The Leadership of the Plateau State Youth Council promised to partner with the University of Jos to ensure the successful hosting of the Nigerian University Game (NUGA). This position was stated by the council while on a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Management and Staff of the University of Jos on Friday 10th May, 2024.
At a brief ceremony at the Register’s Conference Hall, Naraguta Campus, where they were received by the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof Tanko Ishaya and other members of the management team, the Plateau State Youth Council commended the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof Tanko Ishaya and his management team, for winning hosting rights of the NUGA Games.
In his presentation, Chairman of the Plateau State Youth Council Comrade Emmanuel Jukun in the presence of the PRO of the Council Comrade Walshak Kumenr and other EXCO members said that his was in the office of the Vice Chancellor to seek partnership in order to seek to the successful hosting of the NUGA Games.
Responding the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof Tanko Ishaya appreciated the visit of the Plateau State Youth Council and said that the support of the council in hosting the NUGA Games is important in ensuring that visiting athletes enjoy the peace and clement weather on the Plateau.
He highlighted the challenges that came with the process of winning the NUGA hosting rights and stressed the role of the Plateau State Youth Council will play in bringing Plateau back to the Glory days of athletic excellence.
“One of the things that you also mentioned is the issue of the NUGA. Again, let me say a little bit about the NUGA. When we came on board, we know that the University of Jos has had several attempts actually to bring NUGA to the university. But for one reason or the other, we are not able to.”
“Last time we decided that we were going to put all the strategies on ground to ensure that we were able to host, to win the hosting rights. I can tell you that I cannot imagine. I don’t ever remember the situation where the chairman, the pro chancellor and the chairman of council did all the management of the university were at the NUGA host, in order to ensure that we got the hosting.”
“A lot of people are putting all the efforts by the grace of God, we got the hosting. Most of the time, i say we defeated our elder brother ABU Zaria to get the hosting. We did not go to get the hosting of this nougat because of us at all.”
“We decided to reflect on what the plateau is known for, that is where the youth council is supposed to come into. We know that Plateau has been known for very clement weather to train our athletes in various aspects. When you talk about most of the international athletes, you cannot forget about plateau. Indeed, a lot of them, the likes of Musa Ahmed. You know, it started from here. One of the things that we want to do is to ensure that that spirit has come back to just so. It is not just about the University of Jos, but one of the reasons why we have what we are doing is actually building a sports complex. And that sports complex is not just for hosting of NUGA.”
“Because number one, we believe that academic excellence also has to do with physical excellence. Therefore, we want students of the university to wake up in the morning before getting ready for lectures. You want to have a little bit of round of swimming or basketball, whatever. That’s one thing after dinner. But the second thing is that we have a better, bigger vision. Bigger vision towards achieving the main aim, beginning to bring back the glory of Plateau. We believe that as far as Nigeria is concerned, I don’t think there’s any other place that will be better than here on the plateau in terms of training athletes. So on that we are actually working towards creating. Creating a sports sports system.”.
