ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo has challenged the state’s football team, Bayelsa United Football Club to double its efforts to qualify for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Ewhrudjakpo gave the charge at the weekend when he hosted the players and technical crew of the club to a dinner at Golden Tulip Hotel, Onopa, in Government House, Yenagoa.
The quarterly dinner, which is an initiative of the Deputy Governor office, was put together as a morale booster for the team to surmount their opponents in upcoming matches.
A statement on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, quoted Senator Ewhrudjakpo, as saying that both female and male teams of the state had become signature names in the nation’s football history.
According to him, corporate organisations such as companies and banks are now showing interest in the sponsorship of the state-owned football clubs.
While calling on the players to keep their eyes fixed on qualifying for the premier league, particularly as they currently sit top on the log, he urged them not to rest on their laurels as winners of the nation’s National League.
Ewhrudjakpo used the opportunity to reassure them of the government’s unflinching support, noting that the Governor Douye Diri-led administration would continue to prioritise their welfare.
Ewhrudjakpo said: “We are very proud of you. Our teams have become a signature and household name in national football. When I traveled recently with the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, to get sponsors, a lot of them said they couldn’t wait to become your sponsors.
“So, you can rest assured that you will get sponsors from banks and companies by next year. I want you to know that, you are already the pride of Nigerian football, and when you gain promotion into the premier league, you are going to defeat those same teams you defeated during the AITEO Cup.
“We have broken all the records of the state governor when he was Commissioner for Youths and Sports. Our major challenge now is, the promotion of Bayelsa United to the premier league, and we believe that, by the next two matches the coast will be very clear for us.
“We will not joke with your welfare. This dinner is part of our promise to you that we are going to be meeting every quarter and we are determined to keep every promise made to you. That is why we are doing everything possible to equip you for every game ahead.”
In their separate goodwill messages, the Majority Leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Monday Obolo- Bubou and his Minority Whip counterpart, Hon Timi Omubo-Agala, praised the state government for its unrelenting support and commitment to sports development in the state.
They also commended the players and the technical crew for working in synergy to achieve the current results, urging them to keep their winning spirit alive to record more victories for the state in the future.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Dr. Daniel Igali, described the state-owned football clubs as ranking among the best-looked-after teams in the country, irrespective of the league and position they occupy.
Igali, who attributed the sterling performances of the state football clubs to government’s policies aimed at motivating and rewarding athletes, thanked Governor Diri and his Deputy, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, for attaching high premiums on sports development.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Bayelsa United FC, Mr. Ebiki Timitimi, while narrating their journey in the National League, explained that though the road was rough at the beginning, the Team is now confident about victory as the games gradually wind down.
Timitimi equally thanked the state government for the high level of encouragement being given to the team with a view to getting their best in both home and away matches.
