Sports Commission Doles Out Relief Packages To Sports Writers

In order to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on members of the Lagos Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Lagos State Sports Commission on Friday distributed packages, comprising of 5kg Rice, 5kg Beans, One-litre Groundnut Oil and Hand Sanitisers to 250 of its members.

Mr. Moses Kolawole, Director, Sports Development, who made the presentation on behalf of the Management of the Commission, stated that the gesture is to support the Sports Writers in Lagos, being stakeholders in games development in the State.

“What we are doing today is to support one of our very important stakeholders in our own little way during this pandemic. It is small but we are very sure that it would go a long way to assist members of the Sports Writers Association during this difficult time”, he added.

Responding, Debo Osundun, Chairman (SWAN), appreciated the kind gesture of the Management of the Lagos State Sports Commission for remembering the association, adding that Government, through the Commission, has always been there for Lagos SWAN.

He further stated that members of Lagos State Sports Writers Association of Nigeria will continue to render necessary support to the State Sports Commission, through adequate publicity of its programmes, events and activities.

“We are very thankful to the Management of Lagos State Sports Commission for recognising our members during this pandemic period and we are very proud to be associated with the Lagos State Government”, Osundun said.

Meanwhile ,the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Thursday, received the report of members of the Lagos State COVID-19 Impact Review Committee with a promise that due diligence would be observed on the recommendations made by the team.

Receiving the report from the Chairman of the Committee at Alausa, Ikeja, the Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, thanked the committee members for a job well done and promised that the recommendations would be made public and implementation carried out after a thorough review.

In her words: “I want to really appreciate the Committee members for your integrity and commitment to putting this report forward. On behalf of Mr. Governor, l want to thank you specially and assure you that the report won’t be kept under the table as Mr. Governor has the interest of this sector at heart, so be assured that your good works will bring forth good fruits”.

“We will ensure that in the next one or two weeks, the recommendations will be made public and we hope that you will continue to collaborate with us as we move the tourism, creativity, entertainment and hospitality sector forward in the State”, she added.

Mrs. Akinbile-Yusuf reiterated the commitment to work with stakeholders in the creativity, entertainment and tourism sectors, assuring that the Ministry, being the regulator of activities in the sector, will ensure that businesses thrive in order to boost employment and increase revenue generation of the State.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Bonu, in his remarks, said that the Ministry will review the report and advise Mr. Governor accordingly on how to get the sector moving during this COVID-19 period.

He commended the Committee members for bringing their professionalism and expertise to bear in compiling the report, noting that the State can not thank them enough.

The Chairman of the Committee, a veteran actor, Mrs. Joke Silva thanked the State Government for the opportunity to come up with recommendations to reposition the creative and tourism industry in the State.

While disclosing that the recommendations were gathered from various sub-committees in the sector on ways forward, post-COVID-19, the Committee Chairman thanked her colleagues for their dedication and cooperation throughout deliberations on the report.

0ther members of the Committee include Mr. Atunyota Akpobome (a.k.a Ali Baba), Mr. Patrick Donald Lee, Dr. Adun Okupe, Mrs. Oyenike Okundaye and Mr. Gbenga Sunmonu. They were also supported by the Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Mr. Ferdinand Tinubu and the Director of Hotel Licensing in the Ministry, Mr. Jobi Ibraheem.

Recall that the six-man committee chaired by Mrs. Joke Silva, MFR, was inaugurated with a mandate of drawing out suggestions and recommendations on how to re-activate the State’s creative industry, which has remained dormant as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the world.