Cross River State governor, Professor Ben Ayade, has promised his administration’s commitment to reposition sports in this final phase of his administration through the upgrading of sporting facilities as well as training and retraining of sportsmen and women in the state.
Speaking through the Chairman of the state’s Sports Commission, Emmanuel Elom, during a tour of facilities at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Governor Ayade noted that the superlative performance of the Cross River contingent at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival was made possible by “the attention government is paying to upgrade of sporting facilities as well as training and retraining of athletes.
“We will continue to prioritise upgrading of sporting facilities as can be gleaned from the massive rehabilitation work going on here. Training and retraining of our sportsmen and women is also dear to us,” he said.
Elom disclosed that upon assumption of office, he met dilapidated sports facilities and structures, prompting the commission to start from the scratch to rehabilitate them.
“On assumption of office, I met dilapidated sports structures and facilities. Nothing was functioning. We had to start from the scratch and I kept in touch with the governor, updating him on daily basis on what was going on, so he gave us a mandate to start from the scratch, the rehabilitation of facilities and structures at the stadium.”