By Jonathan Ugbal and Godwin Otang
The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh on Saturday said he has the toughest job amongst ministers as the performance of the sports sector is usually measured immediately.
The former lawmaker stated this during a thanksgiving ceremony held at the Holy Family Catholic Parish at Ikom Local Government Area where he also announced the support of the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the National Football Team ahead of the African Cup of Nations.
“I have Nigeria’s toughest job as Minister of Sports. It is a sector which outcomes are immediately measurable,” the minister said, adding that it was with the help of God and his unique way of doing things that he has survived without controversies so far.
“Four months in this job, I have navigated without controversy,” he said.
The minister who posited that that the sector is, “more empowering and engaging for the Nigerian Youths, said the President has shown more support to the national teams than his predecessors.
According to the minister, the National senior men football team Coach was owed for 15 months alongside a backlog of unpaid allowances and bonuses to the tune of about NGN12 Billion.
“The president, in a strike of a pen, on his last day at work when I met him at his office approved the payment of all of them. There is no better way of showing support than this,” he said, and pledged that he will continue to approach his job with “passion and commitment, (and) will not leave this sector where we met it, with God on our side.”
Earlier, the Bishop of Ogoja Diocese, Most Revd Dr. Donatus Akpan in his homily charged the minister to work harder to ensure he brings joy to the people via successes recorded in sports.
He reminded the minister that AFCON was by the corner and there is a need for those at the helm of affairs to bring joy to the people.
He commended him for always returning to God for thanksgiving, a trait which he urged others to emulate.
The ceremony drew friends, allies, colleagues and several others amongst whom were the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey who represented the Governor; the Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, Senator Eteng Williams, Rt. Hon. Alex Egbonna, Rt. Hon. Legor Idagbor, Hon. Victor Abang, Hon. Peter Akpanke and several members of the Cross River State House of Assembly and Executive Council.
Also, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Nollywood actor, Bishop Ime also known as Okon Lagos, Chief Martins Orim, the Chairman of the Nigerian Olympics Committee, Habu Gumel and the Chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau amongst others.
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Find images from the thanksgiving below…
