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Triumphant military wrestlers return home, promise to make Nigeria proud
The Nigerian Military Wrestlers who won Gold and Silver medals at the just concluded 36th World Military Wrestling Championship at Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday returned home, promising to continue to make Nigeria proud.
The wrestlers were received at the International Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at about 10.00 p.m. by the officials of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ).
Addressing newsmen on arrival, the Director of Sports, DHQ, AVM Abidemi Marquis, thanked the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, for giving them the platform to project the image of the nation’s military at the world stage.
Marquis said the motivation behind the performance of the athletes stemmed from their awareness that they were going to represent their country and knowing that the national anthem of Nigeria would be played and flag hoisted, if they won medals.
“So the athletes understood the enormous task ahead of them and they were well motivated because all the necessary things that were required for them to compete among the best were provided.
“So before we even left Nigeria, we were highly motivated.
“We just need to build on what we have achieved so that we can get to the level that we are looking at because Nigeria is hosting African Military Games next year.
“So this is a building process,” he said.
Marquis said the CDS, having understood the strategic importance that sports played in making a country to be visible, made sure that all that was needed for sporting engagement was provided.
He said the athlete were happy to have returned with the gold and the silver medals, saying that nobody gave them a chance at the onset of the competition, but were able to compete fairly and fiercely.
According to him, those that don’t even know Nigeria at all because of our presence, knew Nigeria now.
The gold medalist, a female wrestler, Cpl. Hannah Reuben, who beat her Italian contender in the 68 weight category of women’s freestyle, said mindset, preparation and hard work propelled her to glory during the competition.
Reuben said she had been competing at different levels, which she said had helped her to build her up for the just concluded competition that earned her gold medal.
She promised to continue to do better ahead of the military games take would be hosted by Nigeria where she except to win more gold medals.
“I will keep doing better and I will do better next time by God’s grace,” she said.
The Siver Medalist, Lance Cpl. Esther Ojolaide, said the secret behind her performance was the adage that says “to whom much is given, much is expected”.
Ojolaide said the privilege and encouragement that the CDS had given, spured them to action at the world level to represent the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“I am promising the Nigerian Armed Forces the next competition to be hosted by Nigeria that we are going to do more,” she said.
The Coash of the team, Warrant Offcer Godswill Tiebiri, said the support of the CDS and the cooperation between the teams, both athletes and coaching crew, earned them the gold and silver medals from the tournament.
He said it was the gold medal had broken the 50 years record in the history of wrestling in the Nigerian military at the world level.
“We got a silver, we have gotten bronze in the world, but haven’t gotten the gold medal.
“So myself as the coach and my Cpl. Hannah have broken the record of 50 years,” he said.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.
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