Make athletics competitions compulsory in schools, Abia govt tells FG

Abia State government has tasked the Federal Government to come up with a policy that would compel schools and colleges in Nigeria to make athletics competitions a compulsory subject.

The call followed the perceived decline of sporting activities in schools.

Speaking during the 16th edition of the annual inter-house sports competition at Federal Government College Ohafia, chairman, School Based Management Committee (SBMC) of the college and deputy chief of staff to Abia State governor Mr Ukpai Agwu Ukpai observed that schools were gradually turning away from sports competition which he said was among subjects in schools curriculum calendar in the past. Chief Ukpai recalled that inter-house sports competition in schools then  was used to measure and x-ray the physical strength of students across board, but regretted it was now a thing of past.

The SBMC chairman urged the college to continue to participate actively on sporting activities as the state government and other spirited individuals would show concern and contribute positively to uplifting standard of sports in the college.

While he charged the principal, management, staff and students for not relenting in their efforts, he assured of his personal commitment to make sports in the college a competing event and warned against anti-social behaviour in the college.

In his address, Director Basic and Secondary Education Department, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr J.A. Mbaakaa, represented by an assistant director in the ministry, noted that only an able and active body can learn learning.

According to him, sports competition in school was meant to expose and develop talent, skills to enable one to chart a career course in that line, bearing in mind that skills developed from sports such as races, football, jumping, among others had often proved helpful for survival in times of war and natural disasters.