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Behold the real deal. This is the big deal.

THE RESURRECTION OF SAM OKWARAJI

It is a very common thing for the dead to be dissolved from the minds of people few years after burial no matter how loved the person was while alive. The immortalization of heroes by countries helps to ensure that some persons who sacrificed and contributed wholesomely while alive, were not erased or eradicated from history and from the minds of generations to come; that is the greatest honour to be accorded anyone who had ever lived.

The name of "Sam Okwaraji" was already seemingly lost in/with history. It took undaunting frantic effort of one man to resurrect the almost forgotten name, with the singular intention to beatify same among the heroic saints Nigeria has ever produced. 

Senator Osita Izunaso Ph.D, OFR, just did that with the kicking off of Sam Okwaraji Under-16 National Championship Memoir

In 1989 when Sam Okwaraji slumped at the National stadium Lagos, it was like the heaven will fall and crush the earth; hearts bled, questions were posed to the divine; the love for football led a lot of people into questioning the transcendental reality. 

No one could fathom how a gifted and enterprising young man could die in active national service. Amidst all these questions, the world moved on, Sam could be said to have been easily deleted from the minds of his fans within a short period and life went on. 

This year, 2026, Senator Izunaso made Nigeria to give honour to whom honour is due - a great son of Orlu Zone. The literary exhuming and immortalizing Okwaraji's name through a national football championship competition will remain a strategically huge justice done to him. The economics of such a championship is overwhelming and should form a topic of its own. The full participation of Nigeria football federation NFF, Nigeria Institute for Sports NIS, Nigeria Sports Commission NSC, Nigeria Secondary School Sports Federation, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria SWAN, and Nigeria Referees Association, goes a long way to express the seriousness and readiness of the current Nigeria government in immortalizing the name of Samuel Okwaraji.

Being able to pull the federal government and first bank into the national championship should stand as one of the greatest achievements of any Senator East of the Niger from the inception of Nigeria, though I stand to be corrected. 

This tournament which starts in May this year, will give young lads power of expression of raw and organic talent, hence becoming the hob for selection of young lads that will represent Nigeria in the world under 17 champion next year in Qatar. The rise of Nigerian football will once more anchor on harvesting talents that will be fished from this tournament. 

Izunaso's name is ringing bell nationwide, Orlu Zone is very visible in Nigeria, the son of Imo is making his people proud.

Senator Izunaso is the REAL DEAL, take this to the bank!

Emeka Ekwonna

Ezeikputu