Boko Haram: Cleric Advises government to introduce sports as panacea

Government at all levels have been advised to introduce sports as a tool to attack insurgency operations in the troubled North-East region of the country.

Speaking at the First Regional Redeemer’s Day in Maiduguri, the Coordinator of Redeemer’s Heritage Schools, Pastor (Mrs.) Fadeke Adediran said the relative peace been enjoyed in the region as a result of military action would be fast-tracked if numerous sporting activities are introduced in the troubled region.

Adediran who spoke at the occasion marked with lot of sporting competitions among the students said worldwide sports have shown to be an important tool to promote peace and unity even among sworn enemies.


She said: “We know that the process of peace has started in the North-East region, it is our prayer that God will make it permanent. It is easier to reach the unreachable through sports. Sports have shown that it could bring enemies together worldwide, sports have made many at least for the moment to drop their arms.”

She added that: “We encourage everyone to organize sporting activities at their level, be it state governments or local governments in the North-East region in order to foster peace more than ever before.”

She noted that: “God can definitely use anything to bring peace back to Nigeria and sports is an important tool. Government should introduce sporting activities into the North-East region, they should also put in place infrastructure and incentive, they should also have in place things to motivate the children and youths.”

On the programme which for the first time was allowed to hold at all the 24 regions of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) nationwide, Adediran said: “The purpose is to bring the programme nearer home so that we can have more children participate in the programme and their parents too.”


She explained that: “Previously we picked the representative of the children and take them to the National headquarters at the camp but this time around some of the children that would not have had opportunities to go to the camp were part of the programme and the experience made them happy.”