By Victor Isiguzo
Former Super Eagles’ striker, Emmanuel Emenike has started footing the bills of an ultra-modern multi-million dollar specialist hospital in Imo State capital, Owerri, as he is eager to contribute towards enhanced progress of health service and medical care in the country.
Having already floated a posh hotel in the same city, thereby adding to his high-brow mansion he opened in grand style on January 4, 2019 in the Heartland State’s number one community, Emenike is now on course to start the process of bankrolling a hospital complex that would reportedly consume over $10m of his personal money.
A source close to the well-travelled striker, who was part of Nigeria’s gold medal-winning Eagles at South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, disclosed that the star is not in any way bothered about the lull in his playing career, as the 32-year-old ace believes he has achieved a lot, and his focus is now fully on completing what will officially be known as Emmanuel Emenike International Hospital.
Consequently, rather than belabor himself with hunting round for another club, after he was released earlier this year by KV Westerlo of Belgium, the AFCON 2013 joint-top scorer, who last weekend was blessed with his second child, after marrying in 2017, is now looking more at his long-held passion of putting his resources into charity efforts.
The often reliable source added that Emenike, who grew up in Ajegunle area of Lagos but got his breakthrough while playing grassroots football around Okota axis of the metropolis, had always been the generous type, and known for a large number of credible efforts over the years in financially, materially and various other ways supporting people he came across during his early days as well as at the height of his highly successful career.
It would be recalled that Emenike also made news back in 2017, when reports emerged about his decision to start investment in property and land, from which it was learnt he plunged millions of Nigeria into an estate in Lekki area of Lagos State among others.
Back in Imo State, Emenike’s plans for the future are noticeable at the free zone area of World Bank Housing Estate, where has an architecturally exotic and eye-popping eight-duplex mansion as well as one other at Imo Housing Estate and another near Greatwood Hotels on Port Harcourt Road.
Apart from the estate of eight unit duplexes in Owerri, which he stylishly tagged 'EE29 Terraces,' the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup star formally registered his company as Emmanuel Emenike Real Estate Limited, with corporate address at 20, William Onoh Street, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, and himself as chief executive officer (CEO).
Interestingly, Emenike has been known to hobnob with esteemed celebrities in music and film, which might have occasioned another of his many money-spinning incursions, as the footballer-cum-businessman, who also owns mansions in London and Dubai, is also the proprietor of E29 Records, a Lagos-based outfit specialized in promoting both young and established performers.
The son of Elder and Lolo Felix Emenike Ndukwu, who was given the native name Chinenye, after his birth on May 10, 1987, is now looking to the future with great expectations, as he appears to have already cemented everything already for himself, his wife and children; amidst a strong hint that football may no longer be top of his mind.
A close associate of the all-action striker, added that these acquisitions in property, land, capital, finances and material have put Emenike in a strong position for the future, such that he is not even thinking much about playing the game any longer.
The source added: “It is wrong for you to suggest that Emenike wants to use the arrival of his second baby as a source of favour for him to get another club. That is wrong, because he is already made and cannot be poor again. He has made a lot of investments.
“Even the house he built for himself in Owerri, with a bridge running through the mansion, is worth more than N25m. How can you say that kind of person is hungry to get another club? No, he is not thinking about getting another club, otherwise he would have got one through someone that came from America with an offer; and another one even came from France.
“The fact is that Emenike is not thinking much about football for now. He is thinking mostly about the hospital he wants to build in Owerri. It is expected to cost more than $10m. That’s what he is thinking about, not football. In fact, he wants to continue helping people.
“We all know how generous he is. There is nobody that he knew when he was growing up that he does not assist one way or the other. Even those he meets now that he is already made, he still tries to help them. So, he knows what he wants, and he is not desperate to get another club he can play for.”
Please share this 👏
