Ituen Football Academy: A Lawmaker’s worthy example!

It is a truism that human capacity development is not only the most ideal gift to young ones but the most durable, impactful and transformational dynamics in the earth’s space.

This must have prompted Daniel Webster’s philosophical reasoning that, “If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work upon brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds and instill into them just principles, we are then engraving that upon tablets which no time will efface, but will brighten and brighten to all eternity.”

On Saturday, March 18, 2017, my spirit was lifted with joy at the Playground of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assemby (AKHA) as Rt. Hon. Idongesit Ituen, Member representing Itu State Constituency in the AKHA unveiled his Soccer Academy featuring U-18 Boys.

The official unveiling of the 2017 edition, which I performed the kickoff as Special Guest in the friendly encounter between Ituen U-18 FC vs Pars FC from another academy in Calabar, kept other guests and spectators echoing commendations for Ituen.

It is a big plus that at a time of recession in the country, the lawmaker can fund and successfully manage a football academy to groom youngsters in the round-leather game towards turning them into world class soccer stars.

From the soccer artistry displayed by the Ituen boys, who won their opponent by 3-1 goals; one can acknowledge great deal of training which the Academy has impacted on the boys over time. And this can only result from funding.

One can authoritatively say that Hon. Idongesit Ituen is not into the Academy because he has surplus money, but that the interest is due to his patriotic zeal to lift the game of soccer in the State beyond mere pastime.

Having been involved in sports development over the years, it has been a widely shared concern over the apparent absence or lack of sufficient interest within our clime towards the promotion of sports, especially from the grassroots’ levels.

Schools’ Sports, which had the slogan, “Catch Them Young” has rather been begging for attention for something now. The Akwa Ibom State NNPC/Mobil Schools Athletics Championship was a toast for years until it was halted.

Schools’ Sports were good avenues to discover budding athletes and groom them into national and international limelights. This concern has prompted the on going Akwa Ibom Youth Sports Festival holding March 15-19, 2017.

Happily, Governor Udom Emmanuel has been very practical in his commitment to sports development. With the planned building of 10 Sports Centres in the State, with one already completed at West Itam Secondary School in Itu, it’s obvious that Sports is surely about to gain the attention it should.

However, for Sports development to be realistically achieved in no distance time for our sons and daughters to “arise and shine” in many areas of Sports, there must be more Ituens in our State.

It is open secret what footballers in big leagues abroad are earning per week. Salaries of Soccer Stars today far exceed wages of some CEOs, elected public servants or even the statutory allocations of LGAs! Players now carry the status of mega corporation. Even in local leagues, some footballers earn very well.

So Sports development has investment content. We should emulate the likes of Ituens in pathfinding a way for our young ones to realise their potentials and launch themselves into the realms of glory and wealth.

There should be a government policy to support Sports Academies in Akwa Ibom State. Multi National Oil firms should also lend a helping hand in that direction. This way, we can predict a bumper Sports harvest in Akwa Ibom State.

■ Patrick Albert is Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ ), Akwa Ibom State Council.