The Lagos State Government has finally rewarded Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah, Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medalist, with a three-bedroom apartment.
The gesture is coming 25 years after the Lagos government made the promise to Ajunwa.
Recall that a former military administrator of Lagos, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, had pledged to give Ajunwa a house for winning the gold medal in long jump at the 1996 Atlanta games.
However, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has now presented the key to the house to Ajunwa in a ceremony on Thursday.
Sanwo-Olu described Ajunwa’s feat as historic, adding that it helped in improving Nigeria’s image and further heightened the hopes of young athletes in the country.
He said, “When Dr. Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah represented the country in the 1996 Olympic Games, some promises were made and very typical of us as a people, we forget. I have met and kept the promises of my predecessors in ensuring that our athletes get what they deserve,” the governor said during the presentation.
“She has remained a good reference point for sport, journalism and everything that relates to sport in our country. She is a true demonstration of can-do spirit, which reflects her decision to serve the country as a police officer after attaining a coveted position on an international sporting platform.“
“We will continue to use her as a testimony to give women a strong voice and good representation in our sports organisations. We have made it compulsory to reserve 30 percent of positions to our women in Boards of sports organisations in Lagos.”
