Former Super Eagles striker and Atlanta 96’ Olympic Dream Team Captain Nwankwo Kanu is currently having it rough in the state where he grew up and made name playing soccer.
For those who know the history behind the success of “Papilo” as Kanu is fondly called, it’s not much of a secret that Kanu grew up in Owerri,Imo State and even went on to represent the popular Iwuanyanwu Nationale of Owerri football club just before he started his professional career in Europe with Ajax Amsterdam.
Well, as people often say, that is history.
Some politician in the state seem to have forgotten so quick his contributions to the successes of Iwuanyanwu Nationale and the Super Eagles and as such have launched a scathing attack not only on him but the State Governor,Rochas Okorocha for ignoring the millions of Imo State young men to appoint Kanu as Special Adviser on Sports.
Ever since Kanu was appointed in June, attacks have been coming from all directions especially from opposition politicians and ex-Sportsmen who hail from the state.
A reliable source who spoke to us confirmed that since Kanu ‘s appointment, the Governor had been inundated with series of calls to reverse his decisions in the interest of the state.
Kanu’s only offence is that he is not from the state, he is from Abia State. But tried as the politicians could, the Governor, we gathered, had replied on many occasions that he will only change the decision over his dead body.
His reasons are premised on the fact that although Kanu doesn’t hail from Imo,he had nonetheless contributed to etching the state’s name in gold following his contributions to Iwuanyanwu Nationale and the Super Eagles.
Besides,Okorocha says Kanu is an igbo man and secondly, democracy has gone past the era of indigene -ship adding that the Abia born footballer merits every appointment he’s gotten from the state.
Although Kanu hasn’t spoken on the development, we gathered that some Imo indigenes are unhappy with some of their kinsmen calling for the head of Governor Okorocha because of the Kanu issue.
To them every appointment should not be politicized.
According to one of them, there is no footballer from Imo who has left his footprints on the game like Kanu.
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KANU NWANKWO APPOINTED AS SPECIAL ADVISER TO IMO STATE GOVERNMENT.
