BEVERLY HILLS, June 18, (THEWILL) – Former Olympic medalist, Chioma Ajunwa-Opara, has said she used the money the late MKO Abiola gave her to build a three-room apartment.
Chioma, who is also a police woman and first Nigerian to win a Gold medal at the Olympics, told The Punch in an interview that the last Abiola’s philanthropist gestures in sports while he was alive tremendously impacted the sector.
“I don’t think there is anybody in Nigeria as far as sports is concerned that competed in the early 90s that wouldn’t have one thing or the other to say about Chief MKO Abiola. His memory still lingers in the mind of many.
“In 1991, I won two gold medals at the African Games, and when we came back, Chief Abiola did us proud. The first three rooms I built in my father’s house were from the money he gave to us. He gave me N370, 000 and a 24-karat gold wristwatch, though somebody stole that wristwatch. The wristwatch was so fine and I kept it somewhere, with the case. I never wore it before it was stolen.
“I cannot forget him in a hurry; he was a man of peace and great understanding. He knew those of us in sports were from less-privileged homes and he took care of us,” the retired Long Jump star athlete said.
She canvassed for an annual sporting event to be named after Chief Abiola, who is the presumptive winner of the annulled June 12 1993 presidential election. He died under suspicious circumstances on July 7, 1998, just before he was due for release from state custody.
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“Chief Abiola deserved more than the renaming of the Abuja stadium. I was happy when I heard the president renamed the stadium after him because it was long overdue, I thought past administrations should have done that, kudos to the president for doing so.
“There should be a kind of competition that will always be running in his name annually, if that is done for him, it will be very good.”
