By Amaechi Agbo

A former goalkeeper of Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL side, Rangers International FC of Enugu, needs the total sum of five million naira, (N5, 000, 000.00) to perform heart surgery, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

Paul Chike Obiakor, who played for the seven-time NPFL champions, is currently sick and bedridden with heart-related ailments.

Mr Obiakor played for Enugu Rangers from 1979 to1987.

Narrating his ordeal in the hospital, the former Elkanemi Warriors shotstopper said that his heart problem started in 2016.

He added that he has spent much, even as a retired civil servant stressing that the N5 million bill to effect
CRTD (Cardiac resynchronisation defibrillators) is way out of his reach, hence his passionate appeal for help.

Below is his appeal for help

“I am Paul Chike Obiakor. I am a product of CKC World Schools football champion in 1977 at Dublin.

After my school certificate, I joined Rangers International Enugu from 1979 to1987.

I was invited to the national team by Otto Gloria and Coach Calleso both from Brazil just after the 1980 Nation’s Cup in preparation for the 1982 World Cup. Chief Segun Odegbami was the skipper of the team.

I enrolled in the National Institute for Sports where I did my grade 3 and 2 coaching courses in football before retiring to Anambra State to handle school sports football teams

I played for Asesa warriors FC in Enugu, ElKanemi Warriors of Maidugari.

My ailment is heart problem. After undergoing series of tests from the Reading of Echo Therapy, I was told that my heart is weak and that I need CRTD to be inserted in my heart. That with that I will be very okay .

The apparatus is expensive that it will cost 5million as said by the Doctor.”

Cardiac resynchronisation defibrillators, CRTD, is the insertion of electrodes in the left and right ventricles of the heart, as well as on occasion the right atrium , to treat heart failure by coordinating the function of the left and right ventricles via a pacemaker, a small device inserted into the interior chest wall.

Paul Chike Obiakor, is currently at
Heartland Cardiovascularst Consultants Hospital, 18 T Y Danjuma Street, Asokoro Abuja