The Late Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia
The Association of Sports Veterans of Nigeria believes the “late General Osaigbovo Ogbemudia deserved more from Nigeria at death.”
The Chief Jonathan Ogufere-led body of core sports professionals rose from their meeting at the weekend in Lagos regretting the death of a man, who contributed so much to the development of Nigeria’s sports, yet his death and burial was ‘limited to state level.’
The veterans in their deliberations spoke at length on the revolution General Ogbemudia brought to grassroots sports development when he was governor of Mid West from 1967 to 1975, asking, “how can we forget the legendary Afuze sports camp, the Ogbe Stadium but above all the discovery of stars that went on to do our country proud at international meets.”
At the meeting attended by former NFA Secretary General, Omokhaye alias Alibay, Madam Amelia Okpalaoka, Dr. Godwin Kanu, Mr. Linus Mba, Prince Isidore Oduah, General Gregory Adebiyi, Mr. Babatunde Obisanya, Mr. Kunle Solaja and Coach Fanny Amun, among others, the Veterans said a man with such pedigree should have been buried as a national hero.
“In 1987 as Chef de Mission, General Ogbemudia, who was also the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, led the country to the All Africa Games in Kenya where we recorded great exploits.
“Suffice it to say that this latest occurrence takes us back to the Keshi and Amodu Shuaibu incidents and indeed several others before now and plead that something should be done to right the wrongs already made by naming important national sports structures after them,” the Veterans said.
