Abia State Government has inaugurated a 33-Member Local Organising Committee to spearhead the maiden Abia State Football Festival, with the former Mayor of Aba North Local Government Area, Ide John Udeagbala, serving as Chairman.
Other key members of the Committee are; Captain Eric Asumugha, Vice Chairman, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka, Secretary, alongside other members.
Inaugurating the Committee at his office in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, explained that the tournament, christened Abia First Soccer, is a collaboration between his Ministry and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
Prince Nwachukwu explained that the initiative aims to ensure active participation by Football Clubs across all 184 wards in the State.
He noted that those taking part would compete at grassroots and local government levels, with the best teams ultimately representing Abia State in national football competitions.
Prince Uzor Nwachukwu
Prince Nwachukwu who stated that mobilisation would start at the grassroots level before culminating at the State level, urged the Mayors to ensure full involvement so that every community is covered and represented in the competition.
He further enjoined Committee members to work as a united team to achieve the objectives set by the State Government for initiating the football tournament, expressing confidence that they would deliver on Governor Alex Otti’s vision.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba, said the purpose of inaugurating the Committee was to assemble a team capable of driving the grassroots initiative for discovering football talents.
He said that the Government intends to establish a structure to nurture the talents identified through the competition, to ensure they grow into outstanding athletes who will represent Abia State at State, national, and international levels.
“His Excellency, Dr Alex Otti has approved for us to go to all the nooks and corners of the State to organise a football competition that will drive initiative to discover football talents, put up a structure to nurture them, and make sure they are fantastic athletes that will represent Abia state at the State level, National level and International level.
“This is one of the events. We also have other sports engagements that we are doing just to discover and nurture them. We have selected ambitious and credible people to drive this and very soon you will see the results”, Ananaba stated.
Sir Ananaba clarified that the competition is distinct from the Secondary School Unity Games, explaining that while the Unity Games target young boys and girls within the school system, the current competition is designed for youths outside the school system.
Also speaking, the Co-chair and Chairman of the House Committee on Sports and Youth Development, Mr Chinasa Anthony, said the grassroots football tournament was equally designed to create opportunities for hidden sporting talents adding that the Committee members were carefully selected to advance the Governor’s vision.
Responding on behalf of the Committee members, the Chairman of the maiden Abia State Football Festival, Ide John Udeagbala, thanked Governor Otti for finding them worthy of the responsibility and assured that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
Ideh John Udeagbala
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Dr Cyril Nwaigwe; the Mayors of the 17 Local Government Areas; the Director-General of the Abia State Orientation Agency, Ure Abazie; the State Director of Sports, Comrade Obioma George; and other senior government officials.
