A former chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Lagos SWAN), Honourable Frank Ilaboya has revealed a ‘year-round strategy’ that he has set in motion to keep youths busy, away from juvenile delinquency and off the streets in Edo State.
Ilaboya gave this as his major line of action, following his recent appointment as the first-ever special adviser on grassroots sports mobilisation to the governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, whom he thanked for deeming him worthy of the post
The former editor and ex-local government chairman, who is the owner of SportsVille Limited, also thanked Governor Okphebolo for creating the office, which he described as a clear demonstration of the current administration’s commitment to youth development.
Ilaboya added that the establishment of the special adviser’s post for Grassroots Sports Mobilisation confirms the governor’s zeal and determination to see young people grow as well as discover talents in all communities across the state.
“First and foremost, I want to thank His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for creating the office of Special Adviser on Grassroots Sports Mobilisation. This singular gesture, the first of its kind in Edo State, shows his love and passion for the development of youths as well as the unearthing of budding talents in every nook and cranny of the state.
“I equally want to extend my deepest gratitude to him for finding me worthy to drive this project. I want to assure the good people of Edo State that I am equal to the task and will do my very best to restore vibrancy to grassroots sports development in our dear state.
“Beyond talent discovery, the Governor’s vision is to keep our youths productively occupied so that they have little or no time for social vices. Everyone is already praising His Excellency for his pragmatic approach to curbing cultism in Edo State. Sports remains one of the most effective drivers for engaging and keeping young people productively busy.”
The soft-spoken administrator, who has also been chairman of Edo State Football Association and boss of the sports commission, then gave an elaborate breakdown of various programmes he has in mind at his new duty post, as they affect athletes, coaches, officials and other stakeholders.
He added, “We must be deliberate and intentional in this onerous assignment. We are designing a holistic, year-round strategy that will keep the youths engaged in line with the Governor’s vision. Our immediate priority is to engage grassroots stakeholders to secure their buy-in.
“Next, we will roll out a train-the-trainers programme to build a network of competent partners at the community level. We will also work closely with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and other relevant youth-focused agencies in the state.”
Sports247 recalls that Governor Okpebholo announced Ilaboya’s new appointment on October 9th and the erudite journalist has quickly set about to justify his new role, which many observers described as a step towards proper sports development in Edo State.
