NJF President Preaches Peace In New Year Message

IKPO IGBINOBA 

In the spirit of the season, the President of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Dr. Musa Oshodi has admonished members of the judo community to close ranks, sheathe their swords and work together as one indivisible family.

Dr. Oshodi who offered the advice in his New Year message told the stakeholders “I will like to appeal to all of us that we should try live in harmony. 

“We should allow the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness to drive our daily acts.

“To this end, I enjoin all that have a misunderstanding, particularly those with litigation or planning to have one to allow the federation resolve such conflicts internally as a family”.

The President revealed that a 5-man committee headed by the Vice President of the federation, Mrs Loveth Howell has been set up to address the internal wranglings.

According to him “The committee will look into such cases during the Commonwealth Games trials taking place in Lagos later in the month”. 

Stressing the importance of unity, Dr Oshodi said “I am convinced that if we work together as a united family that does not allow cracks, lizards will not find a place in our wall, we will overcome all our challenges and make our sport judo an enviable art”.

Dr. Oshodi who is the first judoka to head the NJF hailed the stakeholders for making it possible to have a board headed by a judoka.

“By this achievement”, he noted, “we have established in our country, a culture that is in tandem with global best practices”.

The President also served a preview of what to expect in 2022 which he said would be a year of challenges.

“It will be a year of challenges and our major challenge is funding”, he said. Sounding optimistic, he vowed, “I am assuring you that with the structure in place and from the feelers I have been getting, this shall soon be a thing of the past”.

Dr. Oshodi also had a word for Nigeria judokas in the diaspora. He said they were a very important part of the rebuilding process and revealed that a Diaspora Committee would be inaugurated along with other committees later in the month.

As for the Commonwealth Games trials, he charged all to put in their best so that Nigeria would present a formidable squad in the Games coming up in Birmingham in the United Kingdom between July 28th and August 8th this year.