A former captain and member of the Tennis section of Port Harcourt Club 1928 Chief Ernest Elochukwu has called on the club, particularly the tennis section to consider organizing tournaments to immortalize Late Rt. Hon. Tonye Ezekiel Harry, the former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly as something that will put the late member in constant memory of people that have known him and those who would want to know him in the future.
The former Captain and Managing Director of Nestello Gateways Group, Chief Elochukwu made the appeal at the end of a valedictory session organized by the Tennis section of the Port Harcourt Club in honor of Late Harry.
He stated that the event was to honour Late Harry, a life member of PH. Club 1928 and one of their benefactors for what he had actually done for the Tennis section and the club, describing him as a “known philanthropist”, a man who single handedly nurtured and sponsored a youth academy in Tennis which afforded the young boys and girls in the academy the opportunity to go to school and enhance themselves, because of his passion for the game of Tennis.
Elochukwu emphasized that the great love shown by Tonye Harry, chairman of Rivers State Tennis Association as well as the National Vice Chairman, Nigerian Tennis Federation to the game of Tennis and his effort to improve the lives of others too numerous to mention, and stands the late Icon out as a philanthropist.
The former section captain, who was a member of the organizing committee to the valedictory session, appreciated the former speaker for all that he has done to the people of his community and humanity in general, irrespective of his position as former Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
The MD of Nestello Group explained that Tonye’s respect for people had helped him to turn around their lives, remembered friends of the old and those he had contact with; saying that he touched their lives in different ways. Chief Elochukwu admitted that what counts for one in life is what he has done or achieved and not the status, positions he has held or the wealth he amassed.
He urged those alive to look at what Tonye has done, emulate them and to show a commitment that will never allow his legacy to die, adding that there was a compelling need to sustain the legacy.
He stressed that it would be shameful to find out that the youth academy cannot continue any longer, owning to the death of Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry, Ernest noted.###
By Blaise Elumezie
