By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos.
Stakeholders at the on-going South West Regional Conference of Nigeria Association for physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHERESD) has called for concerted efforts to be made in ensuring that Physical and Health Education practitioners are accorded their rightful place in sports development of the country.
In his key note address delivered at the conference currently going on at the Molade Okoya Thomas multi-purpose hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, Secretary General of Nigeria Olympic Commission, Tunde Poopola noted that it is high time the association became more united and chart a common course for the benefit of all members just as he described the theme of the conference; “Harnessing Sports Potentials in South- West Nigeria for National change” as timely.
According to the firm Union Bank Sports Manager, we have learnt a lot from this conference and it is high time the association become more united and checks the activities of quacks and pretenders who claim to be coaches and are usurping the functions of Physical and Health Education practitioners.
And that this body should rise up to their billings like their other professional bodies such as the Nigerian MEDIACL Association, Nigeria Bar Association and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria who speak with one voice on the activities that concern our members and not allow quacks and pretenders to take over the Association.
In his tipped best paper of the day, Professor C.D. Fasan noted that there is need for members of the association who are found in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to be accorded their rightful place in sports development.
In his welcome address, National President of the association, Alhaji Yusuf Dauda who was represented by the 2nd national vice president Okpako Johnson Egodotaire while commending Lagos State for hosting the conference explained that the body is functional in almost all the states of the Federation even as he stated that efforts are being intensified to mobilize more members at the grassroots level.
