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African Club Championship: Victorious Gymnastic team arrived Abuja

Published

6 years ago

August 12, 2019

…As children appeal to Buhari to replace obsolete equipments

Joel Ajayi

Having done Nigeria proud at the just concluded 2019 edition of African Gymnastics Championship in South Africa, the victorious TIG gymnastic club of Abuja arrived Abuja on Sunday.

The 18 Gymnasts who competed at level 4 to the Olympic levels, won a total of 8 medals which comprised 2 gold, 2 silver and 4 four bronze.

It was a triumphant entry for the team as parents, guardian and all well meaning Nigerians besieged Namidi Azikwe International Airports to cheer the team on their Arrival.

Among those who received the team was former House of Representatives member, from Edo State Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonayonma and a popular music producer Popularly known as Makoyor Emeka Onusiriuka and the father of Stephanie who won gold medal at the event.

Speaking, was the leader of the delegation, coach Anthony Asuquo expressed gratitude to God and all Nigerians for their prayers and support toward the succes of the programme.

According to him, this is the first time we are not coming out with a negative story from South Africa, we have gone there to do our country proud, I am overwhelmed with the crowd here.

“We went to south Africa with 18 children to represent Nigeria in the Africa Gymnastic Club Championship, a competition for the athletes from level 4 to the Olympics level.

“So, what we are trying to do in Africa is for us to be able to get an African gymnasts to represent Africa at Olympic and today we have Nigerian young athletes with gold, silver and bronze medals.

“We able to go there and compete, it wasn’t an easy task because we left Nigeria very late, we couldn’t get our visa on time after we struggled to secure visa, we couldn’t get direct flight, we have to go to Lagos for us to make the trip.

“I Want to say thank you to the parents, because the government hasn’t done anything for the children as you can see, these are children that have made Nigeria proud what do you have to do for them?

Why I called on the President is that with all the campaign they made, nobody has ever made a promise for the children and these kids are just young, what does government have for them because, if parents are not supporting them, nobody will discover these talents, what is Government is doing? We know President listen to Nigerians’ demand so the children have spoken, he should listen to them.”

Meanwhile, the elated medalists urged the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to come to their rescue by building modern gymnastic hall and equipments to enable the children train well in anticipation to win more medals for the country.

A gold medallist, Stephanie Onusiriuka said: “I want Nigeria to grow more and I want President Muhammad Buhari to build a modern gymnastic center and new equipment for children to enjoy because the ones that we have is injuring us.” She appealed.

As for Akachi Umeh who won Silver medal expressed: “I feel very proud of myself right now.

“Well, I would want the President to buy a new equipment because some of our equipment are very old. I hope to do better by listening to my coach and improve more in my skills, I know that one day I will represent Nigeria at Olympic level.”

On his own, Elliot Asuquo whose level was taken before they arrived South Africa said “I want to compete to win a gold medal for Nigeria.”

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CELEBRATING A CENTURY-OLD CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR TRAJECTORY IN NIGERIA

Published

1 week ago

December 1, 2025

The Gleamer

This week, millions of Nigerians and others across the globe will join the Ministry of Aviation and Space Development under the irrepressible leadership of the Honourable Minister, Festus Keyamo(SAN),and all the notable Aviation sector stakeholders in and outside the country,in celebrating a century of Nigeria’s civil aviation history.

There is no doubt that under the present leadership of the Honourable Minister and within the short spell of time in his stewardship,he has consciously and intentionally embarked on a “silent revolution” for the industry with very veritable and laudable landmarks that have consistently grown the industry.

Some of these spirited efforts for instance have consequently led to trust restoration amongst international lessors, financier,any global partners.Of note also is assidiously working for the full domestication and implementation of the “Cape Town Convention Agreement” ,which gives Airlines access to modern fleets of competitive rates as well as enforcement of IDERA(Irrevocable Deregulation and Export Request Authorization).

Having well applauded these vital contemporary initiatives,it will also be germane to cast our minds in retrospect by taking a peep into our history over several decades to recognise some of the notable forebears in the industry whose impressionabl efforts cannot be overlooked,as they took the impetuous initiatives of breaking the ice at the nascent stage.
It will aptly corroborate the truism which says that… ” a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”.

The above is vividly captured from a tribute by the First Republic Minister of Aviation Chief Mbazulike Amaechi at the funeral of late Igwe of Oba,HRH Peter Ezenwa(MFR) in 2018.
It states inter alia…”One significant thing I will say many people didn’t know is that the first indigenous airline that was to run in Nigeria was known as “STANDARD AIRLINE”.It was founded in 1966 by a company formed by Igwe Peter Ezenwa from Oba,and had on board,John Nwankwu from Abagana,Edward Ebo from Ezinifitte,(all from Anambra state),John Anyaehie from Nkwerre in Imo state,and lastly my very self Mbazulike Amaechi.
The five of us later acquired two brand new aircrafts,and had four pilots,namely;Unachievable,John Emma Ngwu and Felix Offor,who was to be the General Manager of the airline.
But just about the time for the take-off the crisis of the military takeover erupted in the North as the planes were on their way for delivery to us.In fact the bank handling the transaction was to allow the planes to be flown from the USA,but the news of the war broke out in 1967,the insurance company cabled for the cancellation of the deal as they will not be able to cover the risk cost of aircrafts being flown into war zone.
So,we asked the manufacturers to take the two aircrafts back to their country and hold on for six months with the hope of that the war will end within the requested time frame,but the war didn’t end as thought.We consequently asked for refund and they deducted some money and refunded the balance which was deposited at the London branch of African Continental Bank(ACB).

When the government took over the operations of ACB,we still hoped for the refund but unfortunately were disappointed that the Federal government took over the whole money and we lost everything.”

Further in line with our historical perspective,it will also be pertinent some of the later years reformists in the likes of Engr Onyereri and Harold Demuren who advertently sponsored some far reaching regulations that eventually steered the industry towards greater autonomy with the passage of the 2005 Civil Aviation Act,which I was also a prime participant of in my capacity as an Aviation sub chair in then House of Representatives.

As we mark this great century milestone,and with the clear evidential pathway set out by the current managers of the industry under the indomitable leadership of Honourable Minister, I do not see the sky posing any limitations as they say,but rather availing new vistas of limitless growth opportunities.

CONGRATULATIONS.

Hon Chidi Nwogu
Former member House of Representatives & presently Governing Council member
,African Aviation and Aerospace University,Abuja.

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