The development of grassroot sports is largely the main duty of the supervisory councilors of the third tier of government in the grassroots.
The main duty of supervisory councillors is to formulate sports developmental programmes rather than being in the air conditioned office enjoying themselves, because the supervisory councillors of the various local government in the country are not up and doing the responsibility of developing sports is solely shifted to the state governors.
The supervisory councillors in any local government are the eye of sports development in the country, this because the bulk of hidden untapped raw talents are from the grassroots. This is where the expertise of the supervisory councillors are needed for the chairmen of the local governments to support them with funds so as to raise or discover sporting talent for the LGAs, state and the country.
It is a pity that in all democratic dispensation, the supervisory councillors have not submitted their proposal for sports meet with the view of discovering talents for nurturing in all the 23 local government areas in Rivers State, it is only Gokana and Abua/Odual that are seasoned in organizing annual football competition when the year is ending. This also is mainly for entertainment purpose.
If the 9 Riverine local government supervisory councillors are up and doing, it might be that Rivers State would have been boasting of career swimmers every year. But because the supervisory councillors are not tinkering any sports developmental projects in their various local government councils, year in year out sports men and women are lacking even when they are right in the rural areas in the local government councils.
The job of the chairmen in developing sports would have been a little easier if the supervising councillors are coming up with good sports programmes for their local government chairmen. It is shameful to note that Andoni, Degema, Akulga, Asalga, Walga and other riverine LGAs could not turn out one future swimmer for the state in a year.
Rivers State would be a swimmers producing state if much attention is pay to swimming at the grassroot level. This will be possible if the supervisory councillors in Asalga, Andoni, Akulga, Walga and others will formulate good policies of producing swimmers for the future with their LGAs chairmen.
Delta State is like Rivers State, but their dividends in sports development comes from the hard working nature of the supervisory councillors coupled with the belief in sports from the various chairmen and the Governor of the state. Today, Delta State is a force in Nigeria sports.
Delta State is like Rivers State and Bayelsa in nature, deltaically, but Bayelsa State and Delta have both utilized their potentials in nature in the area of swimming, but what about Rivers state?
Sokari Soberekon started his wrestling career as a local wrestler in his home town Buguma, and raised up to be Nigeria champion in wrestling while in Rivers State he was called super Sokari because of his exploit in wrestling. The supervisory councillors of sports should wake up to their responsibility. ###
