympic Games in France and National Games held in Delta State were the direct results of deliberate investment in sports infrastructure, purchase equipment and focused athletic development programs by the present administration.
In his words, the sponsorship the governor provided the athletes to compete and train in international tournaments such as Dubai, Egypt, Thailand and Kenya played a fundamental role in their success, adding that the impressive performance of the athletes has added a feather in the cap for Abia State.
He commended the Governor for raising the state from what he described as an extremely low level of sports development to one of the best in the country and appealed to the Governor to absorb the athletes and coaches that made the State proud to the Sports Council.
Presenting the athletes, the State Director of Sports, Obioma George, applauded the governor for his support towards grassroots development of sports in Abia State, which he said has started yielding positive results.
George noted that the governor had redeemed Abia State Sports Council, which was comatose through the sponsorship of sporting activities, purchase of sports equipment, and renovation of facilities, revealing that the last time Abia Athletes were hosted in such a reception was in 2004.
He used the forum to list the numerous achievements of the Council in the last one year of Governor Otti’s administration in the State and described some of Abia’s results as the best in the entire South East States.
George expressed the hope that the council would achieve more laurels with more motivation in the area of provision of operational vehicles, employment of star athletes and coaches, procurement of more sporting equipment, retrofitting of the sports council office and stadium, as well as other challenges.
