Fears have started to grip athletes in Rivers State, mostly the ones that have won laurels for the State at the just concluded National Sports Festival, held in Abeokuta.
It was in the public domain that the Rivers State Sole administrator Vice Admiral Ibot-Ete Ibas (retired) made a public promise that any athlete who win gold, silver and bronze medal will be rewarded with N2m, N1m and N500,000 respectively.
But over one month now after the festival nothing have been said regards to the reward for Team Rivers athletes.
Apart from that, precisely on the 28th June, 2025 , Rivers Angels, at Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Lagos, made the State proud dramatically by winning the President Federation Cup ( female) for the tenth times.
The Rivers State Sole administrator who was represented by the Secretary to State Government (SSG) Prof Ibibia Worika, in Lagos, told pressmen that the government will reward Rivers Angels N50m for winning the trophy and government will equally host them in Government House the following week, including Team Rivers athletes.
One begin to wonder why the delay, is it because of the acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry of sports, Mrs Ibiwari Wokoma is incompetent? Or she doesn’t have the clout? Or she is naive? These are questions for her to answer.
Speaking to one of the athletes , who pleaded to be anonymous said his fear is that the tenure of this present Administration is coming to end, uptill now nothing has been said about the reward.
“I don’t want to believe that the promise was to motivate us to put in our best. Honestly, I must say that some of us borrowed money to eat and pay for training facilities.
” I am appealing to the administrator to please fullfill his promise, this help some of us to take care of some pressing needs” he said.
Another athlete Nengi Premie, also appeal to the administrator to please make them happy because over eight years nobody has rewarded them in spite what they are doing for the State.
” I just believe that this administrator will not behave like others, I am beginning to have fears because no news about the reception and the tenure will soon end”, Premie said.
