Yahaya Bello: An Action, Sport-loving Youthful Leader – Nafisat Bello
By Nafisat Bello
Apart from Governor Yahaya Bello’s giant strides in most of the sectors I have previously written about – security, agriculture, economy, health, education etc – the Governor has also done a lot for sports, which he sees as an avenue for uplifting the youths and giving them the enabling environment to express their God-given talents and excel in life.
Governor Bello has repeatedly voiced out his administration’s support and encouragement for the state-owned football clubs, Kogi United and Confluence Queens, which they need to continue to make the state proud.
While presented with the two clubs by the chairman, Abdul Sule, the Governor had promised that the welfare of the state athletes would improve significantly under his watch, with a determination and focus to give sports total attention.
Governor Bello has shown interests in sports development and has continued to empower the youths, fishing out hidden talents and encouraging the discovered ones so as to reclaim Kogi state’s lost glory in the comity of states with huge pedigree in sports.
He declared that the Inter-Local Government sports competition shall be organized by the state government in selected sporting events to further discover and nurture talents from all parts of the state.
Prior to that, Bello had also awarded scholarships and cash donations to young athletes who made the state proud at the just concluded National Table Tennis Championship held in Lagos.
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The state, under the New Direction Governor, has won many laurels in Football, Judo, and other sporting events both within and outside country. They also recently won some national laurels and by this, they will be representing the country in some International competitions around the world.
Similarly, in a tournament organized by the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) in collaboration with the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Kogi-born Ize Sezuo put up a sterling performance and won a prestigious medal for the state. The sport-loving Governor congratulated her and described Ize and others as teenage sensational athletes who deserved unequalled motivation and support to continue to make the state and nation proud.
Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, during a courtesy visit to Governor Bello had harped on the need for youthful leadership in Nigeria and pledged support for Bello’s future political aspirations.
Obi added that Bello’s achievements in all the areas of governance were enough evidence that he would be useful to Nigeria in a higher capacity, in the future.
To underscore Bello’s growing pedigree as a youthful performer, the UFC Welterweight Champion of the world, Edo-born Kamaru Usman, also visited him to identify with him and commend him for what he is doing for Kogi state in particular and Nigerian youths in general.
The Governor had also earlier this year given the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMYSD) the sum of N40million to support the 20th National Sports Festival held in Benin City.
There is no doubting the fact that Governor Bello is not just a blessing to youths and to all their aspirations in sports, he is also a source of inspiration to all and sundry with the energy and creativity he brings into statecraft.
