The Coordinator of the Imo State Chapter of the National Youth Development Project (NYDP) Mr. Onochie Okanu has stated that the NYDP Peace Cup which has gotten support from stakeholders in the country will serve as a veritable tool towards restoring the Peace which the Eastern Heartland has been known for over the years.
Speaking during a state Chapter executive meeting which took place at the Concorde Hotel in Owerri on Sunday May 9, 2021, Mr. Okanu, according to the Media /Publicity Secretary of NYDP, Joseph Odoekwu reiterated that the Peace Cup which is designed as a national tool for promoting peace in the country will be used to make Imo indigenes retrace their steps back to the Peace which the state has been known for over the years. “I am sure that peace will be adequately restored soon” Onochie boasted, particularly as the state recently recorded cases of attacks and hooliganism on lives and properties, leading to the state making headlines on the media for violence ”.
“Imo is a state known for producing renowned Sports men and women that have done the nation proud in global and continental sporting events, there is no reason why the NYDP Peace Cup which is expected to keep the 774 Local Governments in the country busy will not yield result in the state” he concluded.
The NYDP (Peace Cup) is a grassroots football movement massively mobilizing the youths and strategically campaigning for peace and unity within our borders. It is designed to cash into the enthusiasm and passion of football with its unifying factor as well as re-orientating the minds of the youth to say NO TO VIOLENCE in all its ramifications, while embracing nation building and wealth creation.
The Imo State Chapter executive of NYDP is expected to partner with relevant stakeholders in the state, with the State Government being topmost and helping to gather all the mercenaries of the state to ensure that adequate support is given to the project. This is to ensure that the state produce a formidable football team that will fly the state’s flag when the 3month NYDP Peace Cup Football Tournament kicks off next month.
With strong partnership from the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), two teams will emerge from each of the 27 LGA’s in Imo before a final play-off will take place where a team is expected to emerge from each of the LGA’s. The 27 football teams representing each LGA will now slug it out in a second-phase football tournament at the state level where an official team that will represent the state at Zonal championship will emerge before the final phase which involves the six geo-political zones in the country.
The unveiling of the NYDP Peace Cup is expected to take place on Tuesday, 25th May 2021 at the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, while the football matches are expected to commence in June at the various State levels.
