By Chris Njoku
Minister of Sports Development, Sen John Owan-Enoh on Sunday disclosed that no Nigerian president has supported the nation’s football as much as President Bola Tinubu.
Owan-Enoh made the remark last weekend at the Holy Family Catholic Church Ikom during a thanksgiving mass in his honour that was well attended by his friends and associates.
The minister who said he was committed to returning joy to Nigerian homes through sports, said they were working very hard to win the Africa Cup of Nations, (AFCON) holding in Cote D’Ivoire to ensure that joy spreads to every Nigerian home.
According to him, “The coaches of the senior national team have not been paid for 15 months, the salary is over 1.3 million dollars.
“The senior national team and other national teams had a backlog of unpaid allowance, unpaid promises and all of that piling up close to about N12 billion and the president has approved all of that payment.
“There’s no better way to show support and leadership than what he has done as I go to Lagos to challenge the senior national team, I need them to know that the whole country will be waiting in anticipation of the outcome of AFCON 2023,” he said.
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Speaking further, he noted that people say he has got the toughest job as the minister of sports development adding that it was only in sports that the nation was competing with other regions in the globe.
He maintained that following anticidents, the sports sector in the nation was difficult because every step you took as a leader was seen as controversial but to the glory of God, he was able to navigate that.
Owan-Enoh asserted that come 2027, he was going to support Tinubu and Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross because they have shown leadership and capacity to turn things around.
“Asiwaju has the intellect and capacity to turn things around let’s support him, if you support me, support the president and pray for him.
“I took a chance with him when he told me to discontinue my litigation in Cross River, it was at a time when nobody knew he would win but I stopped the litigation and he said John, you honoured me, God will honour you.
The reception of the thanksgiving which was held at the popular Ikom Township Stadium had in attendance, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, Deputy Governor of Cross River, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly among other dignitaries both from federal and state levels.