The leading PDP contender for the Oredo federal constituency, House of Representatives ticket, Mr Osaro ONAIWU Jnr, says he will use his vast reach and contacts to facilitate a sporting programme whereby the budding young talents in the constituency can be easily discovered, nurtured and unleashed to the global standard.
Onaiwu Jnr. said one of his cardinal plans is how to restore the lost glory of Oredo, adding he has found sports to be a veritable means of doing so.
The PDP hopeful during an interview with journalists further said he would in his first four years as a member of the green chamber, transform Oredo into a sporting hub for the entire state.
The young and vibrant politician considered as the “rave of the moment” in Oredo politics is fast gaining acceptability among the populace as a result of his uncommon zeal for service.
Perhaps, in a bid to touch base with the generation next, many of whom are ardent sports lovers, Hon Onaiwu (Jr) wants to reignite the spirit of sporting adventure among the Oredo youths.
According to the oredo first crusader, the youths constitute the bulk of his support base, hence he owes them a “huge debt of gratitude” and the best way to prove his sincerity and love is by giving sports a major facelift in Oredo.
Elaborating on his sports agenda for the youths, the scion of the famous Onaiwu political family in the Oredo, opined he would hit the ground running in the quest to restore the lost sporting glory of the Oredo.
He insisted that his first four years as a member of the HoR would be spent trying to change the narrative and the pursuit of his cardinal policy of the “Oredo First”, cultural and tourist renaissance, the child rights law , Youths and Women empowerment and, finally, sports.
He also recalled with nostalgia the good old days, aptly called the golden era, when Oredo held sway as the sporting factory of the state, stating further that the present generation yearns for a reigniting of the famous past in such a way as to rekindle the spirit and fervour of competitiveness which dotted that period.
In particular, he identified sports as a “unifier” which can also sometimes serve as an escape route of a sort, adding it behoves all right-thinking men to create avenues for our youths to ventilate their God-given talents on a stage where they can be easily recognised and appreciated.
He Described Oredo as “home for all”, and pointed out that as much as it holds the record of having produced great athletes and sports champions, both in the past and the present, such accolades have often been mistakenly attributed to Edo State rather than Oredo which, in all fairness, is the cradle of sports in the state.
Similarly, he promised to liaise with interested bodies to work on the modalities of instituting a sports hall of fame to immortalise the names of some dead or living Oredo sporting legends and to serve as a source of inspiration to the youths who have strayed into drugs and other social vices.
