The foremost elder statesman openly disclosed to the general public at Hotel Presidential at the occasion of the unveiling of the 17th edition of the National sports Festival to be hosted by Rivers State, that the swimming pool at the civic center is one of the best in West Africa.

I am advising the governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to use the facilities you have, use the people you have don’t be sentimental, and I am sure Rivers State is going to make history with the 17th National sports festival come the time” he said.
The former president, supreme council of sports of West Africa, also said the best could be achieve with Amaechi if he could make use of the men and women available in the state, stressing that Rivers State is blessed in both manpower and talents.

“The best could be achieve. We do not need to save more money trying to have more facilities but we could upgrade the facilities already on ground. We have the men and women that could turn things around. Spot them and engaged them to work to achieve for Rivers State, he offered as advise.
Patrick Ekeji, also advised the Rivers State governor to upgrade the old facilities already on ground, and advised the chairman Garden City Games, Engineer Tele Ikuru to take a cue from Kada 2009, based on his experience. “If that is done, for what I am seeing now, the 17th national sports festival to be hosted by Rivers State will certainly surpass that of Kada 2009”.

Patrick Ekeji, the crown chairman of the main organizing committee (MOC) of the 17th national sport festival revealed to sports journalists that, the Garden City Games will accommodates 15,000 sportsmen and officials and added there is need for all those who are involved to be up and doing till glory is achieved from the events.

According to him, to achieve that, there is the need for upgrading of the standard of the games, uplifting of the games and upgrading of the officiating, in order to have a fulfilled sports festival. Sir Patrick Ekeji urged the Rivers State local organizing committee to forward names of sponsors to him so as to enable him forward them to the federal inland revenue for notification.

However, the chairman of people democratic party, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor who was also the chairman of the occasion said sports is a unifying force, and passionately appealed to all state governors to support the national sport to be hosted by Rivers State passionately to succeed. In his conclusion, he said the Garden City Games “will bring Rivers State to limelight; an event that will bring the youths of the state to limelight, if you have talent; this event in the Garden City will definitely be a resort for all of us”, he said.

Gospel Jack and Dawari Kalio are the two Rivers Sons that designed the mascot of the Garden city Games.
 

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