COVID-19: Nigeria Pitch Awards’ founder rallies support for victims

Morakinyo Abodunrin

The founder of the novel Nigeria Pitch Awards , Shina Phillips, has been speaking against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic ; and how the spread of the deadly virus stalled the celebration of  this year’s winners.

Now in its seventh edition, the football-based awards has become a reference in Nigerian football  circle  and likely winners were already shortlisted  until COVID-19 brought the country  to its knees in mid-March.

“As we can all see, Coronavirus pandemic  has affected almost all the events around the wall  and the Nigeria Pitch Awards is not an exemption but let me start by using this opportunity to commiserate with President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of his chief of staff  Abba Kyari and all Nigerian families that have  suffered deaths as a result of COVID-19,” explained Philips, the Chief Executive Officer of Matchmakers Consult- the organisers of  the awards since 2013.“ One death is bad enough and not to talk about  the number of deaths that had been recorded globally  due to COVID-19.

“The outbreak  of the deadly virus coincided with our  the plans for this year’s  event  and  it would be recalled  that the subsequent lockdown came about the time  we announced the shortlist of winners for this year’s event.

“But we already have  contingency plans in place and this can only be activated  once there is an end to  the pandemic and now  we can only pray for divine intervention so that all the efforts geared towards  COVID-19 become successful.”

Meanwhile, Phillips has advocated for more humanitarian gestures for  the most vulnerable in the society even as he called on religious leaders to do more for their followers.

“We have seen how devastated COVID-19 has affected sports and every other human endeavours and I think it’s about time government, individuals especially religious organisations should come to the aid of the downtrodden in the society,” Phillips further stated. “Some religious organisations have donated relief materials to government but I will be happier if they plough most of these resources in aids of their members who are in dire needs at this critical time.

“COVID-19  has challenged humanity  and I think it’s about time our government put  up  more structures  and intervention policies  to forestall  further spread of the virus as well as handling of  future cases,” he noted.