Nyesom Wike Sch Sports: LEA Kpanda, JSS Gwako, GSS Karu Rule

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says the resuscitated FCT School Sports Festival, which ended on Thursday at the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Abuja; will henceforth be a compelling feature, every other year.
The fiesta which started on March 22nd, 2024 with zonal preliminaries at eight centres, spread across the six Area Councils, was the first since it was last held 25 years ago; when Retired Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni was the minister.
The multi-sport fiesta which was renamed Barrister Nyesom Wike FCT School Sports Festival, climaxed on March 14th, with the Mandate Secretary, FCT Social Development Secretariat, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim representing the FCT Minister.
In his speech, Alhaji Aminu asserted that many who represented Team Nigeria in different major games and international championships, started small as this, and the desire of the FCT Minister is to sustain this essential component of growing up children of school age, so that they can be sound academically, physically strong, and mentally balanced.
“I therefore, called on corporate Nigeria, well-to-do private individuals and companies in the FCT, to partner the Ministry of FCT, and help in ensuring that the nation’s capital selects the very best athletes to give the city of Abuja credible representation at the annual Nigeria School Sports Festival”; Alhaji Aminu posited.
The Chief Organizer, and Mandate Secretary Education Secretariat, Mallam Danlami Hayyo said the competition whose preliminaries held in Abaji, Kwali Kuje, Gwagwalada Tunga Maje, Tudun Wada, Karshi and Dutse-Alhaji; saw 840 athletes qualify for the finalé, held from March 11th-14th.
“It is worthy of note that the games were open to both Public and Private Primary, Junior Secondary, and Senior Secondary Schools in the FCT; and we are happy to report that despite the diversity inherent in these children, the competition for silverware, right from the zone to this finalé, has been rancour free and a big success”, Mallam Hayyo said.
LEA Primary School Kpanda topped the overall medals table for the primary section, with 7 Gold, and 3 Silver;
SPS Kuje was second with 5 Gold and 4 Silver, whilst ACH Kuje placed third with 1 Gold and 2 Silver; LEA Angwan Dodo with 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 4 Bronze medals; then LEA Naharati with 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medal, made up the top-five in this section.
JSS Gwako with 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 6 Bronze rules the Junior Secondary Schools section;
JSS Karshi with 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals were second; FOSLA Academy Karshi was third with 4 Gold; JSS Karu earned 3 Goal, 1 Silver to place 4th, and JSS Kuje was fifth with 2 Gold and 2 Bronze medals.
GSS Karu was the toast of all, after garnering 9 Gold, 5 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals to place first in the Senior Secondary Category.
ADSS Maitama with 8 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze was closely second; GSS Garki placed a distant 3rd with 3 Gold 2 Silver, GSS Dangara with 3 Gold and 3 Bronze medals placed four; while FOSLA Academy Karshi, reputed for its heroics in football completed the top-five with 3 Goal medals – two won in athletics, and one in Football.
The icing on the cake at the closing ceremony, was the showcasing of athletes from Special Schools, who were involved in wheelchair racing, and walk racing.
We understand the football finalé for the Primary and Junior Secondary Schools were stood down, and would be used as part of activities marking the one year in office of Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, by the FCT School Sports Department.
There were also breathtaking and mind-blowing traditional dances that saw the award winning FCT Secondary Schools Cultural Troupe, entertain the spectators mainly school children, teachers and a good number of invited guests seated at the VIP Box with dignitaries from both the education and Social Development Secretariats.