By Danielle Lobito
Chioma Ajunwa
Nigerian Police Officer Chioma Ajunwa remains ‘Nigeria's only individual Olympic gold medalist’, even after the end of London 2012 Olympics, where Team Nigeria did not win a medal. Ajunwa became an Olympian 16 years ago. Vladimir Duthiers interviewed her in Nigeria on African Voices (CNN), when a lot of people had probably forgotten about her.
She spoke about the need to invest in athletes, and train them effectively for the Olympics. She was recruited into the police force after being spotted while playing football with boys. She did not plan to become a police woman or play for the police team.
Ajunwa was banned after failing a drug test in 1992, but triumphantly went to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and won the women’s long jump gold medal. She said that her gold medallion has been secured in a bank safe since 1996, regardless of the fact that she is a police officer.
She runs Chioma Ajunwa Foundation as a mentor and motivational speaker. The foundation helps upcoming athletes, and educates them on how to avoid medication that could contain banned substances, which could end their sports career. She believes in “catching them young” or looking for talented children at the grassroots level.
Chioma Ajunwa-Opara said, “Here in Nigeria, we are not civilized” because anybody can buy drugs over the counter without a prescription, and doctors can give prescriptions without asking if the patients are performing athletes. Her comment may not be accepted by some Nigerians, and medical doctors in Nigeria.
Nigeria is a developing country. The current federal government is not interested in the regulation of some sectors. In Nigeria, children are allowed to buy alcohol, cigarettes and medicine because it is not against the law. In fact, nobody really cares. Most legislators are interested in bills that would favour them instead of the masses.
The general assumption is that children are buying it on behalf of their parents, and children should be morally trusted in the old fashioned way. Pharmacists and physicians can always argue that they are not law breakers, lawmakers, and law enforcers. More over, the presidency does not seem to be in favour of constructive criticism.
