The Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee on Youth and Sports has hailed Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for reviving the state’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development after 17 years of inactivity, describing the move as a major boost to youth engagement, talent discovery and sports development.
The committee chairman, Hon. Victor Chidi Nwoke, made the commendation on Thursday when he led members of the committee on an oversight and familiarisation visit to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Chidi Onyia, in Abakaliki.
Nwoke, who represents Abakaliki North State Constituency, said the revival of the ministry, alongside the establishment of Abakaliki Football Club, demonstrated the Nwifuru administration’s renewed commitment to creating opportunities for young people in the state.
“Governor Nwifuru has demonstrated uncommon passion for youth and sports by reviving the Sports Ministry after 17 years. The establishment of Abakaliki FC is a clear proof that his People’s Charter of Needs is youth-inclusive,” Nwoke said.
He also commended Onyia for bringing “innovation, experience and fresh ideas” to the ministry, stressing that sports remained an important avenue for promoting physical fitness, discipline and teamwork, while providing opportunities for professional and gainful employment.
Nwoke said the committee’s visit was part of its oversight responsibility to obtain firsthand information on the ministry’s programmes, achievements and challenges, assuring the commissioner of the legislature’s support.
He further disclosed that he had sponsored a Bill seeking the establishment of an annual sports festival in Ebonyi State.
Other members of the committee, Hon. Celestine Ogba, representing Onicha East Constituency; Hon. Nwodo Aloysius Nwodo, representing Ebonyi North-West Constituency; and Hon. Goodluck Obinna Mbam, representing Izzi East Constituency also commended the commissioner for what they described as a robust framework for youth participation in the development of the state.
Responding, Onyia outlined some of the ministry’s activities under the Nwifuru administration, including the prompt payment of monthly allowances to National Youth Service Corps members serving in the state and the payment of monthly subvention to the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
He also disclosed plans for an annual school sports festival and the establishment of the Ebonyi Youth Volunteers Force to support efforts against drug abuse and promote positive behavioural change among young people.
The commissioner thanked the committee for its oversight and support, assuring that the ministry would remain committed to expanding opportunities for youth development and sports participation across the state.
Onyia, however, appealed to the committee to support efforts to revitalise the Ebonyi State Sports Council, which he said remained critical to the effective development of sporting talents in the state.
The visit ended with the presentation of a book titled Enhancing Youth Development and Participation in the Context of Sustainable Development: A Blueprint of the Ministry’s Activities by the commissioner to the committee.
