Garden City Games: Rivers Set For Presidential Flag-Off – Ikuru

The Chairman of the Local Organinsing Committee (LOC) and Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Engr. Tele Ikuru has said the opening ceremony of the 17th National Sports Festival Garden City Games 2011, which will have President Goodluck Jonathan as Special Guest of Honour will begin by 6pm on Sunday 3rd July 2011 at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.

Speaking during the opening session of the first meeting of the Heads of Delegation at the Presidential Hotel, on Wednesday, Engr. Ikuru said, logistics modalities have been put in place to transport all the athletes to the stadium

from the games village and ensure all are seated before the president arrives the venue.

He reiterated Rivers State Government’s commitment to guarantee a good and memorable 17th National Sports Festival many Nigerians will not forget in a long time.

He said Rivers State Government’s main reason for hosting the 17th National Sports Festival is to disabuse the minds of Nigerians on the alleged insecurity situation in the state and serve as a means to showcase the cultures, friendship

and heritage of the good people of Rivers State.

He said the state is safe for all to go about their businesses as additional ten thousand members of the Joint Task Force and other security apparatus have been put in place.

The Chairman of LOC cautioned the head of delegates to control their teams. He said “anyone caught by the law will bear the consequences of the law because there is no meeting point between crime and sports”.

He encouraged them to take the games as their own responsibility and act as ambassadors of the festival.