Glasgow’s bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games has found an unlikely supporter in the shape of a Nigerian living in the Southside.

The city’s only remaining competitor in the contest to host the Games is the Nigerian city of Abuja, but Nigerian Reverend Michael Ogwuche, who lives in Govan, has decided to back his adopted home over his mother country.

Michael, Principal Coordinator at the Jubilee Centre Elderpark Street, told the LOCAL NEWS, ‘I am a Nigerian living in Glasgow. My wife is here and my three children are here. This is my home and I try to integrate myself into Scottish society. We live here and our allegiance should be here. Scotland supports us and we feel we should back Glasgow’s bid.’

The decision was not quite as simple for all the members of Michael’s family. While his two daughters and son back Glasgow – his son Shalom has signed Glasgow City Council’s on-line pledge to show his support – Michael’s wife thinks Abuja should host the games.

Michael, who is originally from Benue State, a region of Nigeria around 2-3 hours from the capital Abuja, went on to say that he didn’t think Nigeria had the required ‘infrastructure’ to host the international sporting competition.

He said, ‘I spent the night in Abuja in March and on the drive from the airport into the city centre all of the traffic lights were out. I looked at the situation on the ground to see whether the city is prepared to host such a prestigious event. No matter how much the Nigerian government tries to boast that it has the infrastructure it cannot compare to Glasgow. They can present an appearance of readiness, but they do not have the underlying structure. You cannot compare a developed country with a developing country.’

Michael, who first came to Glasgow in 2001 and settled here in 2002, went on to describe how he thinks the Scottish Emergency Services are better prepared to deal with the potential security situations around the Games, pointing out how impressed he had been with the ‘efficient’ recent response to the terror attacks at Glasgow Airport.

Michael added, ‘I think Nigeria needs the money more, but should they win the bid and host the Games I hope that it will have a lasting impact and not just be a show for the duration of the Games. My message to the Nigerian government would be to use the preparations for the Games as a pilot to build up their infrastructure. With due respect to Nigeria – my country – I think that if Abuja gets to hold the Games it will be through the sympathy of someone on the committee.’

The competing cities will find out which of the two will host the games on November 9 when the Commonwealth countries meet in Sri Lanka to conduct a secret ballot.

Glasgow’s bid director, Derek Casey, said, ‘Bidding for the Games has been rather like running a marathon. We are now so close to the finishing line. I am sure the community will continue to provide extraordinary support right up to the final decision on 9th November.’