By George Mgbeleke

The Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, has described the Keffi Polo tournament as a force for national unity.

He made the remarks while speaking with journalists at the closing of the 10th Anniversary of the Keffi Polo Tournament held in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Ahmed Wadada (APC-Nasarawa) is the founder of the Keffi Polo Ranch and the organiser of the tournament.

Barau said that the polo would further develop Nigeria’s sporting potentials and unite Nigerians.

He said: “The game is something that is bringing us together. When you look around, you’ll find a lot of people from all parts of this country, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and others.

“It is bringing us together. So it’s always a unifying factor that will further strengthen our unity. So i mean it’s something that is good. It also helps to develop our sporting potential which is very good. So it has a lot of advantages,” he said.

Barau, who has been a regular attendee to the tournament, said “I’ve been coming around. I had attended the last four tournaments held. And here we are. And I can see that this year is more organised and very well structured.

“So I give kudos to Sen. Wadada for organising this tournament every year. It’s an event that is helping. The other time I think it was organised in order to raise funds for our kids.

“So much money was gotten. It went a long way to help to develop those indigent children who don’t have much opportunity to go to school.

“He should be encouraged to continue to organise the tournament every year.

“We are ready to support you. We will support you; we will give our financial support and whatever support that you need,” Barau said.

For his part, Chairman Senate Committee on Sports, Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) said that the tournament is “now a brand in Nigeria”.

“What is important is to keep encouraging the youth to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship.

“And also to commend people like Wadada who had spent their personal fortune in bringing about this tournament”.

Ningi while noting that the tournament drew people from various tribes and divides said that sport was indeed a unifying factor.

“We must keep encouraging ourselves. Our differences are very minute against those things that divide us. What I keep telling people and the media is, we must keep bringing out the positive aspects of this country”.

Speaking on sports development in Nigeria, Ningi applauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration saying “he has good intentions”.

“I’m looking at the 2024 Budget provisions, 2025 Budget provisions, if actually utilised, I am sure it will turn around sport development in this country.

“All we can do is to keep encouraging the President. We will also see that whatever approvals coming from the National Assembly, are bringing out the best of sports in Nigeria,” he said.

The founder of the Keffi Polo Ranch, Sen. Wadada who was elated said that the 10th anniversary of the tournament was a milestone.

“I feel highly elated; I feel highly fulfilled and of course, I feel highly challenged for whatever reasons that have brought this army of personalities, VIPs to be here.

“The challenge is, I should do much more of what I had done before so that I have more VIPs the next time,” he said.

Wadada said that though the game of polo when it started in the country wasn’t common but now it is common.

“This is one of the reasons why I established Keffi Polo Ranch so that I bring civilisation to my people and then, of course, leverage on it to open up my state to the rest of the world.

“As you see, the world comes here. People come from the UK, people come from South America, Argentina, people come from Dubai, and within the country, we have everybody including Captains of industries, politicians, royal fathers, all across the country,” he said.

The lawmaker commended the Nasarawa State Government on its continuous support for the tournament.

“The Nasarawa State Government, as far as Keffi Polo Ranch is concerned, I cannot thank the Nasarawa State Government enough. It has been all along for the 10 years that we’ve been here.

“The government has been very, very supportive particularly all our tournaments in support of education.

“This is because the governor and his administration has been committed to making the education environment much better in the state,” Wadada said.

Highlight of the event was the unveiling of a newly constructed pavilion named after the late George Coumantaros, founder of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), in recognition of the company’s long-standing support for Keffi Polo.

Dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Emmanuel Akabe and royal fathers withing and outside the state.