By Dorcas Jonah
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, on Wednesday in Abuja urged all Nigerians to get involved in sports activities not only for their health and fitness gains.
Onnoghen who spoke while unveiling the new trophy for the football event of the annual CJN Sports Competition, said sports activities help to foster unity, engender friendship and generate wealth.
“Sports is very important to us all, not only for the health and fitness gains, but the unity it helps to foster.
“Not only that, sports also help to generate a friendly atmosphere brought about by friendship among people and the unity of communities and groups,’’ he said.
Onnoghen, who used the unveiling ceremony to herald the 2017 Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Sports Competition, further said sports as a whole is an avenue to develop talents and create wealth.
“There are so many sports talents in this country and we must develop them, especially through the young ones.’’
He urged participants at the 2017 CJN Sports Competition, scheduled to begin on Aug. 23 in Calabar, to utilise the opportunity of the games to develop themselves and foster unity.
“This is why we have this competition, so as to keep fit and healthy, develop the young ones and their talents, and also foster unity in the country.
“So, we should continue to encourage members of staff in the judiciary, and the competition itself,’’ Onnoghen said.
He said those in the judiciary sector, especially the young ones, should fully utilise the competition to justify the funds and energy put into it.
“The younger ones should see this competition as being important, not business as usual, Let’s justify the resources put into it, so that the desired results would be achieved.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria assured the competition’s organisers, the National Sports Association for Judiciary (NASAJ), that the history of sports in the judiciary would soon be documented for historical purposes.
“We will soon have a place for the history of our sports competitions.
“There will be a section in the archives here at the Supreme Court here, where all the history of what we are doing in sports will be documented for historical purposes,’’ he said.
Onnoghen however urged the staff of Supreme Court to ensure their team emerged champions of the competition in Calabar at the end of all events on Sept. 3.
“The journey of this 23rd edition of the competition has started here today with this trophy, which I have unveiled today. I therefore charge the Supreme Court team to ensure this trophy return here at the end of the competition in Calabar,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CJN’s kits for the competition were also unveiled at the ceremony by the NASAJ National President, Emeka Ndili.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN), Hadiza Mustapha, the Secretary of the National Judicial Council, Ahmed Saleh, and several SCN justices.(NAN)
