The Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has commissioned facilities at the New Era College (NEC) in Benin City, Edo State, reaffirming the government’s commitment to restoring the school’s lost sporting glory.

The commissioning was held at the school premises during an event to mark the College’s golden jubilee, with the theme, “Together we stand.”

Celebrating the College on its 50th anniversary, the Edo First Lady commended the old students of the school for their contributions to the growth and development of the school as well as the State.

She said, “General Samuel Ogbemudia built this school to develop young sporting talents, which made the school the foremost college in Nigeria, following the achievements in sports.

“We have a governor trying to reform every sector of the State’s economy including sports. He has done well with sports, using Bendel Insurance Football Club, as a case study, as it has returned to winning ways.

“The school must be returned back to its glory days in sporting activities, producing great men and women that will make the State, nation, Africa, and the world proud. This school must be developed back to its sporting days. This school must revive the swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts, badminton and other sporting facilities.”

Obaseki continued: “This school must be developed and it's intentional and children who are sport-oriented must be brought here and nurtured. All sporting facilities must be returned back to the college, which will make Edo State the training grounds for nurturing athletes in Nigeria.”

She added, “The whole idea of the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament (BOWFT) is to make Edo State the centre for sports development and grooming of sportsmen and women. We have a lot of talent out there that needs to be harvested. One of the things I want to do with the BOWFT is to groom female teams in every secondary school in each local government to become future Falcon players. The governor will commit to do what he can do within the next one year.”

The National President, Worldwide of New Era College Old Students Association (NECOSA), Mr. Omoregie Joseph Enoma, while commending the governor for sustained investment in education, said, “The governor has approved that from next academic session, New Era College will start admitting boys into the school to make it a mixed school. He also promised to give us a mini-stadium. He has also approved water reticulation worth N7 million for the school.