By Amaechi Agbo

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF; the FCT Football Association, have continued to express shock and sadness following the death of the former Nigeria National League Chairman, Chidi Ofo Okenwa

Late Okenewa died in his home state Enugu on Tuesday after battling acute leukaemia

Before his death, he was an Executive board member of the NFF as well as the chairman, Enugu State Football Association.

In their condolences messages, NFF, FCT FA described Okenwa’s death as shocking and prayed God to grant his soul rest eternally.

Okenwa died on Tuesday morning at the age of 50. 

Okenwa, also the Chairman of the Enugu State Football Association, had been diagnosed as having leukemia, and was said to have been restless throughout the night and slumped in the early hours before being rushed to a private hospital in Enugu, where he was confirmed dead.

A devastated President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, paid glowing tributes to Okenwa, who was part of a meeting of the NFF Executive Committee held via video conferencing penultimate Friday. It was that same day that Okenwa celebrated his 50^th birthday.

“This is a huge shock. Each and everyone of us on the NFF Board is in absolute grief. Chidi (Okenwa) was a loyal soldier of Nigeria Football and was a leading member of our intellectual wing. This is a terrible blow.

“He was one man you can always rely on to give candid advice. We bounced ideas off him regularly and picked his brain on many issues because of his wide knowledge and decades of experience in football administration. We will sorely miss him,” Pinnick said.

Brilliant, humble, eloquent, witty, thorough and committed to the development of Nigeria Football at all levels, Hon. Okenwa evinced capacity, zeal and fervour, and gave his all for the good ending of any project or assignment in which he found himself.

The remains of the late Chidi Ofo Okenwa has been deposited in a mortuary in the city of Enugu and the NFF is in contact with his family with regards to a decision on the date of the final burial rites.  

Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Football Association (FCT FA), Alhaji Mouktar Mohammed on Tuesday described as painful, the death of a prominent member of the Executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Hon. Chidi Ofo Okenwa.

Mouktar, in a condolence message signed by the Executive Secretary of the FA, Haruna Usman Ilerika described the deceased  as a committed and brilliant football administrator whose vision was to develop Nigerian football using the platform of Nigeria National League.

“The football family across the country will forever remember Chidi Ofor as an honest and transparent leader.” Mouktar said.

Adam Mouktar also sympathised with Chidi Ofor’s family.

“He was a man with astounding humility with a fervent passion to serve his people and I pray that God gives the NFF, NNL, Enugu FA and the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear this national loss.” He concluded

Late Chief Chidi Ofor Okenwa died at the age of 50 in Enugu state.