Connect with us

News

Sports Can Boost Nigeria’s Greatness, Says Obasa

Published

on

Spread the love

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has reiterated the importance and benefits of sports to Nigeria.

 

According to Dr. Obasa, sports is an area that should not be downplayed as it has the capacity to make the country greater, enrich the youth and improve businesses across the country.

 

The Speaker made the remark on Friday evening at the opening of the second edition of the Obasa Games 2024, a platform through which the organisers seek to further unite the youth in Lagos.

Commending Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa, chairman of Kings Sports International and organiser of the Obasa Games, the Speaker noted that emerging developments in sports prompted the Lagos Assembly’s amendment of the State’s Sports Commission Law to accommodate new areas that are beneficial to the youth.

 

“I am passionate about football and I have always been a sportsman myself. Sports is an advantage to us in this state and the nation and I am reiterating that it is the future of our youth. Go anywhere in the world; sports has become a huge business,” he said.

 

Obasa further stressed that sports can help combat crimes and increase youth engagement in activities that boost national growth and development.

 

 

“We have realised that government alone cannot provide employment. We have also realised that because of the peculiarities of our nation as well as our advantage in terms of population, we can generate businesses out of sports to move the youth away from crime,” he said adding that Obasa Games will remain sustained.

 

The Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Omobolaji Ogunlende, also commended the organisers of the games pledging the support of the government for such initiatives aimed at growing the youth. He charged the participants to be at their best.

 

 

In his address, Abdul-Ganiyu said the success of the first edition of the games gave the impetus to continue and expand the scope.

 

“This year’s event, featuring football, boxing, table tennis,
chess, and Scrabble, brings together talented athletes
and teams from across the 10 Local Government Areas
and 18 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) within the Lagos West Senatorial District.

 

He said the games were organised to honour the remarkable contributions and vision of the Speaker for Lagos State.

 

“His commitment to the development of our state,
his unwavering support for our youth, and his passion for
fostering sports as a vehicle for positive change have
been our inspiration,” he said.

 

Chairman of the Agege Local Government Area, High Chief Ganiyu Egunjobi, said his council and the Orile-Agege Local Government Development Area decided to partner with the organisers to be a part of the passion that Obasa exhibits for sports.

 

“Sport has proven to be a cost-effective and flexible tool for promoting peace and development objectives. Sport is also an important enabler of sustainable development,” he said urging residents to always imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship.

 

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Police Discover Indoor Cannabis Farm In Lagos

Published

on

Spread the love

 

 

The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a suspected high-tech indoor cannabis farm at a residential property in Apapa, Lagos, arresting a 49-year-old Polish national and a 36-year-old Nigerian in connection with the discovery.

The suspects, identified as Thomas Razvickas, 49, and James Chisome, 36, were arrested on November 2, 2026, at about 8:15 am following intelligence received by police operatives.

The facility, according to the police, was equipped with sophisticated equipment for the cultivation, harvesting and processing of substances suspected to be cannabis.

The Command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, adding that both suspects were residents of the property searched by the operatives.

She said the suspects were currently in police custody, where they had made confessional statements and were providing useful information to assist ongoing investigations.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, subsequently visited the scene to inspect the facility, assess the extent of the operation and receive briefings on the investigation.

Fatai commended the operatives for their vigilance and effective use of intelligence, reiterating the Command’s commitment to combating drug-related offences and dismantling criminal networks across the state.

He also urged residents to sustain their cooperation with the police by providing timely and credible information that could assist in identifying and apprehending criminal elements.

The police commissioner assured residents that the Command would remain proactive and resolute in its determination to rid Lagos of criminal activities.

Continue Reading

News

Trump Accepts Midterm Election Results, Congratulates Democrats

Published

on

Spread the love

 

 

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is willing to accept the results of the midterm elections, bringing a temporary end to questions about whether he would challenge the outcome following a difficult night for Republicans.

In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said he was prepared to respect the election results, declaring, “I am absolutely willing to accept those results.”

The president also congratulated Democrats on their electoral victories and expressed readiness to work with them in the interest of the country, despite earlier warnings that he would use his presidential powers to block legislation backed by the opposition.

“My message is congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country,” Trump told CBS News late Tuesday.

However, he suggested that cooperation would depend on Democrats being willing to work with his administration.

“I think they’re gonna want to work with me,” he said, adding that he could otherwise use his veto power to block their legislative proposals.

Republicans suffered significant setbacks in key races across the country as Democrats recorded victories in several contests, marking a challenging outcome for Trump’s party in the midterm elections.

Reacting to the results, Trump blamed his absence from the ballot as one of the reasons Republicans underperformed, arguing that his presence would have improved the party’s chances.

“I feel that I wasn’t on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that. If I was, we would have won,” he said.

He also suggested that dissatisfaction with some Republican candidates contributed to the losses, claiming that certain candidates lacked his support and failed to attract the party’s political base.

“In some cases, they didn’t like the candidates, and in some cases those candidates were not my friend, and the base knows that better than anybody. And they stayed back,” Trump added.

Despite his conciliatory remarks to CBS News, the president maintained a firm position on his administration’s legislative approach.

Speaking later with Fox News Channel, Trump again emphasised his intention to use the presidential veto to prevent the passage of Democratic-backed legislation.

Continue Reading

News

Ondo Ponmo Sellers’ Association President Collapses In Court

Published

on

Spread the love

 

 

 

A business. woman, identified as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State, reportedly collapsed in court during her arraignment in Akure on Tuesday following her arrest over the alleged discovery of human faeces at her ponmo processing centre.

 

The incident comes days after the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, ordered the immediate closure of a popular ponmo supply store on Igboliki Street in Akure following an environmental sanitation inspection that reportedly uncovered two buckets containing human faeces on the premises.

The discovery was made during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise conducted on Saturday, when Fasua led a monitoring team through Oke Aro, Iro and Igboliki streets to assess residents’ and businesses’ compliance with environmental sanitation regulations.

According to information from the inspection, the ponmo business had reportedly operated in the area for more than 21 years.

The operator, who was present during the inspection, reportedly identified herself as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State.

Following the discovery, Fasua ordered the immediate closure of the premises and directed the disposal of all ponmo products at the shop.

He also ordered that the operator be prosecuted in accordance with applicable local and state environmental laws.

The businesswoman was subsequently arrested and brought before a court in Akure on Tuesday for arraignment.

She reportedly collapsed during the court proceedings.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2026 TheColumn NG