From Demolition to Sports: Development Control Organizes Football Tournament

By: Wisdom Acka

Apparent taking a break from demolition activities, the FCT Development Control Department has organized an inter-divisinal football tournament to help staff relax and socialize.

Speaking to journalists during two of the matches played yesterday on an asphalt turf in the Sports Complex at the River Plate Park, Central Area, Abuja, the Director of the Department, Muktar Galadima explained that the tourney was staged to inject an element of socialization into the workforce.

Galadima said: “There is boredom and dullness so we have to inject life into our activities. It is not all about demolition or enforcement operations. Sometimes we have to bring in elements of socialization and use it into what we do.

“Secondly, football has been a unifying factor in Nigeria. You can see the excitement, anxiety, and everybody is happy with one another. We want to use this tournament to, some extent, see that our staff put in their best,” he added.

“The sporting event can also enhance staff-management relationship and ensure improved welfare. If you don’t get the welfare of your staff, you will not get the maximum out of them. This is part of the strategy to get the staff fit and we get the best out of them”, the Director emphasized.

He stressed that another significance of the football competition was to showcase exemplary use of parks in the nation’s capital, in line with the park policy of the FCT Administration.

His words: “And most importantly, we want to show Abuja residents that
parks are not meant for drinking and others, but are for relaxation and recreational activities”.

Special Guest at the tournament and Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Tpl. Shuiabu Umar said that the competition was a “good development” because “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so we also have to create time for physical activities”.

The AMMC boss under whose Council is Development Control Department, noted that lack of exercise was a “body killer”, even as he commended the department for the innovation, which he stated had awaken other departments in the Council to follow suit.

Umar while calling on the FCT Administration to institute a similar sporting completion for all the Secretariats, Departments and Agencies, said the Council was hoping to make the tournament an annual competition.