Gokana U-17 Schools Soccer Finals: St. Pius X College Beats CSS Bua Yeghe On Penalties, Bags N1million

…As Rt. Hon. Dum Dekor Lauds Tournament Sponsor,    Hon. Dumle Maol For Job Well Done

… Says, Sports Is Good Tool For Social Integration

The action-soaked grand finale of the Gokana Inter-Schools Under 17 Football Competition between the famous St. Pius X College, Bodo City and Community Secondary School, Bua Yeghe, both in Gokana Local Government Area, ended at the Gokana Sports Complex, Kpor on Sunday, April 3, 2022 with the former emerging victorious through penalty kicks after a 1-1 stalemate at duration time.

The highly entertaining match, brought out the best from the young lads, who displayed soccer artistry all through the 90 minutes duration.  However, even with the extra minutes added by the centre referee after regulation time, the two sides remained immovable, with none letting in a slip.

But it was value added time for soccer fans who filled up the 14,000-seater Sports Complex including the VIP wings.  Dignitaries that graced the event include Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor, member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives; Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area, Hon. Confidence Nyima Deko and his Vice, Hon. Edith Visung; Khana Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. (Dr.) Thomas Bariere and his vice, Hon. (Mrs.) Ibrahim.

Others include the sponsor of the tournament and member representing Gokana Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Dumle Maol; Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Fred Kpakol and a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Hon. Dinebari Loolo.

Also present at the occasion were: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Sir Honour Sirawoo; Hon. Godwin Bazari; Hon. Leesi Maol; Rt. Rev. Solomon Gberegbara; Hon. Demua L. Demua; Special Adviser to the Governor on Projects Monitoring, Hon. Austin Sor; Gberemene of Gokana Kingdom, HRH, Mene Kadilo Barina Kabari, represented by Dr. Gibson Daasi; HRH, Mene Barinaadaa Gbaranee and Madam Daughter Bor among others.

While presenting a giant trophy and a cash prize of One Million Naira to the tournament winners, St. Pius X College, Bodo City, the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor commended the sponsor of the football competition, Hon. DumleMaol for using the tournament in not only discovering budding talents but in promoting peace and harmony among Gokana youths.

The federal lawmaker, a former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, described the huge turnout at the event as a welcome development and testimony that peace and harmony are being sustained in Ogoniland.

He called on other eminent sons and daughters of Ogoni to be challenged by the example of the sponsor of the tournament, Hon. Maol and pledged to support him with the sum of N500,000.

“The reason why everyone here is excited is that we are moving from what used to be to what must be.  We are in a different age, and not in the age of carrying guns.  So, for the young people who are here, let us embrace peace.  Let us go to school, let us build our skills.  This is the only way to go.

“For Dumle to be able to do this, he went through a whole lot.  He labored through school, because success must come with hard work.  And I know that if Dumle can do it, then all of us can also do it”, he said, adding that the gesture, is indeed, a job well done.

The sum of N500,000 and a silver trophy was presented to CSS Bua Yeghe as 1st runner up by the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Hon. (Dr.) Thomas Bariere while the bronze trophy and a cash reward of N300,000 was handed to Community Secondary School, K. Dere by Gokana Chairman, Hon. Confidence Deko.

Meanwhile, the member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor has commended the Executive Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area, Hon. Confidence Deko for uniting the people through sporting events.

The federal lawmaker who made the commendation at the finals of the Gokana Local Government Inter Schools Sports Competition held at the Gokana Sports Complex, Kpor, the local government headquarters on Thursday, praised Hon. Deko for his wisdom in using sports as an effective tool for social integration.

Rt. Hon. Dum Dekor while urging the Council Chairman to use the maiden edition of the competition to test the waters, further charged him to make it an annual event.

The federal lawmaker, a former Deputy Speaker in the Rivers State House of Assembly while also applauding Hon. Deko for promoting peace, harmony and discovering of budding talents in Gokana through sports, charged him to keep up the tempo.

Represented at the occasion by a stalwart of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, and former member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Dinebari Looloo, the federal lawmaker also congratulated the Council boss, the local organizing committee as well as the people of Gokana for continually preaching peace through different policies and programmes.

“Nothing unites the people most, especially the youths than sports, and this is why this competition is laudable and should be encouraged”, he said, while promising his unflinching support to such programmes that would drive development in the area.

Hon. Dum Dekor who was the Special Guest of honour at the occasion, made donation of undisclosed amounts to the overall winner of the competition, Bodo City Girls Secondary School, the 1st runner-up, Community Secondary School, K. Dere as well as to the 2nd runner-up, Community Secondary School, Bera.

He thanked both winners and losers in the competition for putting up their best, and enjoined them to do more in the next edition.