By Ikenna Nwokedi, PhD
Former Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA), Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, was on Saturday honored with a Chieftaincy Title for his outstanding contributions to human capital development and immense support to community development.
The Adazi-Ani born Medical Practitioner was conferred with the title of ‘IKEMBA DI UGWU’ by the Council of Anaocha Traditional Rulers at the occasion of the annual New Yam Festival held at the Anaocha Local Government Arena.
Okeke, who redefined football administration with the initiative of ‘My Anambra Football’ and floated Aspire FC Adazi-Ani, eulogized the organizers of the prestigious event stating that the honor bestowed on him will serve as a huge motivation towards empowering the youths with meaningful developmental projects.
“I am spurred to do more for my community and by extension my Local Government Anaocha. By God’s grace in the next six months, I will renovate a football pitch in each of the 10 Towns in Anaocha and we will consider floating a football competition termed ‘Ikemba Cup’. I sponsored the maiden edition of the Super 8 tournament because of my love for the game and I want to use this medium to call on well-meaning individuals to come together to lift the round leather game,” Okeke stated.
“In the second edition of the Super 8 tournament, we will bring in football scouts and agents as well as partner high schools in the USA and UK to make it better. Our people who are vastly experienced in the game such as Ike Ofojie from Umuoji, the Head Coach of football at the University of South Carolina, will be involved so as to achieve the desired visibility and mileage we want to give the game,” He said.
On his involvement and contributions to culture, Okeke said: “I have been sponsoring the ‘Oji Ofor’ Festival in my community, we have taken this also to higher institutions of learning as can now be seen at UNIZIK. I do also support the annual Adazi-Ani New Yam Festival, I believe in culture and I want to encourage other people to cherish our identity and heritage,” He enthused.
, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okeke, was on Saturday honored with a Chieftaincy){kind=link}