Bring back our messiah – Sports fans clamour for Okoronkwo’s return to office as Sports commissioner

By Anthony Ahize

The one reason why the Imo sports community dreaded the end of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s first tenure in office as Imo state Governor is mostly because they are uncertain of who will succeed Imo sports messiah, Honourable Emeka Okoronkwo the former commissioner for youths, sports and social development.

I was privileged to be at the complex of ministry of Youth and sports at the Imo state secretariat recently when i noticed staffs wailing and crying. At first I thought someone died but when i enquired the reason for the sadness, i learnt staffs were weeping because they will miss their commissioner, Emeka Okoronkwo and I thought to myself, how touching!

As sports fans in Imo clamour and hope for his return to office as the sports commissioner, the decision however lies in the hands of the state Governor, so we keep hoping with renewed hope as we await the announcement of the new cabinet who will pilot the affairs of his second term administration.

Prior to his appointment, Imo sports sector went moribund and ugly news was always the bedrock of the day as Imo occupy the headlines of sports pages for the wrong reasons. Dan Anyiam stadium was a sorry sight and nothing to write home about.

The sports community cried out and Governor Uzodimma listened and sent the Messiah Emeka Okoronkwo for the rescue mission.

Okoronkwo assumed office in the midst of alot of confusion, animosity and bad infrastructures begging for attention.
He inherited a relegated Heartland football club and also a struggling Heartland Queens FC who barely managed to survive the cut from relegation.

The situation at the Dan Anyiam Stadium was a sorry sight, while Athletes complain of lack of facilities to train adequately, staffs as well as Athletes also complained of being short changed.

Animosity became the bedrock of people who were supposed to be a team, as cliques sprang up further plunging the state of sports downwards. All was not well in the state when it comes to sports.

The height of it all was when the darling club of the state, Heartland FC went on relegation from the Nigerian topflight as a result of broken bridges and neglects.

The sports messiah Honourable Emeka Okoronkwo (Agu ji egbe) came with a rich CV and a lot of wealth in experience.

Okoronkwo has MBA in management and BSC in banking and finance, He was private a business owner before He joined the political train to see if he can be productive for the populace.

He began from the local government, served as the executive chairman of Okigwe local government for 2 tenures. Till date people of Okigwe local government still worship him.

He became S.A to the governor on sensitization and mobilization and from there God took him to local government service commission as a commissioner and after serving out his tenure, they still clamour for his return.

From there he became chairman house of assembly where the staffs and house members adore him.

Then finally he was appointed by His Excellency to become the commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development and the sports community seems not to have had a fill of his impact so they clamour for more.

Okoronkwo from his inception in office has recorded massive success stories in the sports industry, he was able to turn things around and pilot the trend to the upward direction.

The usual negative reports has seized, athletes and staffs now smile to the bank, sports facilities at the stadium has received facelift, Imo contingents at the last sports festival emerged the best in southeast, breaking a record of over 2 decades, National competitions, such as volleyball, handball, boxing, basketball, even women football and so many other competitions has chosen Imo as the host state due to improved facilities.

Heartland Queens has maintained there topflight status and no longer struggle to avoid relegation, currently Heartland Queens are top of the NWFL log and are aiming for the super six ticket.

Heartland FC has returned to the Nigerian top flight league too . Salaries are being paid regularly to sportsmen and there staffs, animosities among stakeholders settled and reconciliation took effect and so many other positive achievements.

So one began to wonder how Imo sports sector achieved a total turnaround in such a short notice.

Okoronkwo began with reconciliation by uniting all aggrieved parties to work together and fixed loop holes in the administrative chain by fixing round pegs in round holes.

When asked the secret behind this success story, Okoronkwo replied;

“ The only secret to all this success is simple, His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma is passionate about the youths and he is also a sports loving governor. “ Okoronkwo replied.

In simple terms, Gov Uzodimma already has a design and objectives when it concerns the youth, he has made it a major component of his 3R administration. Okoronkwo revealed.

Youths have benefited a lot under the 3R administration, so all Okoronkwo needed to do was to consolidate on that.

Since his appointment, everything is working fine now, He began by restructuring all components of the ministry from the sports commission to Heartland fc and Heartland Queens.

He even went as far as fixing the ministry that had problems. So if anyone observe, there is quietness everywhere, from Heartland fc to heartland queens, from the sports commission to the ministry, there has been relative calmness and no bad news since he took over.

Nobody has been removed or sacked. The same people who were working there before when it was disorganized are still the same people who achieved all the success. All he did is to make everybody relevant.

And for this reasons and so many other achievements yet to be mentioned, the sports fans now applauds the chosen one Emeka Okoronkwo for his timely intervention and achievements.

The sports writers association of Nigeria (SWAN) are not left of this. For the first time SWAN seeks the return of a working commissioner and like they always say, sports is a media event and for the first time, SWAN was recognized as a critical stake holder in the sports sector, a factor that has been neglected for a long time.

Truly Okoronkwo has made powerful impact in the sports industry and in Imo state and that is why the voice at every corner remains the same “Bring back our sports Messiah “ .

Sports Fans, stakeholders, clubs, and athletes, look forward to his return to office in Gov Uzodimma’s new cabinet as the sports commissioner.

“Okoronkwo is a very good man” is all people have to say about him.