Date: 2016-08-22

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has called for the establishment of an institution that will be responsible for the recognition of Nigerian sports legends while still alive.

Saraki stated this when he paid tribute to the country's late football icon - Rasheed Yekini at the weekend, describing the late player as a soccer ambassador for Nigerian youths.

Represented by Alloy Chukwuemeka, his club's Director of Football, Saraki promised to sponsor an annual soccer tournament among U-13 boys at Oyun LGA especially Ira, "where another Yekini is expected to emerge in no long a time."

The Senate President, who visited Yekini's aged mother, had earlier carried out renovation of the private mosque, shops and apartments of Yekini's mother, (Sikirat), and also gave her undisclosed amount of money to boost her petty trading. The six flats two storey building was built for the woman by Yekini.

Madam Yekini, who expressed happiness with the way the good deeds of her late son were rewarded by Saraki, prayed for the U-13 players of the ABS, with a prophesy that "many Rasheed Yekinis would rise among them."