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| Kanu Nwankwo, soccer stars woo Niger Delta youths |
10/17/2007 |
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NIGERIA’S stars in the English Premiership Football League have joined in the quest for sustainable peace in the Niger Delta region.
Top of the list is captain of the Super Eagles, Kanu Nwankwo, along with Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton); Obafemi Martins (Newcastle); Mikel Obi (Chelsea) and Togolese international, Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)
The soccer stars’ first spot of call was Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, with the message of peace. Kanu, as the leader of the delegation urged the Niger Delta youths to shun negative activities and engage themselves in productive ventures to enable them contribute to the development of the nation.
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They were on a two-day visit to Yenagoa, at the instance of the state government to commemorate the 100 days in office of Governor Timipre Sylva.
Their visit created a platform for youths from the troublous region to be counselled and to re-assure the international community that things were not as bad as they were being reported in the media, especially the negative publicity the area has suffered in the last couple of years.
Speaking with journalists shortly after a dinner organised for the players at Government House, Yenagoa, Nwankwo said his case and those of other African Premiership stars who had “risen from nothing to something” should inspire the youths to discover their talents.
He blamed the incessant cases of hostage-taking and other acts of militancy in the area on “unguarded interaction and largely the keeping of bad company by youths, as well as the get-rich-quick syndrome”.
The Portsmouth star told the youths that patience, commitment to hardwork, discipline and the fear of God were sine qua non for success in life.
“The issue is very easy. Your parents would say always, ‘try to keep good friends, not the bad ones.’ Bad is bad and when you have bad friends, you will definitely end up being bad.
“So, my advice to the Niger Delta youths is to strive to be hard working and keep good friends and with good friends, you are likely to excel”.
He said: “People make mistakes in life because of some few things like bad friends. People want to be like me. My father was not a billionaire, but I struggled all the way and shunned those negative things. So, if you are positive, with your belief in God and discipline, you will make it.
“People tend to believe in negative news when it is taken outside, but I have been here and I was in Warri in July but nobody touched me.”
“I enjoyed myself and some of these players have also enjoyed themselves and we would go back and tell them that nothing like that is happening and that they should come to Bayelsa and enjoy themselves,” Kanu added.
Governor Sylva declared his readiness to make the state a centre of sports in the country, adding that already, his administration had concluded plans to establish a football academy in the state to engage the youths in productive activities and to shop for talents.
Sylva stated that despite the issue of militancy, which tends to portray the state in bad light, he strongly believed that Bayelsa youths
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