Globacom shows kindness to ailing ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Fregene

In a commendable display of kindness, one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunications companies, Globacom, has extended its support to former Green Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Fregene, who is currently facing health challenges.

Former national team captain Segun Odegbami pointed out Globacom’s compassionate gesture and revealed the company was not interested in making a publicity stunt from their humanitarian gesture.

“The messengers (from Globacom) did not want any publicity for this act, but I cannot be involved in such a huge humanitarian project, witness such ample munificence and benevolence, and not play the small part of acknowledgement.” Odegbami wrote in a post on his Facebook page.

Fregene is a celebrated goalkeeper who represented Nigeria’s national football team, diligently for almost two decades, from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, the longest in Nigeria’s football history.

He has, however, fallen on hard times as he struggles with health issues.

“For over two decades, even with some medical intervention funded by the Lagos State government under Babatunde Fashola, about 10 years ago, Peter Fregene’s health condition went from bad to worse,” Odegbami captured the state of the veteran goalkeeper in his Facebook post.

“He has been spending his days and nights either in a wheelchair or in his bed, his withered body now riddled with bedsores. Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene has suffered and been in truly bad shape for too long,” he added.

Fortunately, what looked like a hopeless situation for Fregene has now been turned around, all thanks to intervention by Globacom.

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Odegbami wrote: “Two days ago, ‘divine messengers’ quietly descended and landed in Sapele, in the rented, one-bedroom apartment where Peter Fregene and his wife live in ceaseless pain and penury. They came loaded with ‘manna’ from heaven.

“In a well-thought-out program of rehabilitation, the messengers delivered all physical essentials needed in a new home to make a living and life more comfortable for Peter Fregene – furniture, bed, television set, generator, and so forth.

“The apartment is undergoing repainting and complete upgrading.

“On top of all that, the family will be given a very tidy monthly allowance, more than enough to meet the needs of the family, through his devoted wife who has stayed by Peter’s side through the decades, giving up her own life so that Peter will live and not die.

“On the occasion, officials of the national telecommunications giant came to deliver these life-sustaining gifts.”

Like many other Nigerians, Odegbami thanked the chairman, board, management and staff of GLOBACOM for this uncommon shower of love and compassion for a retired Nigerian football hero.