FROM: JUDEX OKORO, CALABAR
FORMER Nigerian International and Coach of the Unicem Rovers Football Club of Calabar, John Okon Ene, is dead.
The deceased, according to the Chairman of the Cross River State Sports Commission, Chief Orok Duke, died in the early hours of Tuesday March 15, 2016 at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH.
Until his death, Ene was the chief coach of the Unicem Rovers Football Club of Calabar jointly owned by Lafarge Cement and the Cross River Government.
While alive, Okon Ene (a.k.a Akpakpan as he was fondly called by admirers) got to the peak of football career. He started by featuring for the University of Calabar (Unical) Football team during the now rested Pepsi Cola Football Cup competition, as well as the Nigerian University Games (NUGA) competition.
Before his demise, Duke disclosed that Governor Ben Ayade had directed that all necessary resources of the State should be mobilized to ensure his recovery at UCTH.
Duke further hinted that he had led other commissioners in the Sports Commission to visit the deceased on his sick bed after he had undergone a Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan.
The deceased while alive played for the then Acada United Football Club of Unical, Rovers of Calabar, BCC Lions of Gboko, Akwa United of Uyo and also featured for both the Flying Eagles and Super Eagles. He was one of the most decorated footballers from Cross River State.