FG To Implement Sports Retreat Recommendations

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday promised to implement the recommendations of the sports retreat held last week at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The retreat was aimed at charting a new course for sports development in the country.

Jonathan made the declaration at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos while hoisting the flags of the 36 states expected to feature in the forthcoming 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos.

The festival, tagged: “Eko 2012,” would hold from November 27 to December 9.

According to Jonathan, the Federal Government promise to fully implement the recommendations of the sports retreat to show its commitment to the promotion of sports in the country.

Represented by his Vice, Namadi Sambo, noted that the flag hoisting was an innovation to create awareness and mobilise support for the festival.

He added that the significance of the festival was also to unify the diverse ethnicity in the country.

“The significance of the flag hoisting is to create awareness of the sports festival which also is to cement the unity of the diverse ethnicity in the country,’’ Jonathan said.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos thanked the president, his vice, the 36 state governors, and their entourage for their presence at the Eko 2012 flag hoisting.

Fashola also praised the National Sports Commission (NSC) for the flag hoisting innovation and assured athletes and officials for the festival of great hospitality of the state.

The state Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said that the hoisting of states’ flags marked a milestone in the preparation for the festival.

She also said that it was a symbolic event adding that the hoisting of the flags had cemented the unity of the country.

Orelope-Adefulire, who is also the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the festival, urged athletes expected to participate at the festival to imbibe the spirit of friendliness throughout the festival.

“I hereby urged athletes for the festival to imbibe the spirit of friendliness throughout the sports festival as the state is prepared to host a successful festival,’’ she said.

Also speaking, the Director-General, National Sport Commission, (NSC), Dr Patrick Ekeji, said that the initiative of the festival was to show commitment to the oneness of Nigeria through sports.

Ekeji, who is also the Chairman, Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the festival, added that the hoisting of states flags was a new innovation by the commission.