By Rafiu Amule
A University of Benin graduate of Geology Mr. Okao Uduagbon has defied the economic odds in his quest to developing the first motocross sports in the country at his maternal community of Evbuobanosa, Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo state.
According to Uduagbon who is presently into private business having voluntarily resigned from shell company as a seismologist said his passion for motorbike race coupled with its economic advantage of attracting and boosting tourism in the country as well as engaging the youths in meaningful sporting activity were part of the reasons why he decided to establish the sport which will be organizing its fourth edition of the competition in 2015.
“I decided to establish the motocross race competition as part of my contribution towards nation build; I am convinced that apart from attracting and boosting our tourism potential, it will help in engaging most of our youths and thereby removing them from acts capable of ruining their future. I am also convinced that with the development of the motocross sport, it will go a long way in boosting and expanding the economy of not only the host community but that of the entire nation”.
He posited that if the sport can be sustained in smaller Africa countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda etc can succeed in the development of the sports which is not in the realm of the convention sports, it will be better sustained in Nigeria adding that even in the Africa countries where it is practiced, it is dominated by the white population. “The motocross race club is in the realm of the extreme sports and not under the conventional sports, which is why all over the world it is not under the purview of government hence it is not listed in the Olympic Games. I know the sport might be alien here but the point is, it is a sport that any adult or bike rider who has passion for riding can participate and as I speak, we have well over a hundred registered members presently and over five thousand riders have been participating in the competition since its commencement”.
While commending the Enogie of Evbuobanosa and Abudu, Professor Greg Akenzua for his fatherly role and assistance in acquiring the land for the sport and for facilitating the certificate of occupancy from Edo state government, Okao appealed to the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole who was the special guest of honour in the maiden edition of the competition in 2012 to please redeem his pledge of asphalting the race track for us. “We have been waiting for the comrade governor to fulfil his promise, the governor told us then that he will ensure that the cost of the construction of the race track will be captured in the 2013 budget but till the moment we have not heard anything from him so I am appealing through this medium that we are waiting for him to fulfill his promise because if he truly asphalt our race track, it will be the first in Africa”.
Explaining how the project is so dear to the motocross club members, Okao maintained that he will strive to sustain the tempo of the competition in the country by ensuring that the motocross sport is recognized by the world body of motorcycle riders. According to him, in other to get the recognition from the world body, he met with the former minister of sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the director general of sports Patrick Ekeji to formally request for the letter of recognition demanded by the world regulating body of motorcycle riders, the Federation International of Motorcycle (FIM) which will enable the body (FIM) to know that there is a motocross race club in Nigeria and will in turn ensure the country participate in any formula one motocross competition in the world, he said the minister maybe out of ignorance of the development of the sport insisted that the letter of recognition can only be issued if the sport is able to have presence in two third state of the country which is not suppose to be.
“The truth is that we are in a peculiar country where genuine efforts of individuals are either misconstrued based on ignorance or personal misconception, I was shocked when Mallam Bolaji the former sports minister said I should ensure the presence of the sport in two third states of the federation, however, I tried to make him understand about the extreme nature of the sport and that it is not for the sake of fund that I have come for the letter of recognition rather it was because it is the condition for the world motorcycle body to allow us in Nigeria participate in any Africa and world competitions of motocross race club. In Africa there are eleven motocross club countries already inducted by the world body and all over the world we have one hundred and thirty one nations (130). The interesting aspect is that there is no country recognized by the FIM that has more than one motocross race club so I wonder why I should be given conditions to establish the sport in two third states of the country”.
He maintained that South Africa that sometimes host formula one motocross race have just one club and has attracted international sponsors because they are member of the FIM, Nigeria stands to achieve more if we are inducted. “We will get global sponsorship just as we will also produce super stars like in other sports. Motocross race club is like the golf club and I am very sure that if we are issued the letter of recognition from the federal ministry of sports we will be able to write the name of the country positively on the world map” he added.
