Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
After marking one year in office as Anambra State governor, the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Anambra State Chapter, has given Prof. Chukwuma Soludo a pass mark in sports development
Mr Anthony Oji, chairman of SWAN in Anambra, who spoke to journalists after the One Year Anniversary town hall meeting at the International Convention Centre in Awka, March 25, said the government’s strides in sports had given hope of a brighter future.
This was even as the chairman however expressed worry that Soludo did not mention his activities in the sports sector as part of his achievements during his one year anniversary scorecard.
Oji lauded the exploit of Team Anambra at the 21st National Sports Festival in Delta State last year, where the state won a total of 39 medals, including six gold, nine silver and 24 bronze medals.
His words, ‘It is expected that the one year anniversary event will be the best time to specially welcome the team and showcase to public the success being recorded in the area of sports.
‘The body of sports writers under the umbrella of SWAN wishes to join the people of Anambra to congratulate Mr Governor on this occasion of the One Year Anniversary and the much he has been able to achieve within the period.
‘But as stakeholders in sports, we are concerned that the sector could not get a mention during the governor’s account of stewardship. Interestingly, a lot has been going on even though modestly.’
He recalled that Anambra was at Asaba for the National Sports Festival where she won six gold, nine silver and 24 bronze medals, a feat he described as a great achievement as the administration was just nine months old. He therefore wondered why such was not mentioned by the governor among his feats within the past one year.
‘We want to use this opportunity to call on our able governor to receive that team and reward the deserving athletes and coaches. One of them has received an invitation to represent Nigeria in Canada later this year,’ Oji said.
The SWAN chairman commended Soludo for appointing what he described as an ably qualified sports personality as Chairman of the Anambra State Sports Development Commission, adding that he had implicit confidence in the ability of the management to deliver.
He urged Soludo to take sports as his pet project and fund it adequately ‘in the interest of the teeming talented Anambra youths, with regards to economic empowerment, entertainment and public image values it possessed’.