Group Want Govt, Others to Support Sports Development for Regional Integration, Unity
By Olu Benjamin
A youth organization under the auspices of Middle Health Youth Organization (MYDEVO) has admonished government at all levels, individuals and corporate organizations to pay more attention to sports Development as a unifying factor.
Jerry Peleng, General Secretary of the organization made this known in Lafia on Tuesday.
According to Peleng, taking such step will not only bring development, cohesion and unity but will also reduce youth restiveness, insecurity, ethnic, religious and political differences.
He explained that lack of sports encouragement was responsible for the increase spate of insecurity, near absence of harmony, cohesion and underdevelopment in the middle Belt region of the country.
He said the Middle Belt Youth Development Organization (MYDEVO) is set to stage a sports competition as a veritable tools for unity, development and cohesion amongst communities in the region.
“To realize and sustain the dreams of the funding fathers for the region, MYDEVO is organizing a football competition and empowerment programme tagged “Tinubu Youth for greater Nigeria Maiden Edition of soccer competition and empowerment programme in the region,” he said.
Peleng said the initiative is to rescue the states within the region from the shackles of insecurity, reduce poverty, underdevelopment and strengthen the bond of unity in the region.
“We are undertaking the football competition as a deliberate move to mitigate the level of insecurity, encourage the spirit of togetherness, prove ample opportunity for the region to speak with once voice.
“By doing this, the region will no doubt experience cohesion, development and unity of purpose,” he said.
According to the General Secretary of the organization, participants for the competition would be drawn from 15 states including Abuja, the FCT.
He disclosed that the organization has executive members cutting across 196 Local Government areas, 2, 242 Electoral wards across the country adding that the essence of extending the frontier to 15 states for now is to bring together Nigerians irrespective of religious political and ethnic backgrounds.
Peleng who revealed that the tournament is scheduled for October 2024 however called on Nigerians to identify with the Youth organization to realize the intended results the competition is set to achieve.
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