By Uwakmfon Dan
Abhijit Naskar, an Indian born writer and advocate of mental wellness
and global harmony, once said in one of his Books, The Education Decree,
"Sow the seeds of weakness and inferiority in the kids and they will
grow up to be inferior, crawling, insignificant insects but sow the
seeds of courage and they will become brave-hearted leaders, who will
one day change the course of human history."
The same author
again averred, "If you do not allow one to become a lion, one will
become a sheep, and the world is already filled with sheep, which is the
major cause of the society’s intellectual and moral downfall.
For a
better future to evolve, where humanism will be an all-pervading virtue
and separatism will be a matter of ancient history, the world needs
lions."
It stands to reason therefore, that for societal progress
and future advancement to be made, the conditio sine qua non, is the
development of young minds, the hope of the future. Put it rightly, for
"brave-hearted" and courageous future leaders to evolve, today's leaders
must place high premium on youth development.
As important as
that may sound, the third world countries have sadly, shown a carefree
and complete negligence of youth development and has outrightly
marginalised the younger generation to inertia and retrogression.
However, there are other developing countries who have strived towards
ensuring the securement of her nation's future, by constantly engaging
young minds in meaningful and profitable ventures.
Fortunately, Nigeria
is blessed with some leaders who, despite the current economic downturn
in the country, have effortlessly created a synergy such that there is a
near equality with the advanced nations, in terms of human capacity
development.
Suffice it to say that one of such leaders who has
not relented efforts in youth development is Akwa Ibom State's Mr Udom
Emmanuel, who's emergence as Governor has brought all-round and
unquestionable development to the State, in line with his five-point
agenda of job creation, poverty alleviation, wealth creation, economic
and political inclusion and infrastructural consolidation and expansion
Truth be told! When Leadership Newspaper, recently, conferred on the
Governor the publications “Governor of the Year, 2016,” many had thought
it was the usual politically motivated awards or jamboree, allegedly
bought by some politicians with public funds, but far be it. Anyone who
has followed the Governor's developmental strides in the State, will
have no doubt, whatsoever, that Governor Emmanuel, a transcendental
leader, deserves more than a Leadership Award.
From any
analytical point of view, Governor Udom Emmanuel has not only achieved
laudable feats in infrastructural renaissance, but has laid a strong
foundation for the future of our State and Nation, through his youth
oriented programmes and policies, thus, making Akwa Ibom State a
cynosure of all eyes and a model for other states in the country.
The 1st Akwa Ibom Youth Sports Festival is a testament of the
Governor's breakthrough in youth development, which he has undertaken
side by side with other obligations of government at a time when other
states lie comatose as a result of huge financial burden.
Worried
by the abysmal performance of the Nigerian Contingents at the Rio 2016
Summer Olympics and driven by the passion to discover and groom new
talents, Governor Udom Emmanuel tasked the State's Ministry of Youth and
Sports, under the stewardship of Sir. Monday Uko, to chart a new phase
for sports development in not only the State, but the country at large.
The benefits of the Sports Festival, the first of its kind in the
history of Akwa Ibom State, is not farfetched.
The Festival which is in
synergy with the educational curriculum of Primary and Secondary Schools
in the State will in the nearest future, yield good fruits as Akwa Ibom
State will become a hub of Champions.
With over 6,000 athletes
drawn from Primary and Secondary Schools across the State, the Opening
Ceremony for the State's Finals held at the Godswill Akpabio
International Stadium, with the Governor Emmanuel and Nigerian Sports
Minister, Solomon Dalung in attendance. Featuring football, basketball,
handball, volleyball, wrestling, taekwondo, chess, judo, tennis, Darts,
karat, weightlifting, baseball, kungfu, boxing, and other special
sports, the Sports Festival is focused on "catching them young" while
promoting sporting activities in schools and providing a platform for
budding talents to be exposed to world class sporting facilities which
will not only boost their morale, but spur them in working for the
actualisation of their potentials.
For Governor Emmanuel, his
Administration "sees sports development as a valuable gift to our
children and youths. We know that when we expose them to the best
sporting facilities at an early age, we have given them wings to soar
and the sky can only be the limit. Such thinking gave vent to the
establishment of sporting centres in each of the ten Federal
constituencies of the State by my administration."
Again, for His
Excellency, "sports is beyond the rubrics of the rhetoric of
entertainment. The business side of sports is indeed, a goldmine. So,
beyond the story of this festival, our youths should be launched to the
glory of the money-spinning venture of sports.
We know that the secret
of the Lionel Messi, the Christiano Ronaldos, the Serena Willaims, the
Usain Bolts and other world stars, is hidden, first and foremost, in
early exposure to world-class facilities particularly at an early age.
So, this catch-them-young initiative is well situated. The Governor's
dream is to ensure that no team will be constituted in any sports in
Nigeria without the first five persons not an Akwa Ibom child.
Apart from the physical and psychological benefits of Sports, the Sports
Festival has bridged many gaps in Akwa Ibom State. For instance,
contingents for the competition were selected, irrespective of their
political, religious or ethnic background.
This unarguably, will further
strengthen the peaceful co-existence being enjoyed in the State.
Extensively, when there is peace in the State, there will be a conducive
environment for industrialisation to thrive, thus, encouraging more
investors to come into the State.
The meaning therefore, is that,
Governor Emmanuel has excellently shut more than two birds with just a
stone; this is the testament of an unmatched Leader.
Not only
that, the Festival will help inculcate great virtues such as
perseverance, trustworthiness, timeliness, teamwork, and pressure
management in our youths. It will boost their self esteem, sharpen their
problem solving skills and give the young athletes, a sense of
belonging.
It is widely proven, that idleness contributes
largely to youth restiveness, not only in Nigeria, but other developed
societies.
To put an end or at least reduce the high rate of rape cases,
thuggery, cultism, prostitution, and other youth related vices, the
idea therefore, is to regularly engage the younger generation, through
areas such as Sports and imbue in them, a new mind-set predicated on the
‘Dakkada’ Philosophy, where they will see the need to utilise their God
given talents and skills. This is what Governor Emmanuel has
successfully accomplished, through the Akwa Ibom Youth Sports Festival.
It is hoped that the Sports Festival will not only eradicate the seeds
of weakness and inferiority in our young minds, but will help build a
better future, "where humanism will be an all-pervading virtue and
separatism will be a matter of ancient history."
As more
accolades continue to trail the Governor's foresight- the maiden Akwa
Ibom Youth Sports Festival, Akwa Ibomites should be happy, that they
have been privileged to witness what would in 2023, be tagged an
unrivalled, intrepid, shrewd, and purpose-driven leadership, when
Governor Emmanuel eventually bows out.
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