Sports: FG charges students to keep off drugs

Sports: FG charges students to keep off drugs

Saturday, March 2, 2019 10:57 pm



The Federal Ministry of Education has called on students to stay clean and resist any pressure to use substances to enhance their performances during sporting activities.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Sonny Echono, made the call on Saturday at the 99th and 48th annual Inter House Sports of the King’s College, Lagos, and Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos, respectively.

Echono spoke at different occasions in the two schools.

The permanent secretary was represented by the Director of Basic and Secondary Education in the ministry, Dr Lami Amodu.

He said that spirit of competitiveness was expected at every sporting event, noting that there could, therefore, be pressure on contestants to go against their friends in such competitions.

Echono said that sports should promote discipline, team spirit and healthy rivalry as well as promote national and international peace, understanding and cooperation.

“It is in line with the foregoing reasons that the Federal Ministry of Education has continued to encourage sporting activities such as the one we are witnessing here today.

“A strong spirit of competitiveness is expected. As young athletes, you will feel the heat and pressure of going against your friends to pick up the crown.

“Here, your character will be tested and your friendship will be put to test.

“Whatever it feels, bear in mind that the drive to win is a key factor in life, and the means through which you achieve success is important.

” Dare to win clean; do not succumb to the pressure to cheat or engage in the use of any substance for the purpose of enhancing performance,” he admonished.

According to Echono, the World Anti Doping Agency and the Nigeria Olympic Committee are seriously discouraging of forms of cheating in the various sports.

He said that Nigeria was working hard to ensure that Unity Colleges and other schools would continue to organise inter-house sports competitions devoid of any form of cheating.

The official urged that the spirit of sportsmanship must be cultivated and encouraged amongst students.

Echono said that sports had been recognised worldwide as an integral part of formal education.

According to him, this is due to its invaluable contribution to the physical, mental and emotional capabilities of the individual athlete.

“When the faculties are sharpened through sports, application to studies becomes relatively easy, but when they are not, academic work becomes drudgery.

“This explains why the National Policy on Education included physical and health education in the curriculum at the basic and secondary levels,” he said.

He lauded the various stakeholders in the two colleges for their contributions to sustainance core values and legacies.

Echono, however, called for more collaborations from individuals and the private sector, saying that government alone could not sufficiently provide all the needed funds for optimum development of education because of competing needs.

The Principal of King’s College, Mr Isaac Kolawole, appealed to the ministry to consider landscaping sporting fields and upgrade facilities at both campuses of the college.

“Our environment at both campuses are below sea level, and we are always threatened by waterlog.

“There is the need for some landscaping of the fields to raise them. This will provide a better platform for sporting activities to thrive.

“All the courts are delapidated with cracks, just like our gymnasium requires modern equipment.

“I know government is doing a lot to improve facilities in unity colleges across the country, especially here in our school, but i still want to appeal for more to be done on the structures as they are getting weak, judging from the age of the college.

“In just one year that I spent here, I have been able to carry out some renovations in about four blocks to ensure we have a conducive teaching and learning environment,” he said.

He said that since King’s College was a heritage school and a UNESCO site, all hands must be on deck to ensure that it would continue to occupy its position as the foremost unity school in the country.

At the Federal Science and Technical College Yaba, the Principal, Dr Ogochuku Ufoegbune, said there was the need for the country to diversify from oil to sports.

Ufoegbune said that sports in various countries had been used to improve economic base and promote socio-economic development.

Ufoegbune said that Nigeria had been depending on oil as its sole means of revenue generation, urging that attention must also be given to other areas, especially sports, in an effort to accelerate national growth and development.

She said that education and sports complemented each other well, and that many students who excelled academically also held sway in sports.

“The place of sports in education today cannot be overemphasised.

“We have seen many students today who go into various sports and are living well.

“We want to urge parents not to discourage their children from participating in sporting activities because they may not know where the talents of such children lie,” she said.

The principal lauded the Federal Government for its commitment to repositioning its colleges nationwide.

She, however, appealed for more efforts in ugrading facilities in the various workshops in the college.

“We have 19 trade subjects, and most of the facilities in the workshops of these trade subjects need 21st century facilities to enhace skill acqusition,” she said.


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