Labour Party Governorship Candidate in Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu has commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Sports under the leadership of Solomon Dalong for reviving the National Sports Festival which has been in comatose since 2012.
Comrade Aremu gave the commendation at the National Stadium, venue of the event on Tuesday during his support visit to the Kwara participating athletes among over 7,227 athletes in various sporting activities in the ongoing Sports Festival.
It will be recalled that the National Sports Festival is supposed to hold every two years. It has not been held since the past six (6) years. Lagos State hosted the last National Sports Festival in 2012.
The Labour Party Governorship Candidate hailed the decision of the Federal government and the Federal Ministry of Sports for making the 19th edition of the National Sports Festival possible adding that National Sports Festival not only prepares sport men and women for global competition but fosters national unity in a diverse country.
He observed that Kwara State is among the States in Nigeria where athletes are being neglected and commended the sports men and women from the State for having the spirit to move on notwithstanding what he called “abysmal neglect” by the State government.
The Labour Party Governorship Candidate said sports will receive the desired priority attention under his government as Kwara State Governor if elected in 2019.
He donated a sum of N100,000 to the Team Kwara. Comrade Aremu also promised to establish Sports endowment Fund that will ensure adequate and prompt funding of sporting activities in Kwara State.
He specifically congratulated the athletes living with disabilities who won gold and other medals in the ongoing Sports Festival while observing that “there is ability in disabilities”.
Comrade Aremu who was the Vice Chairman of the 2014 National Conference on Labour, Civil Society, Youth and Sports called for the implementation of the National Conference Report on Sports which calls for;
Adequate and prompt funding of all sports, and that all sports be accorded priority attention; Inclusion of all Nigerians, irrespective of gender, age, religion, tribe, ability or disability in sports.
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