By Chijioke C. Dike, Esq
GEKWU, as he was popularly called, lived at No. 41 Abagana Street, Coal Camp. He was the immediate younger brother of Osita Isiadinso, the popular OC Mambo.
He attended St. Peter’s Primary School, Coal Camp, and thereafter gained admission into the famous Chris the King College, CKC, in 1973. While in primary school, he did not only play but was at various times the Captain of both the junior and senior teams.
During regular practices either in the field at the Deaf and Dumb School, situated at the end of Ogbunike Street or Baby Way at the end of Calabar Street or the old basket ball pitch at the end of Owa Street but within the premises of St. Peter’s, Gekwu would always be seen with sugar cane which he consumed while playing. If consumption of sugar cane was a sporting event Gekwu and his good friend, Odii, another good football player, would have won medals for Nigeria. Odii lived at No. 15 Broderick.
Gekwu had a stint at Government College, Afikpo before moving to CKC.
At CKC, Gekwu also played for the school’s junior and senior teams and again was the Captain of both teams. He narrowly missed being among the CKC team that won the world school football competition in Dublin, Ireland. That team was made up of the best of the best in secondary school football from various schools in Anambra State.
Within the Onitsha metropolis football matches involving CKC, DMGS and later Metro were always as tough as those between Rangers and IICC of Ibadan or between Rangers and Spartans of Owerri or Vasco Da Gama of Enugu or Mighty Jets of Jos or Bendel Insurance of Benin. Gekwu’s style of football was known as “selense” or “don dirty”. He was hardly physical and seemed to deliberately avoid much body contact.
Immediately after secondary school he was poached by the Enugu Rangers International where he subsequently became the Captain of the team. He, along with his team mates, won several laurels for the team. Having captained the various teams he played for, Gekwu could rightly be described as Captain Christian Chukwugekwu (CCC) Isiadinso in a similar manner as Chairman Christian Chukwuemeka Chukwu, CCCC.
Like Gekwu, the following Coal Camp boys played for Enugu Rangers: Chibo Ofordile, Owami, 2 Ogbete Street; Okwuchukwu Obiora, Agarimojo,10 Mission Avenue; Goddy Ben Ugwu, Surugede, 30 Ogbunike Street; Arthur, 29 Arochukwu Street; Andrew Okpufie, 19 Eke Street, there were more.
“Playing for a team like Rangers in those days had a lot of prestige, aura and popularity for the players particularly among the female folks. Those who were snatched or who snatched Rangers players were the envy of their peers,” he said. Gekwu had some measure of the aura and popularity that came with being a Rangers player and was attracted to a Coal Camp girl from Enugwu Ukwu, the same town as Gekwu. Cecilia Uju Egolum lived at No. 36 Chukwuani Street and it was like, “If it was not Gekwu, it would be nobody else”. Gekwu felt the same way towards her. Their courtship lasted for sometime before they finally and formally got married.
Following his retirement from football, Gekwu was engaged as a Protocol Officer in the Anambra State Government House. His wife is a staff member of the Anambra State Broadcasting Services.
May his soul find peace in the bosom of the Lord.
