The former Secretary of Rangers International of Enugu, Joe-Martins Uzodike, has commended the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo for the massive welfare package for former players of one of the oldest clubs in Nigeria.
Uzodike who was Secretary of Rangers between 1974 and 1984, made the commendation while speaking to newsmen in Awka on Thursday.
He said, though the Enugu state government had been catering for the welfare of the former players of Rangers, the new package announced by Soludo when he led the veterans on a courtesy visit to him at the weekend was unprecedented.
The former Rangers Secretary said the stipend was for every ex-Rangers player irrespective of their state of origin.
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“I want to thank Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for first of all accepting my request that ex-Rangers should come and see him and secondly, for the unprecedented lifesaving welfare package he announced.
“Soludo increased the monthly stipend of these legends from N15,000 to N100,000. He also announced free medical care for those of them from Anambra at the state owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital.
“Soludo also gave ex Rangers players, about 75 of them, N200,000 and a 50kg bag of rice each for visiting. It has never been this good. I want to thank him for his kind gesture towards these great men.
“This is particularly interesting because Rangers Int’l was the identity of East Central after the civil war. These men brought joy to the people with the games they played, they also gave us identity,” he said.
Uzodike, a former Commissioner for Information and Culture in Anambra while appreciating Soludo called on other state governors to emulate him.
