Okwaraji, the forgotten hero

Precisely 24 years ago, late Samuel Okwaraji slumped and died while playing for his father’s land. Despite all his sacrifice, he was forgotten and abandoned by past governments. Can Dr. Goodluck Jonathan make history by rewarding the family of the late footballer?

In the Green Eagles jersey

On August 12, 1989, late Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji slumped and died while playing for the then Green Eagles of Nigeria in the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Palancas Negras of Angola at the main bowl of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Precisely August 12, this year, it will make it exactly 24 years since the footballer died and forgotten. His family members especially his mother, who were abandoned by government have cried out on several occasions all to no avail.

Due to the treatment meted to Okwaraji and his family, a writer, Chineme Okafor,  was forced to re-phrase the national anthem as, “the labour of our heroes past shall EVER be in vain” from: “the labour of our heroes past shall NEVER be in vain.”

During his days, Okwaraji demonstrated patriotism that eventually claimed his life on the field of play. Prior to his death, a conflict ensued between him and his club, SSV Ulm 1846, which attracted the attention of the then chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, NFA, Group Capt. John Obakpolor, who had mediated in the matter to ensure his participation in the game.

SSV Ulm 1846 had demanded $45,000 before it could release Okwaraji for the qualifying games as compensation for what it would lose in gate takings while Okwaraji was away with the national team. But Obakpolor was able to negotiate a deal for the country by paying a much lower $15,000 for his release. That was done without his knowledge and consent.

His statute at the National Stadium, Lagos

Okwaraji was reported to have expressed his disappointment with his club’s action when he learnt of it and had told them that he will represent Nigeria without paying a dime, insisting: “I am a lawyer, you know I signed to play football under certain conditions but I don’t think it included reselling my services to my country. You or your club cannot stop me from playing for my country. Let me tell you, I am going to represent my country in the World Cup in Italy whether you like it or not.”

Though he never made it to the World Cup, Okwaraji’s level of commitment to Nigeria was great and equally complimented with his discipline and professionalism such that he never held the country to ransom for his services, match bonuses or return tickets to his base; he would rather pay his way without asking for refund. But almost 24 years after his death, Okwaraji’s sacrifices for his country have come to nought. He died just after he signed a $500,000 contract with Berchem FC of Antwerp, Belgium.

A football enthusiast, Tony Nwachukwu, nicknamed stagger claimed that everything that occurred that day was pointing to tragedy. According to him, “First, 80,000 fans were allowed into the National Stadium in Surulere, far beyond the capacity. Fans were being thrown down from terraces as the game progressed. 12 eventually died that day.

Then on to the game itself, the Angolans employed an extremely physical approach, hacking at our players with no mercy. Tackle after tackle after tackle. Then Austin Eguavoen missed a penalty. If not for the single goal scored by Stephen Keshi and the penalty save in the second half from goalkeeper David Ngodigha after Sunday Egboigbe's double error, in giving the ball away, we would have gone home empty-handed.

On the fateful day

Then Sam fell. The crowd gasped. Samson Siasia walked over to him and according to him, Sam's last words were “call me a doctor.” Siasia lifted up his hands and beckoned frantically to the bench that there was trouble. Okwaraji was taken to an ambulance which could not start because the battery was down. And he died right there in the ambulance.

The autopsy on his remains later showed that he had died of an enlarged heart. Nigeria went on to lose the qualifying ticket to Cameroun on August 27, 1989 at the Stade Omnisports in Yaounde by a lone goal.

During his days in SSV Ulm 1846

His teammate, Dahiru Sidi in a 2011, who is now a backroom staff at Kaduna United stated that, “It was a shock to all of us all with the way it happened. I came on as a substitute in that game in the second half and minutes after the game we were told Samuel Okwaraji was dead.

“At that point the win meant nothing to us and I think it affected us in our next game (against Cameroon). Unfortunately we failed to qualify for the World Cup, which would have been a befitting way to honour Okwaraji for his hard work and commitment.”

Paul Hamilton, who was then part of the coaching team, said, “Even in death till date, he still remains a player who set a good example that present day players in the national team can learn from,” Hamilton said.

The mother, Mrs Jane

He narrated how Okwaraji broke into the Nigerian squad as a foreign-based player-cum-student. “We had gone for a playing tour of Germany and the then Nigeria Football Association, NFA chairman, retired Group Captain John Obakpolor paid us a visit at our training ground. He spoke to Manfred Hoener, the then Nigeria's head coach and myself of a young Nigerian student who was schooling and playing football in Germany.

“The student turned out to be Samuel Okwaraji and immediately he was invited to join the camp. Okwaraji impressed me in his first training session and that was how he got invited for the preparation for the Maroc '88 Africa Cup of Nations.”

“He was always among the first to report to camp before our matches. And you cannot miss his hard work and that impressed the coaches and that was how he made the team to Morocco. It was painful that he died just when he started his career.

Born in Orlu in Imo State on May 19, 1964, the late soccer hero had before his death played about 10 matches for Nigeria and scored once. He made his national team debut against Algeria at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu in a Seoul 1988 Olympic qualifier and played a key role at the 1988 African Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he scored the fastest goal of the tournament against Cameroon in the group stages.

Okwaraji also played at the Olympics in Seoul the same year before his last outing against Angola in Lagos. In between, he had played professional football with NK Dynamo Zagreb of Yugoslavia, Vfb Stuttgart and SSV Ulm 1846 of Germany and also got his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in international law from the University of Rome.

Apart from his traditional mother tongue, Igbo, Okwaraji also spoke German, English, Spanish and the Italian languages and was described as a thorough professional with a heart for Nigeria. Such was his patriotism that he was reported to have often played games for the country without requesting for flight tickets and match bonuses.

He was seen as somebody who loved his country so much that he was always among the very first players to arrive camp not like what is obtained today where some players have to be begged to come for national duty.

However, some people believe that the treatment meted on Okwaraji was unfair and want government to as a matter urgency address the issue. Recently, Okwaraji’s mother, Mrs. Jane was said to have lamented on the treatment accorded her late son.

Her words, “Would it be too much to name the stadium in which he died after him after such a wonderful sacrifice? It is usual to retire the jersey number in which a star footballer died as a mark of respect for such a star but in the case of Sam, it did not happen.

“Besides, there was no insurance payment for him and we could not get his entitlements from his club abroad because Sam, as it were, did not wait to formally obtain permission from his club before coming to play for the country and died in that match.”

Jane disclosed that the government made promises to help them out with the care of the children when Sam died because he was the family’s provider but nothing was done. “I am so surprised that a government could make false promises and also fail to fulfill the pledges it made. The government could not feel the death of the 24-year-old boy who died labouring to bring glory to Nigeria. That is so unfair. Nigeria has disappointed me because the government promised to help train my children to any level of education and at the same time helps the family but they have failed.”

Chairman of the Nation-Wide League, Ahmed Kawo noted that government cannot do everything. He claimed that the Nigeria Football Federation has done its best and because of the huge responsibilities and lean purse, they have been restricted.

He however called on the private sectors as their corporate responsibilities to contribute their quota to the family of the late footballer in order to encourage upcoming ones. Kawo also urged individuals to contribute their widow’s mite to the family.

Secretary general of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Andrew Abah also towing the line of Kawo want government to do something concerning Okwaraji. He advised late Okwaraji’s present state governor, Rochas Okorocha to take up the challenge by not only reminding Nigerians about the greater player but also table the matter before the federal government.

Abah is convinced that President Goodluck Jonathan will do something concerning the issue considering what he has done recently especially in honouring sports men and women for their performances. According to him, “If the President can reward the Sydney 2000 Olympic athletes for the gold medal which was just given to them by the IOC, he can do something concerning Okwaraji’s family, he just needed to be reminded,” he noted.

On his immortalization, she said, “That has been my pain all these while, they haven’t done anything to immortalise this boy because he gave his life, money and education for this country and nothing has been done to immortalise him. He slumped and died at the National Stadium in Lagos. But when you go there, you will see his statue that was erected at the gate but I don’t know if that is the kind of immortalisation that befits Sam.

“24 years back it was Okwaraji, and a couple of years ago it was Rashidi Yekini, tomorrow it may be Kanu Nwankwo, another great footballer who has done so well for the country yet the government does not deem it fit to honour these men and women that have served to glorify this country, but would rather honour thieves and crooks with high profile honours,” she lamented.

Simon Ibiam, a computer analyst wants something to be done about the statute of Okwaraji, he said, “There is the statue of the late Teslim Balogun at the entrance to the Teslim Balogun Stadium opposite the National Stadium. It’s imposing and you can’t miss it. Okwaraji deserves something like that or more. He was a national hero who died serving Nigeria. It does not matter if the Federal Government does it or any state government.”

Coach of a five-aside Futsal team commended the Lagos State government for remembering the late player, but wants the stadium to be named after him. “There are many stadiums named after people who did not contribute to the progress of this nation. Okwaraji did and died here. What other reason do we need to honour him with this stadium? Since he died here serving Nigeria, the stadium should be named after him.”

A football fan, Hyacinth Okoro asked so many questions, “There are so many players I cannot remember now. Have they been immortalised? Have they been given National Awards? What has happened to their families? When last did a government official ever care to call or visit their people to know how they have fared all these years that their breadwinners have died? Has the government fulfilled any of the promised made to Sam Okwaraji's family?

“Yet we have thieves and Boko Haram sponsors being given national awards. God should help them that I don’t become the president of this country because heads will roll,” he warned.

The statue of Samuel Okwaraji, with braided dreadlocks, standing about 7ft high sits on a white marble structure at a park built by the Lagos State government in front of the Surulere National Stadium, is one of the few reminders that Nigeria is paying lip-service to its sporting heroes.

Incidentally, so many footballers have died the way of Okwaraji, some of them are Tunde Charity Ikhidero, one of the players in the Miracle of Damman U-21 team against Russia, then USSR; Amir Angwe, a BCC Lions player who won the 1990 African Cup Winners Cup, Endurance Idahor in Sudanese league amongst others but till date, nothing is being done concerning the health status of footballers and sports men and women in the country.

However, Okwaraji’s sudden death was similar to that of Marc-Vivien Foé 14 years later. Incidentally, the Cameroun was honoured by both his country and the world football governing body, FIFA with a memorial match and scholarship for his son.

Mrs Jane however noted if the treatment meted on her son and family, the acts might affect the psyche of the younger generation of Nigerians who might not be compelled to give their best for the glory of Nigeria. “Okwaraji would have been able to live out some of his dreams that included building a world class youth football academy and a mini stadium, among others,” but Okwaraji gave all to his country and lost everything?