The Commissioner for Sports Development in Cross River State, Agnes Atsu, has thrown a challenge at politicians in the state to take a cue from the lawmaker representing Cross River Central senatorial district, Senator Eteng Williams, by coming out to sponsor any of the sporting competitions which will assist the state in discovering young talents who can represent Cross River in sporting activities.
The commissioner made the call during the inauguration of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) ahead of Prince Otu Cup 2024, a football tournament being organized by the ministry and sponsored by Senator Williams, to fish out the young talents in secondary schools across the 18 LGAs of the state.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the VIP Lounge of U.J. Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar, which was held on Tuesday, the commissioner charged Crossriverians in high places of authority to come out and invest in sports development in order to elevate the sector and tap the potential that exists in it.
She said sports was a capital-intensive and lucrative enterprise and so could not be left in the hands of government alone, clarified that if more money was injected into it, football could be a cash cow and very productive.
“Eteng has always been a support system for me and never failed. This shows how he understands the political terrain as he has continued to focus on women and youths in a strategic dimension. The central senatorial district should have recognized his contributions at the time they were needed and timely.
“In 2016, I brought out 100 women for a programme, Eteng responded by helping us. I don’t want to take things for granted. Here again, he has come out to support me now that I am in need of support.”.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell politicians that when you help a woman or youths, you will go places because if they pray for you, you go places. With sports, you can walk through your aspirations.
“I am using this avenue to let them know that if you want to fly, come to Sports Ministry and contribute your quota toward rebranding sports development ongoing in the state, as the government alone cannot do it.
“For those of them looking out for green field, Sports Ministry is here. I would like to charge you that having found your name among the committee members, go back and create ideas that would bring success.
“You can add colour, you can be creative. The state will help expose you to the entire 18 local government areas,” she stressed.
The Commissioner was very optimistic of the abilities of LOC members to put together a remarkable and pulsating competition that would attract headlines and multiple entries and participation.
Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Sports Development, Ekanem Ekpenyong, in his comments, said the grassroots level of the competition, whose activities will kick from September 16 to November 15, 2024, is one of the strategies that would use to discover the top talent of young footballers.
Ekpenyong lauded Senator Williams for the visionary initiative that promises to impact the Youths longer than the constituency of the lawmaker can reach.
Speaking earlier, a former chairman of ikom local government area council member of the LOC, Ayiba Ojong said the Senator Williams has shown a zealot sportsman using sporting activity to actualize Governor Otu’s `People First’ mantra.
Also, the Secretary of the LOC, Sunny Udeh, revealed the result a lawmaker and governor like Otu to be “proud” of the committee. Just as he confirmed to the Commissioner the readiness of his members to work assiduously and come up with results that would make the lawmaker and the Governor Otu proud of them.
Other members of the LOC are Ekanem Ekpenyong, Chairman; Sunny Udeh, Secretary). Other members of the committee are Ayiba Ojong, Butum Ubi, Daniel Obo, and.