Kunle Adelabu
The Chairman of the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Mr Rotimi Erogbogbo, has commended the Lagos State Government for its special focus on youth development through sporting engagements.
While praising the governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, for the responsive and responsible people appointed into his cabinet, Erogbogbo described the appointment of the Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Oluwatoyin Gafaar Bolowotan, as a good one, stating that his tenure has brought great developments to sports in the state.
Erogbogbo made these statements during his courtesy visit to the Director-General of the Sports Commission in his office at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.
He also solicited for the Commission’ support for the upcoming IKODASS U-17 lndoor Games Championship holding in Ikorodu between September 4th to 11th, 2021.
“We express our congratulations for the successful staging of the 13th edition of the Bolowotan Gold Cup which ended last Sunday in Ikorodu. I also want to personally thank you for the opportunity availed to me to chair the final ceremony of the soccer tournament”, Mr Erogbogbo said.
“Sports development is coming back and more youths are being engaged because we have round pegs in round holes. There has been great improvement since your appointment as the DG for the State’s Sports Commission and we are very proud of your achievements so far.
“The governor made good decision with your appointment and also with other appointments too. We have seen Commissioners returning calls and giving reply to letters quickly on matters of importance.
Speaking on IKODASS and its developmental initiatives, Mr Erogbogbo said that the socio – cultural and developmental association is not all about the annual Ikorodu – Oga Day Celebrations but also about execution of various programmes all – year round to enhance the development of lkorodu.
“Though, this is an association known for the annual Ikorodu – Oga Day Carnival but we are more than that. We are a body vested with the responsibility of enhancing the social and economic developments of Ikorodu and we have programmes virtually for every month”, he said.
“Part of our programmes is sports and youth development. We are trying to support your initiative (Sports Commission) by developing our youths in Ikorodu through the upcoming IKODASS Indoor Games. This is our way of productively engaging our youths and training them for state and national limelight”, the IKODASS Chairman said.
“Ikorodu has talents and there is a need to groom and engage them productively. We want to encourage them right from when they are in school with training and participation in tournaments like the one we are planning to stage. This is how we can groom them to represent us at the state, national and international tournaments.
“For your information, we, as a body, are dependent on the support from the public for our programmes, particularly sporting programmes because we don’t have necessary equipment for some of the games (like Chess, Scrabble, Snooker, Table Tennis, Ayo Olopon, Ludo and Draught) that we are staging for the upcoming competition.
“We are going to be in need of tennis table, electronic chess board and other facilities for some of these games and we would be glad if the Commission could be of help in lending us necessary sporting materials”, Erogbogbo solicited.
“We are also in need of technical support in terms of coaches and officials from related sporting associations to assist us in executing the games. We need this to ensure that the tournament is in conformity with the required standard so as to properly groom our youths.
“We hope that through this tournament, we can get our youths to be trained and get ready to participate in state and national competitions.
“That is where we are still going. We want to make IKODASS a platform of development and not a seven – day a year social activities platform. We want to detect, groom and develop talents for Ikorodu that will compete nationally and internationally”, Erogbogbo revealed.
While thanking the IKODASS Chairman and his team for the visit and their efforts in developing sports, the Director – General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Mr Gafar Bolowotan added that it is the duty of everyone to support the development of youths in the state.
“I welcome you and your team to the Lagos State Sports Commission and I thank you for agreeing to chair the final of the Bolowotan Gold Cup tournament”, he said.
“This office is not about me as Gafaar but for the entirety of the Lagos State Sports development which Ikorodu is an integral part of and it is our duty to develop sports, especially in terms of engaging our youths and making them sporting ambassadors at the state and national levels”, the DG added.
“The children that we failed to train today might turn out to be those that will badly influence our own children that we are training and even cause them danger. That’s why we must do everything to use whatever position that we found ourselves for community and youth developments to secure our future.
While stating that youth development is an integral part of Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu’s agenda for the state, Bolowotan assured IKODASS of necessary support for the success of its youth sporting events.
“This is an area that the governor is very interested in. He is passionate about developing our youths and since your programme is all about development, you will have our support”, Bolowotan said.
“We will always support anybody or group that is supporting sporting development, especially when it is youth centred. We are much more concerned with developmental activities with youths as our focus because they are the leaders.
“We will support the IKODASS with equipment for the forthcoming tournament and we also have quality officials and technical team to support your initiative which we are going to send to support the games”, he added.
He stated that part of the efforts of the state government in youth development is the ongoing second edition of the summer camp that was recently kicked – off in Badagry.
“Part of the efforts to engage our youths is the summer camp that is ongoing in Badagry and we are still going to have it in other two districts in the state. We are having children between the age of 9 and 14 years in the camp”, he said.
“Youth development is something the governor of the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo – Olu, is really concerned about. This government is creating a future for our children.
“We have to change our environment and there is no way to do that without engaging our youths positively”.
He commended IKODASS for its plan to stage the U – 17 championship to encourage participation of school students and the youths in sporting activities.
“I thank you for considering U – 17 among the tournaments that you want to host. We really need to focus on them so that we can help them redirect their energy to productive activities and also make them to have focus”, Bolowotan said.
“I am ready to support you in any way because it is because of our children that the governor has given the Commission the mandate to engage in developmental sporting activities”, he pledged.
