The family of the late first national football team goalkeeper, the defunct Red Devils, Sam Ibiam, will be buried on April 9, in his home town, Unwana, Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
The deceased eldest son, Mr Chukwuemeka Ibiam, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abakaliki.
He said that arrangement for a hitch-free burial ceremony was on top gear.
“I have traversed the South-Eastern states where I met past Green Eagles Stars such as Christian Chukwu and Emmanuel Okala among others to deliberate on ways of ensuring a successful burial.
“I also went to Abuja to discuss with officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the Ministry of Youths and Sports on ways of contributing to the burial.
“There has been no assistance so far from both bodies as I only met Alhaji Mohammed Sanusi, an NFF official.
“At the sports ministry, officials said that the minister travelled abroad as the time of my visit,’’ he said.
Chukwuemeka remarked that the federal government could immortalise his father in several ways but what they needed most now was adequate support to give their father a befitting burial.
“We have not received any fund from any quarter but there has been promises of support to us before the burial date,’’ he said.
He noted that the family wanted Ebonyi government to immortalise their father by naming the Abakaliki Township Stadium after him.
“This obtained in Imo where the Owerri Township Stadium was named after Dan Anyiam, and the Lagos government named its new stadium after Teslim ‘Thunder’ Balogun.
“These were my father’s contemporaries in the Red Devils. I have also visited the Ebonyi Government House severally to solicit for assistance for his burial,’’ he said.
The ex-footballer noted that he had been taking care of his late father since his mother’s demise in 2002, since his parents left behind four children two boys and two girls.
“I took after my father but featured as a striker where I scored lots of goals for Abakaliki White Angels in 1970’s and 80’s,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ibiam who manned the posts for the national team during as Red Devils in the 1940’s and 1950’s, died on Dec. 2, 2015 at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. (NAN)
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