Sports
THE Enugu State Government has pledged to deepen its partnership with the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) in providing coaches and sporting facilities to correctional centres.
The Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Lloyd Ekweremadu, said this on Friday at the kick off of the final match of the 2024 Enugu Custodial Centre Annual Inter-Hostels Football Competition.
Ekweremadu, represented by the Director of Sports, Boniface Onovo, said that the move would facilitate inmates’ reformation and reintegration as well as making reformed inmates beneficial to society.
He also said that the ministry would deploy two football coaches to the custodial centre to train and sharpen the raw football talents discovered during the competition.
“We are going to get them two FIFA standard footballs for training and the ministry through my department will give the best player of the competition N50,000 cash prize.
“We are looking at synergising with our partners to bring facilities for indoor games, such as Olympic standard table tennis board and all its facilities, standard snooker board, chess board, badminton court and others.
“It is clear that investment in sports here will lead to a win-win situation for everybody and it will keep them busy and their minds removed from committing crimes,” Ekweremadu said.
He lauded the NCoS for organising the competition, adding that the event had enlivened the centre and created a happy moment for all inmates.
Earlier, the Controller of Corrections in Enugu State, Nicholas Obiakor, called for more support and provision of sporting facilities in all NCoS custodial facilities in the state.
Obiakor, who is also the Commander of NCoS, Enugu State Command, described sports as a veritable tool for reformation and transformation of inmates, ensuring that they add value to society.
According to him, the competition has improved the social life and communication of inmates among themselves, leading to healthy friendship devoid of crime and criminality.
“The command appreciates the Controller-General (C-G) of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, for his vision in making sports a cardinal tool for the reform and total transformation of inmates.
“The C-G provided these sports facilities as a great avenue to transform our inmates to assets, mega sports stars and laurel winners for our country,” Obiakor said.
The Officer in-charge of the Enugu Custodial Centre, Sunday Oyakhire, said that the competition had helped to improve the inmates’ physical and mental health.
Oyakhire, a Deputy Controller of Corrections, commended the C-G and Controller for providing sports facilities, especially the custodial centre football pitch and other facilities that made the competition possible.
He said: “Today, we have witnessed electrifying moments and experienced the inmates engulfed in joy that have eluded some of them for sometime.
“The football competition was organised to further promote the reformation of inmates and allow them to experience the game they love playing, despite being in the correctional centre.”
He listed the eight teams that participated in the competition to include IDR Team, Convict Team, LKP Team, G and M Wards Team, F and J Wards Team, C Team, D Ward Team and N Ward Team.
Oyakhire said that the participating teams went through a round-rubbing format between August 6 and September 6, with D Ward Team and Convict Team emerging for the final.
At the end, D Ward Team defeated Convict Team 3-0; all goals scored in the second half.
LKP Team emerged as the best behaved team in the competition while the award of Best Player went to Endo Boat of D Ward Team. (NAN)
6th September, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Enugu State government
