- Says Gov Otu doing well, no need for 2027 guber ambition
BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – The Minister of Sports, Senator John Owan Enoh has assured Nigerians that the Super Eagles are determined to make them proud at this year’s AFCON kicking off in Cote d’ivoire on Saturday, 13th January 2024.
The Minister said conscious of Nigerians’ high expectations from the Super Eagles, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has provided all the required logistics for the National team to participate and perform optimally at the continental football fiesta.
Enoh, who noted that Nigerians are always optimistic of success at any sporting competition and anything short of that is considered a failure, said not ready to be associated with failure, everything possible would be done to put smiles on the faces of all sports loving Nigerians at the AFCON Championship.
The former lawmaker, who gave the assurance during a Thanksgiving Service at the Ogoja diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Holy Family Parish in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State at the weekend, however urged Nigerians to uphold the team in prayers for a hitch-free and successful tournament.
On his current duty tour as a Federal Executive Council (FEC) member, Senator Enoh described the Sports Ministry as unique and different from other Federal Ministries given that at every international championship, Nigeria is competing against sportsmen and women from other countries, an experience that is readily not applicable to other ministries.
Also using the occasion to debunk social media reports that he is already nursing governorship ambition in 2027, the Minister said such speculations were far from the truth, especially with Governor Bassey Edet Otu performing incredibly well on the seat.
Further questioning what would be the motivating factor to go against someone who is doing well and meeting the people’s expectations, Senator Enoh spoke about having a cordial working relationship with the governor as stakeholders in moving Cross River State forward.
This is as he also disclosed that the Governor was hugely involved in the process of organising the Thanksgiving Service and wondered where those peddling such ‘distracting rumours’ got their information from.
In his sermon at the occasion, the Catholic Bishop of Ogoja Diocese, Bishop Donatus Edet Akpan told the Minister that Nigerians want to be happy and they deserve the right to demand that the Super Eagles make such to happen by emerging t victorious at this year’s AFCON.
Also reminding the Sports Minister of his pedigree as a well-known grassroot politician, Bishop Akpan urged him to remain despite currently being a tenant in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), courtesy of his official Ministerial portfolio.
