Ohanaeze Ndigbo Settles Federal Government’s 48-Year Debt to Enugu Rangers 1977 Heroes

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has stepped in to rectify a historical injustice, settling a financial debt owed by the Federal Government to the heroic 1977 African Winners’ Cup-winning squad of Enugu Rangers, 48 years after the feat.

Dependable NG reports that at an emotionally charged event held in Enugu on Wednesday, the Igbo body made good on a forgotten government pledge by paying N1 million to each surviving member of the history-making squad. The payment stems from 1977 when Rangers clinched the African Winners’ Cup; at the time, the government rewarded them with a paltry N25,000, which was only half of the N50,000 received by Shooting Stars of Ibadan for achieving the same continental honour just a year earlier. This significant financial disparity sparked widespread outrage across the South-East region, with many viewing it as a continued slight against the Ndigbo people in the complex post-civil war era. Decades later, Ohanaeze made the decisive move, stating it could no longer tolerate the delay of justice.

Senator John Azuta Mbata, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, passionately declared that although the debt was initially owed by the Federal Government, it was the Igbo nation that had ultimately chosen to redeem the obligation. He emphasised the enduring significance of the team’s victory, stating, “If the government forgot, the Igbo did not. Rangers gave us hope when we had nothing after the war.” The ceremony was filled with raw emotion as revered football legends, including goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala and Dominic Nwobodo, received their cheques. Families of departed players, notably those of the late Coach Christian Chukwu, were also beneficiaries of the payments. An emotional Okala lamented the passing of his colleagues before the day came: “Many of our teammates didn’t live to see this day. Since 1977, we’ve waited. This gesture means the world to us.” For Ohanaeze, the gesture transcends the monetary value; it is a profound act aimed at restoring memory, dignity, and reaffirming the indomitable Igbo spirit. Mbata added that “Rangers were more than a team; they were a symbol of resilience, proof that from the ashes, we could rise again.”