By Maxwell Kumoye
About fifty top wordsmith across the country have touched down in Abuja ahead of the Special Scrabble Retreat which gets underway this Saturday morning in honour of the President of Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF), Engineer Toke Aka.
The list of big players battling for cash prizes and bragging rights include Peter Ebomah, Eugene Okim, Friday Ogbonyomi, Clarkson Ismail, David Yuwa and scrabble wizkid Saviour Onazi who will be playing alongside his father and coach Patrick Onazi.
Fresh from his fine run at the MGI International Scrabble Classics UK, the celebrant,Toke Aka will be up against Negro Igbinadolor the second highest ranked player in the cast.
Negro Igbinadolor is currently sitting on the 34th position in the NSF ratings 1565 points. John Curtis of the Transmission Company of Nigeria who was at the MGI event in May will be seeking to surpass his last outing.
Abdulmumin Jimoh with 1572 rating points at number 29, is the top seed at the tournament.
Here are some other faces that are fighting for prestige as well as some naira. I have been directed to publish the attached for your notification and necessary action:
Hamza Madaki, Amaechi Molokwu, Malcom Gbishe, Okechukwu David, Success Sule, Malcom Gbishe, Ubong Udoette, Onyeka ibe, Moses James, Folarin Ilesanmi, Thelma Stephen, Achema Daniel, Richard Aladenika, Idorenyin Anthony, Geofrey Andori, Kamaludeen Abdullah, Sunny Ogbo, Ufo Chukwukelu and Lydia Ezeh.
The One-day Retreat (SBSR), is holding at the most famous scrabble venue in Nigeria, the Zalika Garden, Garki, it’s a 10 rounds of games competition. The competition starts 9 am.
The Retreat is one of the events used to celebrate the birthday of Engineer Toke Aka. Retreat tagged ‘Celebrating a consummate administrator’ will be rated by Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF).
Olatunde Oduwole, the current Nigeria’s Champion of Champions and multiple National Sports Festival gold medalist, told our correspondent from his base in Illinois, Chicago, USA, that NSF Boss, Engineer Toke Aka is not just a President but a man with many parts who should be celebrated and honoured beyond his birthday.
“Chief Toke Aka, means so many things to the Scrabble Family in Nigeria, Africa and the World. An excellent host, organizer, an encyclopedia, a consummate administrator and a man with a large heart,” Oduwole a former NSF Green Jacket holder and a multiple National Championship winner stated.
“The unprecedented success of the male and female scrabble national teams as well as individual players cannot be attributed to any individual, it’s a collective effort but the Kogi State born Engineer Toke Aka, is a turnkey operator in that collective effort that is like a well rehearsed orchestral,” the author of Scrabble Evolution Text Book noted.
“Aka, is kind hearted and ever ready and willing to help scrabble players, he has personally supported the academic and sporting careers of a host of young Nigerians. NSF President is not just a player turn administrator but is also a successful business entrepreneur whose experience in both worlds has helped shape the current growth of Scrabble in Nigeria and the rest of the world,” Oduwole, the initiator of the Ultimate Scrabble Showdown, further said.
Engineer Toke Aka is the Managing Director Kadegg Nigeria Limited a world class construction, Consultancy and Management company.
Olatunde Oduwole, Honourable Farouk Abdullahi and Dafe Efemuaye have put resources together to make the Engineer Toke Aka Special Birthday Scrabble Retreat tagged, ‘Celebrating a consummate administrator’ an event to cherish and remember.
Amaechi Molokwu, Frex Etuk, Amana Mohammed, Mohammed Bashir, Ufo Chukwukelu, Okechukwu David, Hamza Madaki, Abdul Sambo, and Sunny Ogbo have also key in with their own contributions.
Tony Emefile, Emma Mogbolu, Onikoyi Kamoru, Adeyemi Adeboye, Lawandy Bala, Prince Majemite, Prince Etuwewe and Christopher Nnamani have been supportive too.
Over 350,000 naira have been set aside as prize money, the winner gets 80,000 naira and 1 pro-tiles. Runner up goes home with 50,000 naira, 1 pro-tiles while the second runner up has 30,000 naira, 1 pro-tiles. The prize money pool is for the top 15 players.
The highest ranked under 15 player at the end of the Retreat with be rewarded.
The Organizing Committee for the Retreat headed by Tony Emefile the chairman of Central Scrabble Club Abuja have been working round the clock to make the Retreat a huge success.