President of the Volleyball Federation of Nigeria, Engineer Musa Nimrod has reiterated the importance of sport as a tool for national unity.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Nigerian
Sports National Merit Awards 2024 in Abuja last weekend, Nimrod said sport if well harnessed will help eradicate youth restivenes, cultism, banditry and other forms of criminalities from the society.
Nimrod a recipient of the Best performing National sports federation president on the night said the award will spur him to continue to contribute his quota to sports development in Nigeria.
“The award will spur me to continue to contribute my quota to sports, be it volleyball, basketball, football etc”, he said.
“Sports will reduce the issues of terrorism, banditry, cultism in our society“, said Nimrod.
On the re-introduction of the National Sports Commission, Nimrod it is a welcome development from President Bola Tinubu.
According to him the re-introduction of the NSC will remove the unnecessary bureaucratic bottle necks in sports administration.
In his words: “The re-introduction of the National sports commission will give opportunities to coaches, secretaries of Federation to be more creative and heard”
“Presidents of federations will have more access to the chairman of the NSC,” Nimrod said.
Advising the newly appointed Chairman of the Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, Nimrod said the chairman should not focus on football alone but put his efforts into the development of other sports advocating going back to the grassroots to develop other sports.
“Dikko should focus on other sports even though he is known with football”
“Football has reached its peak so he should focus on other sports and we will give him our support ” said Nimrod.
While thanking the organizers for the awards ceremony , Nimrod said the Sports Merit Award will encourage and build the teeming Youth population which will in turn translate to National growth.
In his words:”When you build the Youths , you build the Nation.
Other recipients of awards on the night include; Jibril Seidu, Best performing International sports association member in Nigeria, Senator Jarigbe Agbom Jarigbe, Best Performing, Senator on sports in Nigeria, Adedapo Akiode, Best performing sports Foundation in Nigeria, General Christopher Musa, CDS, Nigerian Sports Order Merit Award.
The highpoint of the awards night was the award of the Best performing traditional ruler in sports in Nigeria on the Guest speaker, Alhaji(Dr) Ahmad Aliyu.O. Onawo OON, the Aodoma of Doma in Nasarawa state.
