The Managing Director of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mohammed Alkali has said that development of sports ensures peace building and conflict resolutions in Borno State. According to him, sports championship competitions unite the people with improved mental health of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) youths in camps and host communities. Alkali spoke yesterday (Thursday), while declaring the Peace Cup Competition and Game Masters Training Workshop for IDP youths in Maiduguri. He said the Boko Haram insurgency has devastating effects with the displacement and disruption of people and social activities, including sports.
“These led to trauma, fatigue, stress, and tension among our people; which must be squarely tackled to secure the well-being of our future generation,” he said, stating that sports and other sporting activities are to overcome these challenges among youths. He lamented that trauma, fatigue, stress and tension are not the best companions of mankind. Instead, he said that they are killers of peoples’ ambition and destiny in insurgency affected communities. Sports, according to him, play important roles in social cohesion, reintegration, and empowerment of the IDP youths.
“Sports also promote a shared sense of belonging among the participants and spectators at any sports championship in the nation,” he said; adding that the Commission is organising the sport tournament to mitigate the dysfunctional consequences of such vices among IDP youths. Besides, he added that the tournament will feature various games which include football, volleyball, badminton, as well as other athletics of field and track events. According to him, the Games Master’s workshop will also enhance the skills of the Coaches by exposing them to modern ways of handling games. At the end of the competition; trophies and medals will be given out to deserving teams with start-up for each participating teams,
“These will consolidate the replication of gains of the competition in their respective communities when resettled,” he said, stating that the commission will continue to factor in the manpower skills of youths. In his response, Governor Babagana Zulum, represented by his deputy, Umar Kadafur said that the state government will invest and support sporting activities with youths empowerment projects. He said the peace cup competition championships will be sustained in building the capacities of youths in sports.
