In a conscious effort to foster unity, create opportunities through the round leather game, football, as well as engage the minds of the youths, Hon. James Uba Esile, the honourable member representing the loving people of Onuimo Local Government Area in the Imo State House of Assembly, and the President/ Founder of Fresh Air Movement, Imo State, donated the 2024/2025 Football Cup Competition.
The tournament, which is tagged “Four Teams, One Championship, One Trophy,” is aimed at keeping the youths busy this festive period and to entertain the people of Onuimo LGA and all lovers of football who have travelled home to celebrate the Christmas Festival.
The tournament has four teams. – Okwe, Umuduru Egbeagulu, Okwelle, and Umuna will be lurking horns to determine which team goes home with the trophy.
According to the Chairman of the Football Planning Committee, Ekwebelem Bright, he appreciated the efforts of Hon. James Uba Esile in donating the cup, as a way of giving back to the youths of Onuimo, who massively voted for him during the 2023 general elections and have since then kept supporting him.
This is not also unconnected with his kind gestures in education, infrastructure, empowerment, and quality and productive representation at the 10th House of the Imo State Legislature, even as Hon. Ekwebelem, described Esile’s transformative representation as unprecedented in the history of Onuimo, noting that the voice of Onuimo in the “Shared Prosperity” administration of the Governor of Imo state, Sen. Hope Uzodimma is not lost; hence Esile has been an active voice in sponsoring bills, moving motions, and having other ongoing bills that are credited to him.
He, therefore prayed that God would take him to a higher political position.
On the progress of the competition, the committee chairman said that so far, the tournament has been going on peacefully, heralding joy and happiness among the people.
The opening match was very successfully played on the 22nd of December, 2024, which saw Umunna losing by 3 goals to nill to Okwelle.
It featured elaborate sporty entertainment with cultural display, and in attendance were the donor, Hon. James Uba Esile, and other dignitaries from Onuimo LGA,Imo State, and Nigeria.
Match day two was played on the 24th of December, 2024, between Umuduru Egbeagulu and Okwelle. In that pulsating and hearty gasping encounter, the Okwelle team, which trashed Umunna 3-0 bowed to the tacit and tactical footballing strength of the Umuduru Egbeagulu boys by a lone goal.
On Match day three, being the 27th of December, 2024, two matches were played. Okwelle won Umunna for the second time by the same scoreline, 3-0, while Okwe played a 1-1 draw with Umuduru Egbeagulu, bringing the tournament to the final stage where Okwe vs. Umunna will play a playoff to decide which team will clinch third place on Monday, 6th of January 2025, and Okwelle vs. Umuduru- Egbeagulu will battle it hard in the finals to determine the champion and runner-up, respectively, on Tuesday, 7th of January, 2025.
In his opening match speech, Hon. James Uba Esile greatly thanked the members of the competition committee for their sleepless nights in making sure that the competition holds and becomes a success. He reminded his constituents of the need to remain peaceful and keep on supporting the Governor of Imo State, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, and the APC for good governance. Esile used the opportunity to appeal to the youth to shun violence, which is a bad wind that blows nobody good and an enemy to development, both individually and collectively. “As your representative, I have always strived to do my work, concentrating on delivering quality representation and making the good people of Onuimo LGA proud. But I have a special appeal to you all that is to shun violence and youthful exuberance that is an enemy to development and a good life”, he maintained.
Speaking further ,he noted that when he came to contest this position, he took an oath to serve the people of Onuimo diligently and character-wise, and to the best of his ability, adding that he kept that promise, and would want the youths of Onuimo state-constituency to keep theirs by being law-abiding youths of Onuimo, Imo State, and Nigeria.
“What we are trying to do here today is to show you that we can be there for everyone. And having seen the uniting forces of football in bringing peace, development, joy, opportunity, and entertainment, we couldn’t have done it better without sponsoring this year’s tournament.Our representation has added value in education, infrastructure, health, sports, job creation, empowerment, among others, which everyone can attest to”.
For i and my team to do more, we need your support, and that is staying away from any act that will compromise civil activities and the peace of Onuimo.
“It is important to register it here that we are not just donating this competition for the fun of it. We are coming up with something big that shall see talented footballers of Onuimo earn a living from football. “By the time the tournament comes up next season, the scope will be increased team-wise and prize-wise.
“I, therefore, enjoin you all to play with the spirit of sportsmanship and see yourselves as winners because in every football competition, there must be a winner who goes home with the trophy. But it is crucial for the winner to show magnanimity and respect to others.
He wished the participants happy outing.
Other members of the Competition Committee are Comrade Peter Ezeihuaku, (Secretary), Idimiogu Lambert Uba, (member), Noble Iloanya. Henry C ( member), Emmy John, (member), Rt. Hon Andy Maduako, (member), Miss Favour Gift, (member), and Onyebuchi Osond Collins (member).
