Sports Minister, Sen. John Enoh, the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF), Chief Executive Green White Green Sports Center Hon Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe and the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, expressed shock over the demise of House of Reps Committee Chairman on Sports, Hon. Ekene Abubakar Adams.
Hon. Ekene Adams passed away after a period of illness at the age of 39. Until his passing, he served as the chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
He also held positions as the CEO of Kada City Football Club and general manager of Remo Stars at different times before winning the House of Representatives seat in the 2023 general election.
Senator Enoh expressed his sadness, stating, ‘Hon. Ekene was deeply passionate about sports and played a significant role in the growth and development of sports in Nigeria. I offer my heartfelt condolences to Honourable Ekene’s family.
‘He was a sportsman par excellence who not only played the game but also administered and invested in it. We will miss his wealth of experience and the passion he brought to sports.’
Sports Entrepreneur and Chairman Gombe State Athletics Association Hon. Gara Gombe elugised the sports qualities of the deseased, insisting that Ekene Adams not only fought to right the wrongs in sports, he also raised his voice against the injustice perpetuated by sports administrators who are now singing his praises.
The Former Chairman of Gombe United football club said he knew Ekene Adams when he was very young and his intimidating interest in sports was second to none. He regretted that Adams took ill and had to step aside, he condolled the family for the great lose.
“So Ekene Abubakar Adams Is Gone?, Such is life, may Almighty Allah forgive his sins and grant him paradise.” Gombe concluded.
President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, in a letter he personally signed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, extolled the virtues of the late Hon. Adams, saying the deceased was ‘the leader of a very important committee in the House of Representatives and a man who was very much alive to his duties, tasks, assignments, obligations and responsibilities.
‘As someone who has worked in football all his life, contributing his quota to the development of the game on the domestic front, Hon Ekene Abubakar Adams was well-known to the entire football fraternity, and it was no surprise that he was very keen on further development of the game of football in the country while he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development.
‘From serving and excelling as General Manager of Kada Stars Football Club of Kaduna to serving and accomplishing great things as General Manager of Remo Stars Football Club of Ikenne, to his glorious political sojourn that ended with Chairmanship of one of the most important committees in Nigeria’s Parliament, the late Hon.
‘Adams surely left his bold and indelible footprints in the sands of time, and departed with a legacy of distinguished service to the football industry and to the country’s legislative chambers.
‘We all loved him, but God Almighty loves him much more. Rather than be thrown into dejection and sorrow, we must endeavour to celebrate Hon. Adams’ fruitful and fulfilled existence here on planet Earth,’ wrote Gusau who thereafter paid a condolence visit to the house of the departed where he met with his mother and wife