“… declares state of emergency in Sports Academy Akwanga, summons Contractor handling Akwanga Youths Centre for explanation…”

Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Youths and Sports Development has commenced inspection of sporting facilities across the State to acquaint itself with their status and know areas that need intervention for necessary action.

The exercise which commenced today Thursday saw the Committee Members alongside the Commissioner of the State Ministry of Youths and Sports Hon. Kwanta Yakubu with his management team inspecting facilities in Lafia, Akwanga, Keffi among other LGAs.

The State Assembly team was led by the Chairman House Committee on Youths and Sports Hon. Muhammed Garba Isimbabi alongside his Committee Members.

It was reported that while in Akwanga LG the Committee Chairman declared a state of emergency on the State Sports Academy in Akwanga due to inefficiency in sporting facilities and poor learning environment.

It was further gathered that to ascertain the state of sporting facilities with the view to resuscitating them for economic viability, the State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Youths and Sports Development commenced the inspection exercise with Lafia Township Stadium and Youth Center Lafia respectively where the Chairman Hon. Isimbabi commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for renovating the facilities to conform with modern reality and best standard.

While at the Presidential Lodge Lafia, the Hon. Mohammed Garba Isimbabi’s Committee called for resuscitation of sporting facilities for revenue generation.

While in Akwanga LG, He summoned the Contractor handling the Akwanga Youths Centre to appear before the Committee and explain why the befitting edifice that engulfed millions of Naira was left unused.

And still in Akwanga LG, the Assembly Committee was taken aback to discover that the State Sports Academy that had produced local, national and international athletes who are making significant impacts and exhibiting their prowess across the globe is still begging for attention given the dilapidated nature of the facility.

In view of this, the Committee declared a state of emergency on the Sports Academy to enable government give it urgent attention.

The Committee Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Garba Isimbabi disclosed that the State Assembly will promulgate law to legalize the institution to woo investors with the view to closing the deficit gap in infrastructure.

While In Keffi, the discussions among the inspection team centred on revamping the local government’s stadium and youths centre.

From Keffi LG, the team moved to Karu LG, where the authorities and the traditional institution advocated the construction of international stadium given the proximity of the area with FCT and its economic viability.

And when asked by Journalists whether Nasarawa State Government has the financial strength to construct international stadium, the Chairman, House Committee on Youths and Sports, Hon. Mohammed Garba Isimbabi said for sure government is capable.

According to him, “if the state government can construct flyovers in Lafia, Akwanga and Keffi, that cannot go beyond its powers.

In an interview after the inspection, the State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu disclosed that the ministry is fine tuning long and short time budget for Governor’s approval to resuscitate abandoned and dilapidated sporting facilities in the State.

Hon. Kwanta corroborated the position of Isimbabi that sports is no longer for entertainment alone but a business venture with huge revenue potentials.

He said Nasarawa State will not be exempted in utilizing the sector for the betterment of its citizenry adding that the ministry under his watch is matching words with action to achieve the best in the sporting industry.

During the visits, the team interfaced with Chairmen of the various LGAs and the traditional ruler of Karu.