"Successful hosting of school sports has proven that Ebonyi is safe" - Commissioner

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Charles Akpuenika has said that the successful hosting of the school sports competition proves that the state is safe.

 

Akpuenika made the assertion in an interview on the successful hosting of the competition scheduled to end on June 9.

 

The commissioner said that the development proves that most reports about the state’s security situation are false and should be disregarded.

 

“When we commenced the competition on May 11, we handed the safety of the athletes, officials, teachers among others in God’s hands and the prayer was answered.

 

“We can happily announce that there has been no incidence of insecurity in any venue from the LGA elimination series to the on-going state finals.

 

He commended the efforts of the state governor towards the successful hosting of the competition, especially in the area of security.

 

“The governor has deployed everything within his arsenal to ensure that the state is safe and this accounted for the secured atmosphere in which the athletes competed.

 

“His presence at various venues of the competition right from the LGA elimination series greatly motivated the athletes and this assisted in discovering hidden talents to be nurtured for greatness.

 

Akpuenika noted that the state government’s desire to discover hidden talents across the state necessitated the staging of the King David football championship, slated for July.

 

“The competition will be competed in three stages with the first stage involving all the communities in the various 64 LGA–development centres of the state.

 

“Each development centre will select its best legs to form its team for the zonal elimination series across the three senatorial zones.

 

“Eight development centres will qualify from the three zones to make up the 24 teams that will compete in the state finals,” he said.

 

He noted that after the championship, the Queen Rachel female football championship would also be staged across the 13 LGA of the state to discover the best female talents across the state.

 

“The second edition of the David Umahi Tertiary Institution Games (DUMTIGA) will also be competed by all tertiary institutions in the state.