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Okenwa’s death will affect grassroots sports, says Akwa Ibom FA Boss

By Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh, Uyo
07 May 2020   |   1:24 am
Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Football Association, Mr. Emmanuel Ibah, has said he was shocked to learn of the demise of Enugu State FA Chairman, Mr. Chidi Offor Okenwa, who passed on on Tuesday.

Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Football Association, Mr. Emmanuel Ibah, has said he was shocked to learn of the demise of Enugu State FA Chairman, Mr. Chidi Offor Okenwa, who passed on on Tuesday.

Speaking on a Passion FM programme yesterday, the FA chairman said, the death was a big blow, adding that there was an arrangement with Okenwa to develop grassroots football in Akwa Ibom.

“It is a nightmare, yesterday afternoon when I got the information from Enugu, I could not put myself together. I tried to comprehend that my friend is no more because I spoke with him last week.” 

Okenwa, a member of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), had been diagnosed with leukemia and was said to have been restless throughout the night before he slumped in the early hours of Tuesday morning and was confirmed dead in a private hospital in Enugu. 

“He was a wonderful, reliable friend of everybody, especially me… he did so much, and you won’t believe I must confess that there were many things I needed to learn from Chidi.

“He has been the FA Chairman of Enugu for several years, so it was only Enugu State that could have competition for Under 10, Under 13, Under 18 and those are developmental levels, even Under 15.

“He had a league that run consistently because there were people in Enugu, brands and companies that support him.

“He even wanted to help extend that to Akwa Ibom by bringing a potential sponsor but that is all gone now,” he said.

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