Congratulatory messages have trailed the appointment of Senator John Owan Enoh as the new Minister of Sports Development.
LEADERSHIP reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on Wednesday assigned portfolios to all the 45 ministers-designate, whose nominations were recently confirmed by the Senate, with Senator Enoh
from Cross River State assigned to the Sports Development Ministry.
The director-general of the National Institute for Sports, Professor Olawale Moronkola, described the appointment as the right choice for the betterment of sports.
According to Moronkola, “I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s choice of Senator John Enoh as the new Minister of Sports.
“This shows that the President places a high premium on Sports. I believe the new Sports Minister will continue with the legacy left behind by Mr Sunday Dare. He has a lot to take away from the former Minister since government is a continuum.”
Also, the chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Hon. Ekene Abubakar Adams, hailed Senator Enoh’s appointment as Nigeria’s 36th Sports Minister, saying his vast experience will help the sector to grow.
“Let me heartily congratulate the new Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh, on his well-deserved appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His trajectory as a foremost lawmaker who had served in the Senate will be a huge advantage to the accomplishment of his new assignment.
“As a former lawmaker, he understands the dynamics of every sector, so I believe he will hit the ground running,” Adams said in his congratulatory message.
Hon. Adams pledged the commitment of his committee along with its Senate counterpart to work in harmony with the new minister to chart a new direction for Nigerian Sports.
“We are all stakeholders and partners in progress. We are ready to work together in the best interest of our great country. We shall partner with the minister to ensure that sports take centerstage in our nation’s development history,” he added.
Enoh, a 57-year-old politician, farmer and philanthropist, replaces Mr. Sunday Dare, who last held the position of Minister of Sports.
Aside from politics, Enoh owns numerous farms where he conducts arable and livestock production.
Since he started his farming venture in 2000, he has cultivated about 2000 hectares of land spreads across various parts of Cross River State, with about 150 hectares of planted palms in his native Agbokim Waterfalls and expanding to about 100 hectares of planted palms, and counting, at Etara-Ekuri and all communities in Etung LGA of Cross River State.
He also runs a philanthropy, including founding a foundation tagged JOE (John Owan Enoh) Foundation where he provides help for people living with diabetes in Nigeria, but has no background in sports activities or sponsorship.
