…As IGP receives accolades for various POCACOV programme
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu has been commended for various programmes of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices(POCACOV) which is geared towards achieving youth value reorientation, engagement and strategic leadership direction for safe and secured communities.
The commendation was made in Enugu on 21/12/2020 on the occassion of the grand finale match of POCACOV/GOFEC Coal City Neighbourhood football league season one by Chukwuma Ephraim Okenwa, the president of the LEAD Network Organization, a civil society group advocating for youth engagement, participation in governance and development.
According to Okenwa, “I consider the POCACOV/GOFEC Coal City Football League Competition as a timely and commendable activity to engage youths both physically and mentally and as such, keep them away from cultism and other vices. POCACOV has through this activity, demonstrated to the youths what they should focus more on and channel their energy at positivism.”
He further maintained that IGP Adamu through this POCACOV activities, has reawakened the spirit of sportsmanship and collaboration which will help to inspire young people to see themselves as community representatives and not as mischief makers to be used, pointing out that engaging young minds from neighbourhoods (ogbe or streets) will help to further address perceived inequalities which is fingered as one of the factors for violent behaviours.
On his part, the managing director and Chief Executive Officer of GOFEC Movies Ind Limited, Donben Chisom who later was unveiled and decorated as a POCACOV Ambassador during the event, thanked IGP Adamu and the Nigeria Police Force for having good thoughts for the youth by coming up with the programme tagged Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices(POCACOV) aimed at saving the Nigerian children and youths from the claws of cultism and other vices and helping to achieve community peace building through stakeholders participation and involvement as required in the practice of community oriented policing.
In his words, “I want to appreciate the Inspector General of Police for his choice of CSP Ebere Amaraizu who is a PR and strategic communication guru as the National Coordinator for this wonderful programme. I want to thank the National Coordinator for his effort, dedication and sacrifices as well as good ideas which has brought all POCACOV stakeholders, ambassadors, volunteers and indeed all POCACOV families together and also ensuring that POCACOV meets its aims and objectives.
“On behalf of my organization, I promise that GOFEC Movies Ind. will always partner with POCACOV at ensuring that Nigerian children and youths gets the right value reorientation, engagement and strategic leadership direction and that is the overall objective of POCACOV/GOFEC Coal City Neighbourhood football league season one in partnership with Enugu state ministry of youths and sports development.
“POCACOV/GOFEC is reorienting, reuniting and engaging Nigerian youths through football which will cut across all the Nigerian regions and that is why it is segmented into seasons. In this season one, many players were given life changing opportunities to better their careers and indeed Enugu people are happy with the activity.”
In his remarks, the Enugu state governor represented by the State Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Tony Manfred Nzekwe, thanked the IGP for the initiative. He commended the team spirit of all the neighbourhoods(Ogbes) with their various coordinators and maintained that the state government will continue to partner individuals, groups and corporate bodies towards achieving its aims on youth value reorientation, engagement and strategic leadership direction. The state government has rolled out various youths developmental programmes as well as training and skill acquisition and empowerment in batches and provision of start up materials amongst others.
POCACOV/GOFEC Coal City Neighbourhood football league (Bolu Ogbe) Season 1 for youth value reorientation, engagement and strategic leadership direction in partnership with the Enugu state Ministry of Youths and Sports is also in affiliation with the Enugu state Football Association and endorsed by the Nigeria Nationwide League One(NLO), the cradle of Nigerian football.
The event started on 14/11/2020 with an opening march with Agbani road neighbourhood team versus Abakpa neighbourhood team. A total of fifteen neighbourhood teams(Ogbes) registered and participated and were eliminated from preliminary stages to quarter finals and semi-finals and leaving Emene and Coal Camp that stood the taste of time.
However the final match played in the night by 7pm on 21/12/2020 between Emene and Coal Camp saw Coal Camp neighbourhood FC narrowly bowing to Emene and thus Emene became the champion of 2020 Coal City neighbourhood football league (Bolu Ogbe) season one organized by POCACOV/GOFEC for youth value reorientation, engagement and strategic leadership direction in partnership with Enugu state Ministry of Youths and Sports.
