{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Mathematical 7","provider_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7","title":"The man who named me \u2018Mathematical\u2019 - Ernest Okonkwo - Mathematical 7","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"3dG2Q3LZN0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/the-man-who-named-me-mathematical-ernest-okonkwo\/\">The man who named me \u2018Mathematical\u2019 &#8211; Ernest Okonkwo<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/the-man-who-named-me-mathematical-ernest-okonkwo\/embed\/#?secret=3dG2Q3LZN0\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;The man who named me \u2018Mathematical\u2019 &#8211; Ernest Okonkwo&#8221; &#8212; Mathematical 7\" data-secret=\"3dG2Q3LZN0\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Ernest_Okwonkwo.gif","thumbnail_width":208,"thumbnail_height":293,"description":"For some reason, his name is ringing again in the information superhighway. On a few platforms in social media, I have been reading tons of comments by Nigerians I cannot make out why his name has suddenly resurrected at this particular time because the comments reveal nothing about an occasion being celebrated or an event being remembered. The comments are about his work as a commentator and how he impacted the followership of Nigerian football. For some reason, the elements are influencing a celebration at this time via the Internet by many Nigerians old enough to remember and recount the golden days of radio commentaries in Nigerian football led by the late Ernest Okonkwo. I am using this medium to join in the conversations and to pay my own little tribute to a man that christened me \u2018Mathematical\u2019 a nickname that has become even more popular than the name I was given at birth.   Some 14 years ago, I was at the head of a delegation of 7 persons that went as emissaries of the Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to hand-deliver a letter to the President of Ghana about Nigeria\u2019s proposal to bid, on behalf of 5 neighbouring West African countries, to jointly host the first football World Cup coming to Africa in 2010. The delegation had included late Patrick Okpomo, late Samson Akiga, Tijani Yusuf, Kunle Raji, Patrick Ekeji and a few others. A West African World Cup was an idea I had conceived and proposed to the Nigerian government. The government \u2018bought\u2019 it and wanted to \u2018sell\u2019 it to the other countries - Ghana, Benin, Togo, Cote D\u2019Ivoire or Cameroon! Cameroon came into the picture only because Cote D\u2019Ivoire were at the height of a Civil War ravaging the country at the time. As we were ushered into his office in Accra, Ghana, President John Kuffour was standing and waiting behind his desk. As he walked towards us with the broadest of smiles on his face, both arms outstretched in anticipation of the traditional African embrace (instead of a handshake) the first words out of his mouth were: \u2018Mr. Mathematical, welcome to Ghana\u2019.He was familiar with my nickname."}