Okpekpe Race Excites Oshiomhole

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole

Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Monday declared his excitement over the Okpekpe International 10-kilometre Road Race which will hold in the state on May 4, 2013.

The governor said that the introduction of the race - a first of its kind in Nigeria - will bring life to the rural communities in Edo state playing host to the event. He therefore pledged the state government’s support to make the race a hitch-free one.

Comrade Oshiomhole, who spoke when he received a party of the Okpekpe Race Organising Committees in his office, added that the event will encourage him to look for more challenging roads in the rural areas to construct.

“We are really excited by your decision to introduce the Okpekpe Race, which is the first in Nigeria,” Oshiomhole began.

“The road race will bring life to rural areas; it will uplift the lives of the people in those areas. It will also discourage rural-urban migration. So, we will give it the necessary support it deserves.”

Speaking earlier, the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba said he was happy to associate with the Okpekpe Race, being the first of its kind in Nigeria.

He observed that Okpekpe presents a unique venue for the tourney and that eight African countries have already sent in their entries for the race. Ogba then solicited for land in Okpekpe to build a training camp where altitude tests for Nigerian athletes could be carried out.

The AFN boss also said that the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium will on the 27th of May, host the second edition of the AFN Golden League.

Ogba then appealed to Comrade Oshiomhole to give life to sport development in Edo State.

The initiator of the event and honourable adviser on Sports to Oshiomhole, Mike Ituamagbon, who also spoke, said they were in Government House to inform the governor and the people of Edo State about the event.

Ituamagbon stressed that although Edo State is playing host to the event, it will bear no financial burden as a result.

In her contribution, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Omorede Osifo said that they have been looking forward to the race and she was sure that with the coming of Solomon Ogba the event will be successful. 

“It is great that you are bringing athletes from all over the world and exposing our rural areas to the globe. With people like you around, things will go well. We are counting days; we are equally preparing for the (AFN) Golden League,” Osifo declared.