Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu has come out with a symbolic declaration that the security force that he heads has a symbolic relationship with sports, in the sense that they both imbibe the values of discipline, teamwork and excellence.
Sports247 reports that IGP Disu gave the analogy while formally receiving Team Nigeria athlete from the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Nathaniel Ezekiel, who won the competition’s men’s 400m hurdles gold medal.
Read Also: Okonkwo Breaks Into Africa’s Top 10 as Ogunjobi Cracks Top 20 in Latest Tennis Rankings
Disu added during the official reception of the athlete, who is a corporal in Nigeria Police Force (NPF), at the headquarters in Abuja that Nathaniel’s victory is a reminder of what security personnel can do when provided with the necessary platform and support to excel.
While restating that Nathaniel’s feat underscores the longstanding relationship between the police and sports, Disu added that the achievement further strengthens the possibility of security persoennel excelling simultaneously in their professional duties and sporting careers.
He then assured police personnel with sporting talents that the NPF will continue to support them, while also promising to identify, nurture and celebrate talents within its ranks in order to continue churning out heroes and heroines for Nigeria on the international scene.
The IGP, who disclosed that he was also once a sportsman, further affirmed that another aspect of Nathaniel’s achievement which he was particularly glad and proud about is that the athlete-officer has brought honour to himself, his family, his colleagues, the NPF and Nigeria as a whole.
Disu expatiated, “As a sportsman myself, I take particular pride in this achievement. Corporal Ezekiel Nathaniel, you have honoured your uniform, your Force and your country. Congratulations, and may this be the first of many more victories to come.
“I want Corporal Ezekiel Nathaniel, and every officer watching, to know that this Force will continue to invest in and support police sports. We will keep identifying, nurturing and celebrating talent within our ranks, because a Force that is strong in body and spirit is a Force that serves the nation better.
“The Nigeria Police Force and sports (are) bound together by shared values of discipline, teamwork and excellence. This victory is a powerful reminder of that bond, and of what our personnel can achieve when given the platform and support to thrive both in service and in competition.”
