From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

Former minister of Petroleum, Tam David-West,  has called on the Federal Government, Anambra State and the University of Ibadan to honour the late Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna, for being the first Black African to win gold medal in international sports competition.
David-West, a professor of virology, lamented that government and Kuti Hall of Residence in the University of Ibadan have forgotten the former soldier, who won the first gold medal for the country
Ifeajuna had, in the 1954 Nigerian Athletic Championship, established himself among the country’s best high jumper. He was chosen to represent Nigeria at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada from July 30 to August 7, 1954. He competed wearing only his left shoe and won a gold medal. Then, Ifeajuna’s image was used for the front cover of a national exercise book for Nigerian students.
After his gold medal win, he ceased training in the high jump and did not return to sport. He enrolled for a science degree at the University College of Ibadan in 1954, where he later lived in the Kuti Hall. The college later became University of Ibadan. After graduation, he worked briefly as a teacher and joined the Nigerian Army in 1960.
David-West is not happy that Ifeajuna’s legacy with Black African sports history has been gotten, probably overshadowed by his involvement in the first military coup in Nigeria on January 15, 1966, and later for fighting in the Biafran Army during the 30-month civil war in the country from 1967 to 1970. He was said to have executed on September 25, 1967 by the Biafran Army for disloyalty.
According to David-West, the federal government should honour Ifeajuna by naming a stadium or naming the road that leads to the National Stadium in Abuja after him.
He also urged Anambra State Government to honour Ifeajuna, who hailed from Onitsha, while  calling on officials in charge of Kuti Hall in UI to include Ifeajuna’s name in the Kuti Hall of Fame.
He said: “Nigeria owes Ifeajuna a lot of apology. He won the gold medal as a Nigerian, not as a Biafran. There was no Biafra then. The leader of Biafra, Col Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, was pardoned. Ojukwu came to Nigeria with great and tumultuous fanfare in Lagos.
“In fact, there was rumour that Ojukwu was to run as vice presidential candidate to former President of Nigeria in the 1983 presidential election. If Ojukwu was pardoned and came to Nigeria with fanfare, why should somebody they fought together not be pardoned?
“Ifeajuna died supporting Nigeria. He was executed by the Biafran Army for (alleged) disloyalty to Biafra. He was then supporting the cause of Nigeria. No Nigerian has ever considered Ifeajuna for honour.
“The federal government should name a stadium after him. The least they can do is to name the road that leads to the National Stadium after Ifeajuna in Abuja. I will be very proud if the honour is given to Ifeajuna during the time of President Muhammadu Buhari. If he does, Buhari will print his name in gold in the history of Nigeria, especially when Igbo feel he didn’t like them.”
David-West recalled that former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Domkat Bali, who was introduced as one of the heroes of the civil war, said in a public statement that Ifeajuna should be honoured.
He recalled an inter-house sports competition in at UI in 1956 and how Ifeajuna drew crowd to the campus because of his record of performance at the 1954 Commonwealth Games.
“In 1956, there was an inter-house competition in UI. The management decided to keep the high jump till the end so that people would not go.
“Everybody came to watch Emmanuel Ifeajuna. People travelled all over the country, especially from Lagos to see the extra-ordinary Nigerian.
“The principal (now vice chancellor) of the university, Professor Saunders, an old English man, sat on the grass near where Ifeajuna would jump so that he could capture him well with in camera.”
Nigeria must honour Ifeajuna, says David-West