By Solomon OKPO
The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Sports has formally commenced the 2026 administrative year with a prayer and thanksgiving service, setting a tone of dedication, discipline, and renewed commitment to excellence.
The service, held on January 6, 2026, at the Ministry’s Conference Hall, brought together management, staff, and representatives of various sports associations to seek divine guidance for the year ahead.
Speaking at the event, the Honourable Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, underscored the centrality of thanksgiving and faith as the bedrock of progress, noting that Akwa Ibom State’s steady development is firmly anchored on spiritual values. He reminded staff that the state is led by a man of God, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, and stressed that purposeful leadership thrives under divine direction.
Elder Bassey commended Governor Eno for his sports-friendly disposition, visionary leadership, and consistent support for the Ministry, particularly in the areas of athlete motivation and the discovery and nurturing of young talents across the state.
Charging staff to remain focused and committed, the Commissioner declared 2026 “a year of work,” urging the workforce to embrace a productive, result-driven culture. He announced plans for staff training and capacity-building programmes aimed at strengthening skills, improving efficiency, and boosting overall productivity within the Ministry.
Addressing representatives of sports associations, Elder Bassey directed them to submit their activity schedules early to enable effective planning and smooth execution of sporting programmes throughout the year.
He further proclaimed 2026 as a year of “Love, Unity, and Togetherness,” built on three strategic pillars: unwavering dedication to the Ministry’s core mandates, hard work to surpass previous achievements, and sustained enthusiasm to maintain high morale across all sporting sectors.
In recognition of outstanding commitment, the Commissioner praised the dedication and strong performance of staff in the previous year and announced the introduction of a “Staff of the Year” award to reward excellence and exceptional service.
Looking ahead, Elder Bassey identified the Sports Academy project as a flagship priority for 2026, describing it as a strategic initiative to systematically discover, groom, and develop young talents, in line with the vision of Governor Pastor Umo Bassey Eno to keep Akwa Ibom at the forefront of Nigerian sports.
Earlier, the Director of Facilities, Mr. Victor Owokure, delivered the homily, drawing from Daniel 6:3. He highlighted that Daniel was distinguished because of his excellent spirit, charging staff to embody excellence in character, vision, and responsibility, especially when representing the state at competitions.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Rosemary Ubia, thanked God for ushering staff into the new year and urged them to “raise their flag” with an excellent spirit. She reminded workers that the task of 2026 had already begun and called for diligence, commitment, and punctuality at duty posts.
The service climaxed with special prayers for Governor Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, the Akwa Ibom State Government, and the entire workforce of the Ministry of Sports, committing the leadership and the state to divine guidance and protection for a successful 2026 administrative year.
