By Jacob Ajom

Former Green Eagles captain and later coach of the Super Eagles, Chairman Christian Chukwu was interred at his ancestral home in Umuikowo Village, Obe Community, Nkanu West Local Government Area on August 16. 

His burial on Saturday, August 16 was the culmination of a month-long event that began with ‘A Night of Tributes’ in Lagos which was organised by friends led by Segun Odegbami, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in conjunction with Air Peace. The burial rites began proper in Enugu on Sunday August 10 with a Service of Songs at St Andrews Basilica, Anglican Church Enugu. 

There was another Night of Tributes at the International Conference Centre on Wednesday, while on Thursday August 14, there was a colloquium at the Enugu Sports Club. A befitting novelty football match was also organised in his honour at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium. The match which featured Ex Rangers players taking on Enugu All Stars ended goalless. Beyond the barren scoreline, it was fun watching men in their sixties and above struggle to reignite their forms on the ball. 

The VIP lounge was filled to the brim with dignitaries. Enugu state Commissioner of Labour and Employment, Dr Felix Nnamani represented the Governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, the State Commissioner of Sports Lloyd Ekweremadu, the DG State Security Service Oluwatosin Ajayi was ably represented by former Nigeria coach, Fanny Amu, the NFF President Alahaji Ibrahim Gusau was represented by the Chairman of the Nigeria National Football League, George Aluo. 

Quite a good number of exRangers players, most of them late Chukwu’s contemporaries, including Emmanuel Okala, Sylvanus Okpala, Dominic Nwobodo, Dr Jonny Egbonu, Okwuchukwu Obiora, Francis Nwosu, Patrick Iluno, Emma Osigwe, Michael Ogbodudu, Kingsley Obiekwelu, Jude Agada, Patrick Mancha, Stephen Njoku, Paul Obiakor sat on the reserve bench near the touchline to watch the match. 

“Chukwu’s legacy is there for all to see,” began Davidson Owunmi, Chief Operating Officer, Nigeria Premier Football League. “You can’t have two kinds of Chukwu in the entire football arena. Whether as a player or a coach. Whether as a player in Rangers or the national team or as coach . He won laurels across all boards and there is no single Nigerian alive that has done what Chukwu has done for this country.” The Chairman, Enugu State FA, Barrister Tony Ogwu was all praise for the late soccer icon. 

He said, “Christian Chukwu was big in life but is larger in death. The array of people that thronged to this place is a testament of who Christian Chukwu was. A great man. He is history, an enigma and he was an institution, not just in Igboland but the whole of Nigeria. “He did well and he served this country very well and has been able to leave his footprints in the sands of time. The legacies he left behind will always speak for him. 

On behalf of the Enugu State Football Association and the football fraternity in Enugu state we mourn him, we appreciate what he did for us but the legacies he left with us are going to guide us. Ex-Rangers star, Harrison Okagbue: Chukwu and I played together from elementary school to club level. He was with me from 1957 at Christ Church Uwani. I was three years older than him. He captained the junior team while I captained the senior boys at Christ Church.. In Rangers, Christian was an exceptional defender; nobody could be compared with him. 

He was so good to everybody, both on and off the pitch. That was why we named him everlasting captain – for life. Discovery It was Teacher Okeke, at Christ Church, Uwani in 1957. Teacher Okeke was from Ogidi. I finished school in 1961 and Chukwu left a few years after. I was three years ahead of him. So we all met again when I was playing in Calabar. Enugu came to play against us at Calabar and he (Chukwu asked me to return to Enugu. I came back in 1976 to play for Rangers. There I relaunched my career. I knew Christian Chukwu inside out. I was with him when he got married to Chief Kenneth’s daughter. When he was in Kenya as coach for the national team, the Harambee Stars, I was in Uganda with the Cranes as national team coach. 

I was in Uganda for three years. But before I left I coached Udoji United then assistant Coach with Rangers. I handled Asessa Warriors then Onitsha Red Devils, until I became a local government coach. From there I took off. Okagbue advised budding stars to emulate Chukwu. “He lived a noble life.” When asked about the fate of Ex-internationals and exRangers in particular, Okagbue was unequivocal. He said lessons must be learnt. 

Said he: It is not every time that you get things on a platter of gold. Chukwu succeeded because of hard work, discipline and doggedness. It is when one struggles that he reaps from his sweat. Hard work pays.” Igweokolo Austin, Chairman, Ex Rangers Players Association said, “The high level of solidarity among former Rangers players who trooped to Obe for the burial of their former captain signifies the unity of purpose among exRangers. 

“It shows that Rangers international is a brand, mostly to the people of Igbo. They can’t just forget the Rangers of the 70s and 80s. They are the people who laid the foundation of the Rangers we are talking about today.

Novelty match at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, Enugu. Patrick Iluno speaks. We want to give honour to whom honour is due. The late Christian Chukwu was my colleague in the defence because I played in Enugu Rangers in the ’70s. I joined Rangers in 1971 and left in ’78. I was among the team that won the Challenge Cup three times, national league three times, we came second in the Africa Champions League and later won the Cup Winners Cup. 

In 1975 we lost the final of the Challenge Cup to Bendel Insurance. Today, I have come to honour my colleague. I was playing left back. He was a very close brother, a friend and a teammate also. Did you ever envisage that football would become a moneyspinning profession when you were playing the game? I never expected it. I never, in my wildest imagination, believed that football brings money.. But something happened. Before the civil war I was in school. I was in Year 4 at the School of Architecture, Survey and Building in Warri when the war broke out. 

After the war my school was shut and taken back to London. I was stranded after the war. In search of what to do, I joined Enugu Highlanders in 1970. After one year with Highlanders, Rangers were preparing to play Hafia of Guinea here in Enugu. Highlanders were training at Campus pitch. When we were training, Rangers came to Campus pitch to train as the visiting Hafia of Guinea were to train at the stadium, to have a feel of the pitch before their match against Rangers. 

As God would have it, we were already on the pitch when Rangers players arrived. As Rangers were considered a senior team, we had no option than to leave the pitch for them. But Rangers coach Dan Anyiam said no. He rather proposed a training match between Rangers and Highlanders. We didn’t know he was still searching for a number 9, who would play as striker against the Guinean side on Saturday. He said we should not leave the team. He selected his team. 

At that time late Kenneth Abana was playing for us. After the first half training, no score, second half no score Anyiam said he would be back there the following day. We continued the second day, no score still. Then coach Anyiam told his executive that he had seen at least four players he could pick from there to Rangers. Agwo Nnaji later or Bendel Insurance was also with us. Christian Chukwu was also playing for Highlanders. He played for Highlanders when he was still in school before they took him to the Academicals, he was picked at the very last minute. 

Late Stanley Okoronkwo also played for us. It was from that training session Rangers took Abana. Philip Achebe travelled to Lagos overnight, flew to Cairo and registered Kenneth Abana for the match against Hafia. He returned the following day with the license for Kenneth and on Saturday, Kenneth appeared in Rangers colour for the crucial encounter against Hafia. He scored the two goals as Rangers beat Hafia 2-0. Cletus Ezeora – A local football enthusiast who mimic’s late ace sports commentator, Ernest Okonkwo said he started hearing about Chukwu and his exploits at Rangers and the national team when he was a toddler. I am a die-hard fan of Enugu Rangers. 

I am here to pay my last respect to Chukwu. May God God grant him peace Jerry Egbo from Nkanu West, we grew up in the early ’80s to hear about Chukwu and how iconic he was. He started winning trophies and medals in the 70s. We started emulating him and prayed that we should have more people like him. Many people started professing their admiration for Chukwu. He was called Chairman, not by accident. He commanded respect, personality and presence. We can never forget Chukwu. 

The setting for the burial proper was near perfect. Central School Obe playground was where the funeral Mass was held. It was a colourful setting. The turnout was huge as Governor Mbah led the mourners who gathered at the school ground. Former presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the 2023 general election Peter Obi was among the first to arrive at the Chukwus compound, where he stayed with ex-Rangers and Enugu All Stars players. Chukwu’s burial drew a large crowd that added colour to the otherwise mournful event. Chukwu’s life shone all through his burial ceremonies as speaker after speaker spoke in glowing terms about a man who gave his all to Nigeria.