17th NSF: We’re Highly Elated– Greater Port Harcourt City Committee

The Greater Port Harcourt Cluster Development Board – owners of some of the communities that make up Port Harcourt has expressed delight over the hosting of the 17th National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Chairman of the Greater Port Harcourt Cluster Development Board, Hon Dickens Worlu who spoke with The Tide on the 17th National Sports Festival, otherwise known as “Garden City Games” said the communities that make up Port Harcourt are elated over the hosting and were prepared to treat the various contingents from across the federation to the traditional Rivers State hospitality throughout the games.

“As hosts, we’re highly elated that we’ve gotten this opportunity to host other states in Port Harcourt, to also showcase the good works of our governor, Rt Hon. Chibuike Amaechi in terms of the sporting facility which he has been able to put in place,” he said.

Hon. Dickens said the Greater Port Harcourt Cluster Development Board considers the Garden City Games ‘a welcome development,’ because throughout the  world, sporting events such as this promote tourism and take tourism to its peak in the host state and city, so the case of Port Harcourt and Rivers State will not be different.

Dickens, on behalf of the Board and residents of the Garden City welcomed the contingents to the Garden City and also underscored their willingness and preparedness to show them hospitality.

“And we know that in terms of commerce and economic development, it will help to boost the Port Harcourt municipality, even in terms of hotel accommodation. For most of the businessmen that own hotels,  this will also be a boom for” he said, adding “and in such a way, people will be bale to come to partner with the government of Rivers State; partner with other agencies in Port Harcourt towards uplift and development of the state.”

The Greater Port Harcourt Cluster Development Board boss advised ‘Team Rivers’ not  to fail the state but to soar like the eagle above all the contingents from the other states and Abuja FCT by winning more gold medals than the rest to justify the efforts of the state government in hosting the tournament and the huge amount pumped into it.

His words: “My advice to ‘Team Rivers,’ our contingent is for them to be able to show-case the good works of our governor, in terms of promoting sports and to also make him proud by clinching the first position in this tournament.”

Justus Awaji