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CHUKWU FOR TREATMENT IN ENGLAND NEXT WEEK

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Ailing former Green Eagles captain, Christian Chukwu may be flown to England next week to continue his treatment. According to The Guardian, this is as Chairman of Forte Oil, Chief Femi Otedola made good his promise to ensure that the ailing former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu bounced back to his feet.

The billionaire businessman presented Chukwu with a $50, 000 cheque to facilitate his treatment overseas. The donation when converted into Nigerian currency is N18 million.

With the development, Chukwu may be flown out of the country to enable him continue with his treatment. He has been receiving medical care since he was diagnosed of a stroke-related illness at the Nike Specialist hospital in Enugu.

Chukwu at the Enugu Hospital

Otedola, whose cheque was presented by the Chief Operating Officer of the downstream sector of the Company, Mr. Philip Akinola, said the gesture was in line with their earlier promise to ensure the wellbeing of the former footballer.

Otedola, who was accompanied by President of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Amaju Pinnick, Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Saturday Vanguard Editor, Onochie Anibeze, said he would do more as well as visit him in London.

Speaking, Ugwuanyi announced an automatic employment for the son of Coach Chukwu, Emeka into the state civil service. Amaju also disclosed that Chukwu would soon be flown abroad for further medical treatment. He said the NFF was already in touch with two hospitals in England where Chukwu may be flown to.

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He added: “We are here to acknowledge a super living legend, a legend that if you mention his name everybody shakes; a legend that has paid his dues for the polity called Nigeria, a legend that we love so much, a legend that would not be allowed to die, a legend that his name is already in the annals of history in Nigeria.

“We believe that if you call Christian Chukwu and confine him to Enugu State government, you will not be doing him any good because even Nigeria as a country is too small to accommodate him. The NFF from the beginning decided that we will be part of this. There were mistakes in the past but we have decided it will not happen again, hence we have decided we will acknowledge our legends at all points in time our legends; it’s not when they pass on we will say oh he was a good man.

“The Cheque is basically to take care of his medical surgery, on our part, we don’t want him to go to USA, we want him to go to England, we have already made arrangement with two hospitals because we still want him around and we will do everything within our resources to ensure he gets the best treatment.”

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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