By Efecha Gold
The Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association ( NIPOGA), has inaugurated Professor Emmanuel Achuenu, the Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-uku (DSPG) Rector in Aniocha South local government as its new president.
The inauguration ceremony was held at the event center in DSPG on Thursday and was attended by various polytechnic representatives of the association across the country, top management staff, Deans and Heads of Departments, Directors, the Students Union Government, and athletes that participated at the recently concluded NIPOGA game at Owo, Ondo State.
Giving the welcome address, the NIPOGA Secretary General, Comrade Agboola Akinbode commended the high commitment of the new President towards the Association activities, who until his elevation was the Deputy President of NIPOGA.
Comrade Akinbode Agboola said he was very optimistic that due to the passion and high level of commitment demonstrated by the incoming President in the affairs of the association while he was Deputy President, he did not doubt that NIPOGA is primed to stamping its authority in the sports arena among the comity of higher institutions in Nigeria.
The high point of the ceremony was the formal inauguration of the new NIPOGA President, Professor Emmanuel Achuenu, and the presentation of Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals won by DSPG sportsmen and women during the last NIPOGA games at Owo, Ondo State along with cash rewards ranging from #50,000 (gold), #30,000 (silver), and #20,000 (bronze) as motivation.
Prof. Achuenu in his acceptance speech as the new President of the Association, announced that the Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku would be hosting the 22nd edition of the NIPOGA Games, at a date to be communicated over time to stakeholders.
The DSPG Rector assured that the 22nd edition of the association’s games would be second to none in the record of the NIPOGA’s history, reeled out the derivable benefits of his institution hosting the next games to include multiple business activities and the creation of jobs around the institution’s metropolis and environs, as well as new infrastructure that will spring up in the school in readiness for the games, among others.
In their separate remarks, some of the NIPOGA representatives from Polytechnics in Zaria and elsewhere, tasked the new NIPOGA President, Achuenu, to take the message of the association to his fellow Rectors to ensure all-round support for its activities, while the Polytechnic’s Academic and Senior Staff Association unions, ASUP and SSUP, pledged to give the Rector all the support needed to achieve set goals, describing his investiture as not only a thing of pride to the institution but an action that has placed DSPG on the map of great Polytechnics in Nigeria and beyond.
Recall, the Nigeria Polytechnic Games Association was created to harmonize coexistence among Nigeria Polytechnic and also to discover, and nurture sporting talents for National assignment.
