By Sports Recorder | Solomon OKPO
The presence of the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, at multiple venues of the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival has significantly lifted the spirits of the state’s athletes, reinforcing their resolve to deliver a stellar performance in honour of the state.
In a landmark development since the creation of Akwa Ibom State in 1987, Elder Bassey and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports made history by becoming the first top-ranking officials to physically accompany the state’s contingent to the National Sports Festival.
At the Obafemi Awolowo Indoor Sports Hall, Ikenne, the Commissioner engaged directly with athletes and officials, addressing their concerns and offering on-the-spot support. The athletes expressed their excitement and appreciation for the unprecedented gesture.
The Commissioner also visited the M.K.O. Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, where he inspected facilities and met urgent needs of the athletes before proceeding to represent Governor Umo Eno at the festival’s opening ceremony. The grand event drew a constellation of national figures including former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Ogun State Governors Chief Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Anambra State Governor Prof. Charles Soludo, and Hon. Gbenga Isiaka of the Federal House of Representatives.
Elder Bassey’s active involvement has been hailed as a morale-boosting milestone and a turning point in the state’s sports administration.
