Bajoga Warriors emerge winners of Gombe Football League Division One
……Gombe Govt to encourage sports development for peace, unity, and employment generation
……while Lion Hearts of Akko comes second
The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Manassah Daniel Jatau, has reiterated the administration’s desire to explore sporting potentials among the youths towards fostering peace and unity amongst the divers ethnic groups in the state for progress and development.
The development of sporting potentials will also engage the youths as agents of change in economically viable ventures for the youths to be gainfully employed and adequately prepared for future leadership.
The Deputy Governor made the Government’s position known during the finals of the State League Division One between Bajoga Warriors and Lion Hearts of Akko at the Township Stadium, Pantami in the Metropolis.
Addressing the gathering shortly after the match, Jatau said the importance of sports cannot be overemphasised owing to it’s advantage of generating employment and means of livelihood, fostering of peace and unity amongst the people, and deriving the health benefit of physical fitness.
He said, “Our Administration acknowledges the place of sports in development that is why we are providing the needed atmosphere for sporting activities to thrive. Sports has the advantage of providing means of livelihood by creating employment for our youths to be gainfully and economically engaged and also helps in fostering peace and unity.
“As a medical Sociologist, I know that laughing and happiness makes people healthy. These virtues are found in sports and I want to believe that this tournament has provided the opportunity for those involved to be happy while enjoying the games.
“Furthermore, Sporting activities take the youths away from criminal tendencies and keep them busy while also serving as a means of livelihood. May I call on those in sports to desist from using drugs in the name of enhancing their performance.when you indulge in drugs, your performance would rather be poor as you will see 10 goals instead of One and score the wrong one.”
The Deputy Governor noted that, any good observer like him would know from how the players kicked their penalties that they were not well taught on how to score penalties and advised the coaches to teach them on penalty kicking.
He appreciated the Officials of Nigeria Football Federation, and the State officials of Football Association for making the event a success.
Jatau congratulated the winners of the tournament, Bajoga Warriors from Funakaye Local Government Area, and the Hearts of Lion Team from Akko Local Government Area for winning and for becoming those to represent the state in Borno and Taraba States respectively.
The event featured the presentation of awards to deserving personalities who are supporting sports in the state including Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Secretary to the State Government; Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, the acting Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi Kasimu, Emir of Dukku; Alhaji Haruna Abdulkadir Rasheed, and a posthumous award to Late Senior District Head of Gombe, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abubakar, among others.
Wilson Jonah Yakubu,
Press Secretary/ Information Officer,
Deputy Governor’s Office.
