The Minister of Sports Development John Owan-Enor has given an assurance that he has no ambition to succeed Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State in 2027 general election.
The Minister started this in a Thanksgiving Service at Holly Trinity Catholic Church Ikom Town, Cross River State.
According to Owan-Enor, the governor in his first term has demonstrated leadership and he is doing well and because of that he earned a name “Sweet Prince”. “I will support him to the end. Detractors, I’m sorry to disappoint you. Also, Asiwaju has the intellect and capacity to turn things around, so let us support him
“If you support me, support the president and pray for him. I took a chance with him, when he told me to discontinue the litigation, it was at a time nobody knew he will win, but I took a chance, and supporters urged me to go and meet him to negotiate but I spoke to myself that there is no need to negotiate for anything. I didn’t border and I stopped the litigation, and he said John you honoured me, God will honour you. I thank him from the bottom of my heart. When I invited people for this event I said it is also to thank God for Asiwaju.
“He won February 25th, if it didn’t happen to him, this today wouldn’t happen to me.
“When I spoke to Father yesterday I told him three things. One, I will like to contribute to the continued work of the new cathedral in Ogoja, which is going on and then I will also contribute to my village church. I know that at some point I will go to my village. I play in grassroot, that’s the hhallmark of my calling. People say I got the toughest job as the Minister of Sport Development. It’s only in sports that we compete with other regions of the globe, competing with the rest of the world in Olympics and paralympics.
“This is a sector that is very controversial, every step you take is controversy but to the glory of God I’m able to navigate that.
“Let me assure that no president has shown support for the senior national team and Nigerian football as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We have a commitment to return joy and happiness to Nigerian homes because when we win there’s happiness spread across the land and we are working hard.
“The senior team national coach has not been paid for 15 months; the salary is about $1.350 million. The senior national team and other national team, female, Under 20 had backlog of unpaid allowance, unpaid promises and all of that piling up close to about N12 billion.
“The president has approved all of that payment. There’s no better way to show support and leadership than what he has done and as I go to Lagos to challenge the senior national team to know what they are doing and that the whole country will be waiting in anticipation of the outcome of that match.”
