By; USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna.
The Special Assistant on Sports Development to the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Hon. Isa Nasidi has commended His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani, for redeeming a 30 year old National pledge to Nigeria’s Atlanta 1996 Olympic Gold Medalists, a promise successive administrations failed to fulfil.
In a statement issued to journalists on Saturday in Kaduna, the S.A on Sports Development, Hon. Isa Nasidi disclosed that, Governor Malam Uba Sani has shown that Kaduna State does not forget it present and past heroes.
He added that, what Governor Malam Uba Sani did by allocating plots of land and naming prominent streets after some Kaduna’s football icons, It is a gesture that heals three decades of broken promises and sends a clear signal that Kaduna honours excellence.
However, some those who were honoured by the Governor, includes Daniel Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro, Tijjani Babangida, Garba Lawal, and Emmanuel Babayaro.
He said, “the event was a product of His Excellency’s focused leadership, with coordination by myself the SA on Sports Development, while acting on the Governor’s directive, an outreach to the Atlanta ’96 veterans was managed, in liaison with state agencies to ensure that the tribute was substantive rather than ceremonial.
“His Excellency has shown that leadership means honouring the past while building the future. It was a privilege to help convert his directive into a reality these legends can hold onto permanently plots of land and streets that will carry their names for generations. But this is only one part of a larger vision.”
According to him, the larger vision is visible at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, where an ongoing reconstruction is expanding capacity from 16,000 to 33,000 seats, with a FIFA-standard hybrid pitch, multi-sports courts, and modern hostels, positioning Kaduna as a National sporting capital and hub for youth development.
Also, affirming the Governor’s vision, Hon. Isa Nasidi explained that Governor Malam Uba Sani is not just honouring where Kaduna’s football legends came from, he is building the pipeline for the next generation to rise from the same streets.”
The SA on Sports Development, reaffirms his commitment to translating this vision into grassroots sports programmes across all 23 Local Government Areas, including a talent-hunt initiative feeding directly into the revitalised ABS Stadium.
