The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has praised the organisers of Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) sports carnival, saying it will promote nationhood and social cohesion in the country.
The defence chief stated this during the teeing-off of the USOSA golf tournament at IBB International Golf and Country Club, in Abuja. He said he was happy to be a product of a Unity School which he said shaped him into the man he is today.
Musa said it was exciting to see the calibre of people at the sports carnival. He added that every local government, tribe and religion from across the country was represented which shows unity in diversity and promotes social cohesion.
“It is a pleasure and a great privilege to be here. Growing up and remembering where we came from and where we are now, we can only give God the glory. It’s exciting to see the pedigree of the people we have here. From all over the country, there is no local government, no tribe and no religion that is not covered here.
“This is what Nigeria should be; this is Nigeria. We grew up together not knowing the differences. It’s unfortunate that the fault lines are being exposed now. But the good thing is that we still stand strong, and this is a mark of unity and we are the the face of unity. We will continue to do that and work very hard to ensure that Nigeria progresses,” the CDS stated.
The President General of USOSA, Michael Magaji, said the tournament was integrated into the competition to strengthen the bond and unity among older participants.
He said that the theme of this year’s carnival “Regniting Unity in Diversity,” was deliberate as it brought together no fewer than 3,000 USOSANS and 2,000 non-USOSANS.
“As USOSANS, we stand to promote unity, public education, and we are creating impact. We have members from all of Nigeria, and a good number of them are golfers. Sports is also a tool for unification. It is a tool for team building, nation building, and promoting excellence, accuracy, and hard work.
“So, we need to imbibe that in the national narrative; nation building. As USOSANS and children of Nigeria who believe in this nation, we think sports is one of those tools that unite us. Golf is also one of the sports we are using,” he said.
The second edition of the USOSA sports carnival began on Monday, April 22 and ended on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
