By Zekeri Idakwo
Another August 12 has come and gone and it is another opportunity to remember a martyr and prick the conscience of a nation that doesn’t really have any conscience.
A nation that honours and venerates crooks and rogues but abandons heroes and their families is a nation that is not capable of getting anything right.
The life story of Samuel Okwaraji can be summarised and described as patriotism, pure and simple.
That was a man who had several mouthwatering opportunities to abandon Nigeria but consistently chose Nigeria until Nigeria killed him and Nigeria has abandoned his legacy and neglected his family up till this moment.
On August 12, 1989 Samuel Okwaraji slumped and died at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos while playing for the country in a World Cup qualifier.
He received his last yellow card on earth from the Togolese referee in the 71st minute of the match against Angola and slumped in the 77th minute.
His first match at the National Stadium in Lagos was also his last. The first player to get to him when he slumped was Samson Siasia followed by Etim Esin.
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He made his first professional appearance for supper Eagles squad in 1988 and that year’s African Nation’s Cup, where he scored one of the fastest goals in the history of the championship against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. He played along until the final match, where the Eagles lost to their perennial rivals Cameroon by a lone goal.
Late Samuel Okwaraji signed his first professional club football with AS Roma between 1984 and 1985.
He was said to be the first Nigerian to play professional football in both Austria and Germany
Okwaraji was second to the last born in a family of seven and was the breadwinner of the family before his life was cut short by cardiac arrest. Despite his sacrifices for the nation, successive sport administrators and government officials have failed to immortaiise him or cater for the family in any serious way. Over the years, we have heard stories of his mother and other family members living in penury having nothing from the country aside from a few flashes of kindness.
It is never too late to do the right thing. As we remember this great patriot 34 years after his demise, we should think of how to name a major national sporting monument after him because he died in national colours while fighting for national glory at the national stadium.
