The President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Mr Honour Sirawoo, has expressed the readiness of the association to join the National Lottery Trust Fund in monitoring sports equipment being donated to public primary schools across the federation.
Sirawoo made the pledge in Port Harcourt when the National Lottery Trust Fund donated athletics, volleyball, basketball, handball, badminton, table tennis, judo and taekwondo equipment to 37 public primary schools in Rivers state.
He, therefore, directed all chapters of the association to work with the various education boards in their respective states to ensure the sports equipment were put into proper use by the beneficiaries and not diverted. He stressed the association’s support for grassroots oriented sports development.
The Executive Secretary of the National Lottery Trust Fund, Engr Habu Gumel, while handing over the sports equipment, tasked the beneficiaries to put it into proper use and “ensure the safe keeping so that they do not get stolen as we have already alerted security agencies to apprehend any culprit who diverts these Federal Government intervention materials.
Gumel reaffirmed Federal Government’s objective of promoting grassroots sports development through the application of lottery proceeds, adding “we will continue to channel resources to key government projects and programmes that will bring succor to everyday Nigerians.
According to him, “This present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari is strongly passionate and committed to advancing, uplifting and promoting grassroots sports development in the country and this exercise of equipping our public primary schools with quality sports equipment through funding from the national lottery is a clear demonstration of government’s desire.”
He called on lottery operators, licensees and business promoters that engage in any form of promotional lottery to keep to their obligations of remitting 20% lottery proceeds to the Trust Fund, while insisting that the government will no longer tolerate sharp practices that undermine the growth and development of Nigeria.
Also speaking at the occasion, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Engr Babachir Lawal, who was represented by Dr Amina Shamaki, stated that the government has identified sports as a major revenue earner that is capable of contributing significantly to Nigeria’s gross earnings outside of oil.
According to him, “we will strive to extend this gesture to as many games and schools as possible. We will at the same time, explore the possibility of concentrating on infrastructure and equipment that should endure in the longer term so as to expand the base of target beneficiaries.”
Rivers State Governor, Barr Nyesom Wike, thanked the trust fund for the donation, pointing out that it would go a long way in helping the state to discover young talents, while also being educated.
The Executive Chairman of Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Venerable Fyneface Akah, while commending the federal government and the lottery trust fund for the donation, assured of their reading to use the sports equipment and ultimately unveil talents that would be of good to the state and Nigeria at large.