Afolabi Gambari
The magnificent palace in Ile Ife played host to one of Nigeria’s iconic footballers, Nwankwo Kanu, in July 2019 as the Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) received Kanu and his entourage.
The Ooni had been enthralled by Kanu’s strides with the Kanu Heart Foundation (KHF) which he has used to save the lives of many Nigerians, especially the kids, suffering from heart ailments. The Foundation has carried out about 600 open heart surgeries since inception in the year 2000.
It was a heart-to-heart talk between the monarch and Kanu, at the end of which was a rewarding outcome. Ooni told Kanu that he had followed his exploits on the football pitches both in Nigeria and elsewhere that Kanu plied his trade. He regaled the audience with vivid footballing exploits of Kanu, an effort that drew applause from all those present on the occasion.
He specifically extolled Kanu’s sterling performance at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics where Nigeria won gold medal in the soccer event. He also commended Kanu’s resolve to give back to the country that made him an icon. In the same vein, he pledged his support for the KHF, to the delight of Kanu and his team.
Before the visit of Kanu to Ile Ife, the KHF had sought to site a heart surgery hospital in Nigeria with a view to enabling the surgeries to take place in the country, whereby so much foreign exchange spent to carry out surgeries for the patients in Israel, India, Sudan and other places could be conserved.
At the end of the visit, Ooni Ogunwusi offered to have the heart surgery hospital in Ile Ife and donated ten plots of land for the purpose. He also pledged to assist the Foundation in funding the patients’ treatment abroad as well as their rehabilitation, pending completion of the heart surgery hospital project in the ancient town.
Said the monarch on the occasion: “By your efforts at saving many lives through heart surgeries, you have literally touched the heart of God. God is love and anyone who is able to show genuine love to humanity has touched God.”
In his remark, an overwhelmed Kanu described the Ooni as an epitome of kindness. Said the former captain of Super Eagles whose glittering career spanned playing for top European clubs that include Ajax Amsterdam, Inter Milan and Arsenal FC of England: “I am short of words with the humility and show of love that Your Imperial Majesty has shown me and my team on this visit and particularly in accepting to be a patron of the Kanu Heart Foundation. Permit me to say that my visit was motivated by your open mindedness and spirit of oneness.”
Said Coordinator of the KHF, Pastor Onyebuchi Abia: “I wish to thank Your Imperial Majesty for the warm reception you accorded us on this visit. I also wish that the confidence and trust you have reposed in the Kanu Heart Foundation will be cherished and treasured.”
For 19 years before Kanu and his entourage visited the Ooni’s palace in 2019, concerted efforts had been launched towards having the heart surgery hospital located in Abuja. At other times, efforts were geared towards siting it in Onitsha and Owerri. But the commitment required from the targeted sponsors and patrons always fell short, leading to continuous ferrying of the patients to countries abroad with the attendant challenges of logistics and other factors.
The batch of patients that departed for Sudan shortly before the Federal Government announced the coronavirus lockdown in March this year got stranded in the North African country until the lockdown eased up in July; which took a huge toll on the KHF’s finances. Likewise other patients who were due for treatment abroad became stranded at home due to air travel ban placed on countries across the world as a result of the pandemic.
It was a huge lesson in how not to further rely on obtaining the heart surgery abroad. Even after the travel ban was lifted, renewal of expired visas took its toll, in addition to initiating fresh travel plans for patients that had been on stand-by.
All the foregoing makes the Ooni’s offer of plots of land to have the surgery hospital built in Ile Ife valid and ultimately the monarch’s gesture most timely. The Kanu Heart Foundation can count on the Ooni to deliver on his promise.
