Governor Otu Doubles Subvention For Rovers Football Club
Bassey Otu, the governor of Cross River State, has reaffirmed his intention to elevate sports in general and football in particular in the state.
The guarantee comes with a 100% increase in funding for the Rovers Football Club of Calabar, a state-owned football team.
The Governor expressed gratitude to the Rovers Football Club's players and management for continuing to support the team despite significant underfunding, noting that the club's funding has increased from five million to ten million dollars. This move highlights the Governor's intention to reposition sports in the state, particularly football.
"Allow me to express my gratitude and congrats on your accomplishments over the years. Rovers is a historically significant club. While meeting the players of the club in the governor's office, he declared, "This government is poised to promote sports as a business."
Otu gave the order to provide wounded football players with emergency medical assistance in order to ensure their health and well-being. In addition, he pledged to look into other teething problems the football team was having and to give the team a brand-new bus by 2025.
The top citizen of the state also praised 18-year-old goalie Clinton Andy of Rovers Football Club, who was representing Nigeria's under-20 national team internationally, for representing the state with pride and flying the Cross River colours.
He asked the players and staff of Rovers Football Club to increase their efforts in the hopes of bringing the team back to its rightful position as a dominant force in Nigerian football, and he prayed for more opportunities to arise for the players as they chase their football goals.
The players' visit to the governor was required to highlight several issues facing Rovers Football Club, which is five games away from winning the Nigerian National Football League, according to Commissioner for Sports Development Mrs. Agnes Atsu.
Inyang Asuquo, the captain of the squad, also spoke during the meeting and listed a number of the problems that Rovers Football Club is now dealing with, such as inadequate funding, a decrepit team bus, inadequate player medical care, and funds for players to go camping.
The team captain expressed gratitude to the governor for his prompt action in providing an increase in the team's subvention and other encouraging guarantees to the club. He pledged that his group will use every effort to earn back the trust of the current government.
The under-20 returnee's presentation of his jersey to the governor and the happy photo op featuring Otu and the teammates were the highlights of the gathering.
