In the wake of the death of former Super Eagles captain and coach, Christian Chukwu, the Enugu State Government has set up condolence registers across Enugu, Lagos, and Abuja to pay tribute to the iconic football figure.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu, the state government said the gesture serves as a tribute to the late football tactician and offers Nigerians a platform to express their respects.
The condolence registers are accessible on weekdays from 8am to 4pm at several designated locations: the Enugu State Football Association office at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development at the State Secretariat, and the Rangers International Office at No. 23 Abakaliki Road, GRA, all in Enugu.
Additional locations include the Enugu State Liaison Office at No. 45 Lasode Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos, and the Enugu State Building at No. 81 Ralph Shodeinde Street, opposite the Federal Ministry of Finance, Central Business District, Abuja.
“So, we encourage Ndi Enugu and Nigerians to avail themselves of these avenues to pay respect to whom it is due,” the statement read in part.
Since the announcement of Chukwu’s death, tributes have poured in from across the country and beyond.
Among them, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, took to his verified X handle, @PNMbah, and other platforms to mourn the football icon, calling his death a profound personal loss to the state, the nation, and the African continent.
He described Chukwu as “a national icon, a football titan, Field Marshal, and phenomenon, whose exploits as a footballer united the country across ethnic divides and creed.”
“He was patriotism personified, serving the nation and Africa unreservedly both as a player and coach of the highly successful Rangers International Football Club of Enugu and Super Eagles of Nigeria, which he captained to victory as Green Eagles at the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON. He also coached the Harambee Stars, Kenya’s senior male national team, among others.
“Chairman, as he was fondly called, gave his all not only to the nation but to the rest of Africa. He wrote his name in gold in the annals of the history of Nigerian and African football,” Mbah stated.
