By Emma Jemegah
Some of the former Nigeria international athletes honoured at the weekend by Air Peace Airline in conjunction with the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs with Wall of Fame have hailed the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema for remembering them.
The 45 Nigerian athletes who were not allowed to realise their Olympic dreams in Montreal, Canada 47 years ago alongside the 1980 Green Eagles team have been recognised in a timeless manner.
A monument was made to immortalise the Montreal Olympics athletes and the Green Eagles squad that won Nigeria’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980, with a timeless ‘Wall of Fame.’
The NIIA Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame stands about four metres tall in the premises of NIIA on Victoria Island, Lagos, with the names of the sports heroes and heroines boldly inscribed in fitting gold lettering against a black background.
Many of the athletes, who are now in their 70s, were present at the ceremony, while those who are deceased, like footballer Muda Lawal, or were unavailable were represented by members of their family.
Segun Odegbami, who was one of the footballers who were both in the 1976 Olympics and 1980 AFCON squads, was the brains behind the initiative to honour his colleagues, and he spoke of how the wounds of the past have been healed.
“One of the reasons we need to honour our sporting heroes with gestures like this is to showcase the effect and impact of their actions to the world, let the world know they deserve to be honoured,” Odegbami said.
Similarly, captain of the Green Eagles, Christian Chukwu, his counterparts, Emmanuel Okala, Felix Owolabi and Kadiri Ikhana expressed excitement with the effort to etch their names in gold.
“Today is a historic day that will be remembered for a very long time. Even some of the athletes who had not forgiven the country for years have now healed because of this great honour,” Odegbami said.
For Chukwu and Okala, the development has rekindled their hopes in the country. “This is something really commendable, coming from the private sector, especially Air Peace and Allen Onyema.”
Okala also echoes Chukwu’s sentiment, saying the young athletes would be encouraged to give their best in the service to the country.
According to Owolabi, “there’s no better way to honour those who have contributed to the development of sports in the country than the efforts by Air Peace and NIIA” while Ikhana said: “I’m really proud to be recognised for my contribution to sports development in Nigeria with this Wall of Fame.”
Chief Onyema, whose company played a leading role in the event, praised the athletes for their selflessness. “These heroes deserve great honour for returning to Nigeria without causing any problems, without seeking asylum in Canada after the country had been withdrawn,” the Air Peace CEO said.
“These are the heroes and heroines that should always be celebrated for their sacrifices.”
Onyema added: “Most of them never attended another Olympic Games after the Montreal withdrawal and we should always honour them.”
