By Richard Animam
The nation’s revered statesman, Chief Anthony Enahoro, has just turned 87 and everything is smelling roses, especially at the Benin Golf Club, which is just a shout from the Enahoro’s sprawling Benin mansion.

For about a month now, different activities had come up to celebrate the nation’s titan. But the Benin Golf Club set  aside the month of October when a mega Pro-Am that will gulp close to N10 million naira will be hosted in Benin in honour of Enahoro.

There is a clear cut meaning to the October date. This is when Nigeria will be celebrating 50 years of Independence, a huge show Enahoro fought for.

“Chief Enahoro is the father of golf in Nigeria”, Captain of the Benin Golf Club, Frank Omo-Amadasun said. “Keeping this well in mind, it was roundly decided that we must honour the great man with a mega golf tournament.

What we decided was a N10 million grand Pro-Am where the Professionals alone would cart home some N5 million. Having decided on this, we thought of a befitting date for the event. The month of October readily came to our minds. We must readily understand that Nigeria will be celebrating 50 years of Independence on this month and without Chief Enahoro, the Independence arrangement might not have been concluded”.

Members of the Benin Golf Club are not people who will kid themselves. They know it by heart that they desire a never to be forgotten tourney for Enahoro and yet they believe they cannot foot the whole of the N10 million bill.

“We planned a carnival and we shall have a carnival”, Amadasun maintained. “Chief Enahoro has several loyalists in Bendel and they are willing to be part of the show. But we equally know of his political sons in Lagos, especially Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. We know he will be part of this event and we have since decided to allow him play free roles in this event that will bring over a thousand golfers and great people who adore the Chief from all over this country”.

Since the intention of this golf carnival for Chief Anthony Enahoro was made known, a prominent Ogbomosho son, Adewuyi Adegbite, even urged the nation not to leave honour for Enahoro to the golf community alone. He believes the whole nation has a role to play.

Hear Adegbite: I indeed urge the Benin Golf Club to name their club after Enahoro. Members here should let charity begin at home so people at the helm of affairs in Nigeria will see reasons to immortalize him now that he is alive”.