The bill to establish Ebonyi state annual sports festival has passed first reading in the Ebonyi states House of Assembly.
The bill which is the first private member bill entitled, “A bill for a law to provide for Ebonyi state Annual Sports Festival and Establishment of the Ebonyi State Sports Festival Committee and Other Related Matters” was sponsored by Hon .Victor Chidi Nwoke representing Abakaliki North constituency.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the plenary, Hon Nwoke who is also Chairman Committee on Youth Development and Sports described the bill as necessary to build a robust state talent pool for onward recruitment, training of talent for national sports festival or other sporting events.
“This bill is sponsored by myself and co-sponsored by other Honourable members especially those from the committee. I came up with this bill because if given consent will help to give us edge over other states as well the advantage to harness talent of our youths who are in the villages.
“Everybody must not be a medical doctor, lawyer or an accountant and I have seen that there are so many youths who are talented and through this annual sports festival will be harness and that will help curb youth restiveness.
He explained that the state was short of athletes in the recently concluded national sports festival stating that the bill when passed would correct the challenge.
“In the bill, I made it to come ahead of the national sports festival and that’s to ensure that from participants of the state sports festival we will raise athletes who will participate in the national sports festival.
“This bill will help the entire Ebonyi state as well make our youths useful and meaningful as we have seen in the recent national sports festival that most ebonyians are in different contingents of other states simply because they saw no career soft landing in the state and I am appealing to other members to give their support so that we give it accelerated passage as it passed first reading today.”
The state lawmaker while appealing for members support appreciated the state governor for his efforts in reviving the state sports sector assuring that the legislature would continue to support the state to ensure that the governor’s people’s charter of needs manifesto are fully actualized.
