• Tasks South East governors to create Chukwu Fund to help ex Rangers players
• Says NFF is also owing him

Commiserations and visits to the family of the late Green Eagles captain, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu continued with former Chairman of Rangers International Football Club and former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyi Chukwu Nwobodo taking his turn. He paid glowing tributes to Chukwu who he described as “captain of everybody”. Excerpts:

Visit to Chukwu’s family

I came because just two nights ago, I learnt about the death of Coach Christian Chukwu. May his soul rest in peace, Amen! Chukwu was special to us. When he was in the hospital some time ago, I requested that he should be sent overseas for medical treatment and Femi Otedola came to the rescue. I want to use this opportunity to thank him for what he did. He saw Chukwu as a Nigerian and I thank him. Chukwu did a lot for Rangers, he was the captain of Rangers FC, captain of the Nigeria team, the Green Eagles, and he was the captain of everybody in terms of football. When I was the Chairman of Rangers FC before I became Governor and as Governor, I championed what Rangers stands for. Rangers is the spirit of the Igbo man. If you want to abuse me, abuse me with Rangers and I’ll fight back. If you talk down on Rangers I will react because this is a football club that stood for us all through.

If Rangers was not important to us, all of us will not be here. So, Chukwu wherever you are, may your soul rest in peace in Jesus name, Amen!

I also want to see other ex- Rangers players who are still alive and appeal to the governments in the South East that
there is nothing else you can do than look after these people. But I believe that if you come out to say this is Chukwu’s Fund, we could start from there. I was told there is something that is being done but Chukwu is more than four hundred thousand Naira. Chukwu’s life was well spent and I’m stressing that the governments in the South East should do something about Christian Chukwu, do something for the family and then thank him for what he did.

What are you advocating that should be done for Christian Chukwu?

Christian Chukwu was for Nigeria and not Enugu, as a young man he worked for Nigeria and made the country proud and should be immortalized. Chukwu did not stop in the South East, he worked for Nigeria. It’s not a regional matter because Chukwu made us proud as a country and we should make him proud in death.

What do you think should have been done differently for him while he was alive?

I told you that I visited him in the hospital when he was sick and I told the government not to waste time in taking him abroad for foreign treatment because over there they have something that we don’t have, everything is there.

What is your advice to the upcoming players?

My advice to them including myself is that when somebody is doing well for the country, he should be honoured, honour somebody who is doing his country proud. I think that Chukwu did something for Nigeria that deserves honour and I will say it anywhere that Chukwu deserves honour.

What is your reaction to the allegation that the NFF owed Chukwu and did not pay him before he died?

Everybody complains about NFF. Bonfere Joe complained bitterly about it. The important thing is that the person should be treated specially. It is not only Chukwu that they owed, even me! But you can’t toy with NFF because without them you can’t play a match. However, I’m requesting them, the NFF, to pay Chukwu’s family whatever that was due to him.

What can you tell the government about some other ex-players such as Emmanuel Okala and Dominic Nwobodo who are also not as strong again?

I said that there should be a fund for the players so that when they get old they can benefit from it. That is the beauty of playing for a club or for the country. When they were strong the clubs used them and now that they are weak they should be well taken care of. I repeat that Chukwu was a Nigerian to the core and he worked for Nigeria, he played for Nigeria, and he fought for Nigeria. That is why I thank Otedola for what he did for us. There were south easterners who were there but Otedola from Lagos came to the rescue. If I had money I would have sent him overseas and seen him treated but I don’t have that kind of money. Do everything you can to keep somebody alive. I’m pleading for the government of this country to create a fund for those who have worked for Nigeria.