Edo State Sports Commission chairman, Godwin Dudu-Orumen has described the passing of former Bendel Insurance midfielder, George Omokaro as a tragic loss to the football family in Nigeria.
Omokaro, a member of the dreaded Insurance squads of the 1970s and early 1980s, died on the morning of Monday, May 6, 2019 in Benin City.
Dudu-Orumen, who said he received the news of Omokaro’s passing with shock, extolled the qualities of the former Bendel Insurance and Nigerian international.
“He belonged to that class of thinking players, footballers who played the game with their heads. On the pitch he could think quickly on his feet no matter the level of pressure. In the midfield he was tireless and made the job of winning balls and circulating passes to his teammates look too easy.
“A key member of that glorious Insurance team of 1978-1979, which included players like Peter Egharevba, Kadiri ihkana, David Adiele, Louis Boateng, Henry Ogboe, Felix Agbonifo, Agwo Nnaji, Ebenezer Badger, and many others and which titillated Nigerian football fans with their fluid and velvety brand of football, Omokaro with his tireless efforts in the midfield was pivotal to the successes of the team. His death leaves us at the Sports Commission and indeed the whole of Edo State from which he hailed, diminished,” Dudu-Orumen said.
The Edo State Sports Commission boss commiserated with the family of the late Insurance star and prayed to God to equip them with the strength to cope with his passing.
Describing the departed former player as a dedicated and committed professional, he noted that he passed on those qualities to his son, Charles, who is presently captain of Bendel Insurance.
In a related development, Dudu-Orumen has condoled with the family of former Flying Eagles player, Wilson Oboh who died on May 2 2019. Oboh, a former player of Bendel Insurance and Julius Berger, and the first Nigerian to play professional football in the Japanese League (J-League), died from complications arising from a surgery to correct defects from injuries sustained in an automobile accident two months ago.
Dudu-Orumen said his loss will be deeply felt by football fans and other members of the football fraternity in Nigeria to whom he brought joy through his craft.
“We are saddened by his death and pray that his family, friends and associates draw strength from our Father in heaven to cope with his passing,” Dudu-Orumen said.
George Omokaro was a key member of the Bendel Insurance 1978 FA Cup winning team, which defeated Rangers International of Enugu 3-0 at the Main bowl of the National Stadium in Lagos.
