‘Okpekpe road race has created jobs in surrounding communities’

SECRETARY to Etsako East Local Government Council, Benedicta Attoh yesterday said that the Okpekpe 10-kilometer Road Race, which commenced in 2013, has increased local and small businesses in the community and its environs. Then secretary told journalists yesterday that the tournament has placed Okpekpe on the global map, adding that it has culminated in the establishment of various sports groups. “The road race has impacted positively on the lives of the citizens and the community at large in many ways. Firstly, it has increased local and small businesses in the catchment area, especially during the event, thereby  boosting the local economy.  “It has also placed the community on the world map. Thirdly, it has raised an awareness of sports among the local people and Nigerians as a whole. Within the Okpekpe community, various sports groups are springing up as a result of the road race,” she said. A retiree in Okpekpe, Jacob Egwame, maintained that the event has not only brought the community to limelight, it has also created an avenue for petty traders to make brisk business.