The Abia State government has inaugurated a 33-man Local Organising Committee (LOC) to spearhead its maiden football festival, with the former Mayor of Aba North Council, Ide John Udeagbala as its chairman.
 
Also in the committee are Captain Eric Asomugha (vice chairman) and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka, who is to serve as the secretary among other members.
 
Inaugurating the committee members in his office in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, said that the tournament, christened Abia First Soccer, in collaboration with his ministry and the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, is targeting active participation of football clubs across the 184 wards in the state.
 
He said that participants would compete favourably at the grassroots to local council levels, with the best team given the ticket to represent the state at national competitions.

Prince Uzor Nwachukwu said that the groups “we have in every community will be given opportunities to compete amongst themselves, from where the ward, will form its team to play with other wards.”
 
While assuring that mobilisation would be done from the grassroots to the state level, Nwachukwu urged the mayors to fully participate to ensure that every community is represented in the competition.
 
He also enjoined the committee members to work as a team to realise the state government’s objectives for initiating the tournament and expressed confidence that the committee would be able to drive the process as envisioned by Governor Alex Oti.
 
Also speaking at the inauguration, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba, said that the essence of the inauguration is to put a team together that would drive this grassroots initiative of discovering football talents.
 
He disclosed that the state government plans to set up a structure to nurture emerging talents from the competition to ensure they become fantastic athletes who would represent Abia State in future national and international championships. 
 
Responding on behalf of the Committee members, the LOC chairman, Udeagbala thanked Governor Otti for finding them worthy to serve in that capacity and assured that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.