IDEMILI/Nigeria: A Nigerian Navy senior officer, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Anakwe, has honoured the memory of his late father with the establishment of a multipurpose sports arena in Eziowelle, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The facility, inaugurated on Tuesday, provides venues for tennis, basketball, badminton, volleyball, handball and five-a-side football, alongside restrooms and changing rooms.
The project was executed under the Chief of Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme, with Anakwe serving as facilitator.
Speaking at the inauguration, Anakwe said the facility was more than a community development project, explaining that it was established in memory of his late father, Rear Commander Emmanuel Chukuma Anakwe.
He described his father as a former Nigerian Navy captain and footballer who represented and captained Nigeria’s national team, the Red Devils, between 1956 and 1958.
According to him, his father instilled in the family the values of service, discipline, teamwork and commitment to the community.
Anakwe said the sports arena was his way of preserving those values and giving something meaningful back to the community.
“He is no longer here with us in body, but his spirit is here. The spirit of discipline, teamwork and love for Nigerian lives. It all lives on. This arena is my way to say thank you, Daddy. Thank you for the values. Thank you for the examples,” he said.
The project facilitator said the arena was conceived to provide young people with opportunities for healthy recreation, talent development and positive social engagement.
He said the initiative also reflected the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to strengthening civil-military relations and contributing to the welfare and development of communities.
Representing the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, the Chief of Communications and Information Technology, Rear Admiral Semiu Adepegba, commended Anakwe for identifying a community need and using the opportunity provided by the Navy’s Quick Impact Project Scheme to address it.
Abbas said the facility would provide young people with a structured environment for sporting activities and could help reduce youth restiveness and exposure to social vices.
He urged residents to protect and maintain the facility so that it could continue to benefit present and future generations.
The Chief of Naval Staff also acknowledged the support of the Anambra State Government, Idemili North Local Government Area, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders who contributed to the completion of the project.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to initiatives that strengthen civil-military cooperation and promote social cohesion and community development.
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, also commended the initiative, describing it as an example of how individuals can complement government efforts in developing their communities.
Soludo, who was represented by the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Patrick-Agha Mba, said sports could provide young people with opportunities for talent discovery, healthy living and constructive engagement.
He encouraged other individuals, organisations and corporate bodies to support community development through similar interventions.
The governor also linked the project to his administration’s “Think Home” policy, urging Ndi Anambra at home and abroad to invest their resources and ideas in the development of the state.
The traditional ruler of Eziowelle, Igwe Michael Okonkwo, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Navy and Anakwe for the intervention, describing the facility as a significant addition to the community’s infrastructure.
The inauguration brought together military officers, government representatives, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders.
