The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), FCT Command, has kick-started the 2021 edition of its annual football competition for inmates at the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre.
This year’s edition is tagged, “Pastor Hillary Chukwuma Cup”.
The football competition is in collaboration with Nuga Best International, a non-governmental organisation, as well as Seman, Regis Integrated among others.
The six participating teams are Nuga Best, Chizo FC, Seman, MFM Trademore, Voma Goodhead and Regis.
While declaring the competition open, the Comptroller of Corrections, FCT Command, Mr Abdul-Rahman Maiyaki, said the football competition was one of the reformative programmes designed for inmates at the correctional facilities.
Maiyaki said the tournament was designed with a view to helping the inmates build up their physical and emotional well being.
“What we intend to achieve is that the inmates will be able to build up their outlook, their health and as well help them to have a positive spirit for the future ahead.
“Sport helps in remoulding their mental attitude, to know how to approach and think about the happenings around them.
“When they play this football, some of them go back to the cell, sleep and have enough rest and that will make them forget about all negative thoughts,” he said.
Maiyaki commended the NGOs for sponsoring the programme and many other supports they had continued to provide for the inmates in the various Correctional facilities.
According to him, there are a good number of inmates with good degree qualifications and other talents that should be encouraged.
The Founder of Nuga Best International, Pastor Hillary Chukwuma, said that he developed an interest in organising sports for the inmates to let them know that they had people that still love them.
The Chairman/CEO, Seman Group, Mr Stephen Nweze, said the tournament was meant to uplift the spirit of the inmates and to also encourage them that they had better lives ahead of them.
