Nigeria Content Online

President Goodluck
Jonathan yesterday, stressed the need for the country to promote
efforts that forge unity of the country, such as sports, without which
the country would find it difficult to develop.

He made the call
during the lighting of the torch for the national sports festival at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The festival will hold in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State in July this year.

During the
ceremony, the torch of unity was handed over to officials of the
Federal Capital Territory for the start of its tour round the 36 states
of the federation, with Rivers State as the final destination on the
day the festival begins.

The Kaduna State
governor, Patrick Yakowa whose state hosted the last national sports
festival, handed over the torch to the minister of sports, Taoheed
Adedoja who in turn handed it over to Mr Jonathan.

He then passed it
over to the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who then
handed it over to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala
Muhammed.

Mr Jonathan noted
that sporting events bind youth together, irrespective of differences
in ethnic affiliation, religion or other persuasions and stressed the
need for it to be strengthened.

“Sports brings
unity to both young and old. To camp our young ones together will bring
that spirit of unity, especially after the election,” he said. “It is
like the unity schools that united Nigerians together because each
person bonded with the classmates and by the time they leave school,
they have friends across the states and sections of the country.

“The country
belongs to us and unless we are together as one, the nation cannot go
far and that is what sports does, it unifies us. This flag of unity
must continue to fly and the unity torch must continue to burn.”

Nigeria’s sports image

The President
pointed out that Nigeria was noted for sports and can easily be
remembered by all countries around the world, especially for football
and asked that all be put in place to sustain the reputation of the
country.

Mr Adedoja
commended the government of Kaduna State for the quality of the
organisation put into the last national sports festival. He said he was
sure nothing more would be expected from Rivers State, whom he said had
shown commitment to hosting it.

Mr Amaechi promised that the state is ready to host the games and
have committed everything to ensure that the best comes out of the
festival.