Former international, Onye hails Peter Obi and Uzodima over support for former football stars

Former Nigeria international footballer, Kingsley Onye, who in his playing days was called " Mature" has hailed both Peter Obi and Hope Uzodimma for their support for former football stars.

Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State recently appointed Emmanuel Amuneke as the chief coach of Heartland FC. He also handed the coach unhindered access to him, as governor.

"This is highly commendable", remarked Onye who had featured for the club in the 1980s when it was known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale.

Onye at once captained the club as the youngest player ever to do that. He noted that Uzodimma has brought into play his background in sports.

The governor in the 1990s was the chairman of the weightlifting federation. Onye is particularly delighted about Amuneke's choice as the coach of Heartland.

He believes that the club under the former Super Eagles star will discover its way back to glory.

Heartland had consistently been inconsistent in spending time alternatively in the Nigeria Professional League and the second-tier league - Nigeria National League.

Onye, based in the United Kingdom promises to back his former club by providing three bus-loads of supporters to attend Heartland's home matches.

In a similar vein, Onye praised Peter Obi for his humanitarian assistance to the family of former Enugu Rangers player Harrison Mecha. Similar support was reportedly offered to the family of Stanley Okoronkwo, another Rangers player of the 1970s.

"When Mecha died, there was nowhere to bury him as he did not have a personal house in which compound he ought to traditionally be interred", revealed Onye.

He said it was Peter Obi who bought the land and put a structure there so that the late Enugu Rangers player could be buried there.

He pointed out that when Obi was governor of Anambra State, he organised the former Rangers players into a united body and paid them under a pension scheme. "This is highly commendable."