The representatives of the Enugu State Government has denied media reports that the State Government abandoned Ex-Eagles Coach, Christian Chukwu who was reported to have fallen seriously ill and was in need of the sum of $50,000, but has been left to his fate.
In a statement by the state commissioner for information, Ogbuagu Anikwe, the Enugu State Government put the blame on the Ex-Eagles Coach, Chukwu’s friend who posted on Facebook with the impression that Chukwu was being neglected by the state government.
Ogbuagu in the statement outlined the efforts the Enugu state government had put to ensure that the Ex-Eagles Coach Christian Chukwu a football icon got the best of treatment and care regarding his illness.
“The Enugu State Government has so far been restrained in its reaction to the spate of misinformation and outright lies promoted by a friend of the iconic Enugu Rangers player, Mr Christian Chukwu who is ill and has been hospitalised. This restraint is out of respect to the wishes of both the Chukwu family and the request of his doctors who wanted a space to quietly deal with the emergency situation that brought Chukwu to the hospital on a stretcher.
Today, however, Chairman Chukwu is walking with a stick and has granted interviews to the BBC and a couple of local media. It is on the strength of this that the Enugu State Government is now putting out the following information and clarifications to explain what is happening to Christian Chukwu and how it is being taken care of:
“Christian Chukwu, popularly called “Chairman” in his playing days, is NOT a destitute old man abandoned to his fate in the face of an emergency health situation. He is currently the Director of Sports in the Rangers Management Corporation, a public service job that enables him to meet his basic health needs.
“In the circumstance, Christian Chukwu is an employee of the Enugu State Government. This was one of the strategies that Rt. Hon. Dr Ugwuanyi, the Governor of Chukwu’s home state of Enugu, designed to take care of sportsmen who had served the State or the nation in their youth.
“When Chukwu’s health situation was brought to the attention of his employer – Rangers Management Corporation – he was rushed to one of the best medical facilities in Enugu where a team of five (5) specialists have been attending to him.
“The management of Rangers Management Corporation immediately deposited N200,000 with this health facility to begin his treatment.
“On hearing about his health condition, Gov. Ugwuanyi gave an additional N1.5million to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports to give to the family — in order to ensure that the football legend did not lack anything that the team of specialists may require to manage his condition.
“The Governor has also given an additional N1million to the family when the doctors”
We also reported that billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola has promised to foot the medical bills of Christian Chukwu, as he is willing to give out the $50,000 to the Enugu Rangers International Technical Adviser…We are still waiting on that news…