By Omoghene Benedict & Harriet Anetor,
Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Hon. Godwin Adode, Ughelli Area Command, the managing Director of ShopFair Nigeria, Pastor Irame Emmanuel, and others has promised to partner with the Future Step Cycling Club in promoting cycling sport amongst youths in order to reduce crime in Delta state.
Addressing members of Future Step Cycling Club in his office, during the occasion of ‘World Bicycle Day’ held recently he said “if our youths can engage themselves in sporting activities, aside the physical benefits to their health, there are financial benefits, honour and fame attached to it, and if we have more clubs like this in every local government, it will reduce the high rate of crime in the state. I assure you, our youths will no longer go into internet fraud commonly known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’, rituals and cultism.
“Sports is one of those games that bring rapid development, promote unity and increase economic standard of every society and as a sport loving chairman, I will help to ensure that next year when this event is taking place more youths from Ughelli north will participate as we will give it wide publicity.
He charged the group not to relent in their chosen sport saying; “people think that football is the only game of sport forgetting that there are other sporting activities like Cycling, Boxing, Chess, Basketball, Wrestling, Karate, Judo and Hockey with the same benefits. Our youths must start from somewhere.
On his part, the Ughelli Area Commander who was represented by the Divisional Police Officer of ‘A’ division, Kelvin Zuokumor said, “This is a welcome development because if our youths are engaged in sports, it will take away some of these criminal elements in our society and in subsequent event, police security will be provided along the cycling routes and if the need be an ambulance.
Also speaking, the managing Director of ShopFair Nigeria, Pastor Irame Emmanuel stated that, in the next Bicycle Sporting Festival, “we would be a major partner and sponsor of the event because I see the light of God in it and it is my prayer that the light of God should shine on this vision so that it will affect and impact on the society positively. Their motive is okay I am very happy to see young people decide to embark on this journey. They are going to go far and God will provide the right people to support you, so that you do not have any constraint in terms of having more and new bicycles.
“So that it will motivate and encourage you and those that you have been able to recruit into your team and I assure you that, ShopFair will partner with you if you have any competition coming up, just kindly inform us early so we can do our preparations and plan together. I am also appealing to other meaningful Nigerians to do same as we will be doing here.”
Coordinator of Future Step Cycling Club, Delta State, Comr. Ishaka Philip said that cycling is one of the sport that youths need to embrace, enumerating some of its health benefits he said it makes the rider flexible, young and healthy. “We want to use this sport to remove youths from the street and we need the support of well-meaning Nigerians to sponsor us as we cannot achieve this vision alone”
Prophet Omo-Oghene Oyovwi, of TMG Ministries called on the corporate bodies, individuals to encourage this club, support it financially, in every other way they can to engage the youths and to make our youths useful. I really support this initiative it is worth encouraging.
This initiative will reduce crime because it is written that the idle mind is the devils workshop a youth being idle at home will start thinking negative thoughts but if the government or corporate bodies can engage them it will reduce crime rate drastically. We need civic centres, sports centres to encourage this body.
Others, who promised to support the Future Step Cycling Club, Delta State, include Management of Tozak Hotels, Tobor Diamond Global Venture, Soad Night Club, Ekiugbo Vice Chairman, Tega Benson, and Big Daf Bar. Some of the cyclist includes Prince Dickson Gamax, Eze Derek, Osiyo Timothy, Johnson Ogheneyole, Ojojo Oghenero, Edhuze Ebenezer Keno, Lawrence Oghenekome, Unweruno Stanley, Samson Friday and Henry Akpona
