The Executive Chairman of Oruk Anam Local Government Area Council of Akwa Ibom State, Otuekong Prince Ubong Idiong, has explained the reason why his administration embarked on the establishment of a vibrant sports academy to be known as Oruk Anam Comprehensive Sports Academy at the Council Headquarters this year.
Speaking in Uyo, Idiong disclosed that the idea was to consolidate the local government’s position on the policy of youths’ development and empowerment through Sports in Oruk Anam Local Government Area for Akwa Ibom and Nigeria as a whole.
He began: “The Oruk Anam Comprehensive Sports Academy is an idea that I brought to salvage our teeming youths who are very active in sports. I see Oruk Anam as a citadel of good young sports men and women in Akwa Ibom State in football, athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo and other sports, having won the first and second edition of Akwa Ibom State Youths Sports Festival in 2017 and 2018. It’s not easy to achieve such huge feat, despite the fact that we are faced with challenges of not having sports facilities and equipment on ground over the years, but we still manage to finish first on the final medal table of 31 local government areas of the state as well as being the over-all champions twice consecutively, and now, we are ready to create another historic record by winning again the third edition whenever it is hosted in Uyo this year.
“My council administration has decided to invest N10 million received as the first price money of last year’s edition of the Akwa Ibom State Youths Sports Festival into the establishment of a vibrant sports academy in Oruk Anam, that will discover, groom and nurture more young sports talents for the benefit of not only Oruk Anam, but Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in general, in subsequent local, national and international sports engagements,” said Otuekong Idiong.