Lagos State Sports Commission Rolls out Drums to Celebrate Adenuga at 76
Femi Solaja
Veteran Sports journalist, Olusegun Adenuga, was handsomely rewarded for his glorious career in his profession following a surprise birthday party put together by the Lagos Sports Commission yesterday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Adenuga, fondly referred called ‘Anene’ clocked 76 yesterday and Lagos State Sports Commission choose to reward the foremost football chronicler with a befitting birthday bash that attracted notable former footballers and colleagues in the sports writing profession.
The Chairman of the Commission, Dr Kweku Tandoh, in his remarks urged the society to cultivate the culture of honouring veterans when they are alive and useful to the society and not eulogies them after they must have passed on.
“I recalled that Pa Segun Adenuga was very close to my dad in my infant age and I stand to be corrected for the unbroken passion this man has shown to us in sports. The man deserves all the accolades and honour shown to him today by sports administrators, former footballers that are here today,” he remarked.
The party came as a huge surprise to the veteran journalist as he made his way into the arena with his wife Mrs. Dupe Adenuga without prior knowledge of the package puts together for him at the Media Centre of the sports complex.
Adenuga recalled that in his 47 years in the sports writing profession, the event of yesterday was the happiest moment for him. He was amazed by how members of his immediate family kept him out of the knowing what was at stake for him yesterday.
“This special day was supposed to be another day God has really kept me alive but the turn of events suddenly changed when I stumbled on my wife elegantly dressed for this unique occasion without my knowledge,” emotionally Adenuga remarked during the programme.
Among the former footballers at the event yesterday includes; Joseph Erico and Peter Rufai. Rufai recalled how the veteran journalist used to help him with pre-match information about top players whenever his former club Stationery Stores was involved in continental club competitions in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Top officials of the sports commission led by the Director General, Mr Tunde Bank-Anthony, sports journalists including the President of AIPS Africa, Mitchell Obi, Gboyega Okegbenro, Mayor Akinpelu, Effiong Nyom, SWAN Chairman Debo Oshundun and Bode Oguntuyi were among others that graced the celebration of the veteran journalist.