“I desire to go to hell; and not to Heaven”.
– Niccolo Machiavelli, 16th Century Italian philosopher.
NICCOLO Beanardo Di Machiavelli, the founder of Modern Political Science died in June 21, 1527. Before his body was dumped inside an unknown grave, his last words were as badgering poignant as were his works.
On his deathbed, Machiavelli prayed, “to go to Hell and not to Heaven. In the former place, I shall enjoy the company of Popes, Kings, Princes and Senators, while in the latter are only Beggars, Monks and Apostles.”
Ayo Ositelu, Great Editor, Sports Ambassador, Tennis Buff, Goalkeeper, Local Government Administrator, Director and Deacon of the Aladura sect, died without any known last words attributed to him.
Like his mountain of disciples, Ayo must have been surprised by his hurried demise. However, for those of us his friends, editorial colleagues and cultist of the sports writing fraternity who sailed with him on the mission of restoring respect to the fraternity; swam with him promoting the beautiful game of tennis; rode with him to fulfil his destiny, we proclaim before his marked grave at the Ositelu House in Ogere; that Ayo lived his expectations. His golden odyssey ended in a blessed ascension.
I met Ayo for the first time on the tennis courts of the National Stadium, Surulere. I had left the tempestuous German coach, Gotleib and the Julius Berger FC training camp at Mushin that early morning when we decided to hit some, it was a surprise. Segun Balogun, Bamidele, national champion, Ajayi, Nduka Odizor and their national coaches, Thompson Onibokun and Lawrence Awogbegba moved from the centre courts to watch me and the Arena swing at each other. They moved not so much because we were hitting the balls any better.
They were attracted by the full-kitted gentleman on the other side. Ayo had the grunt and mannerism of a Carolina baseball brawler. He had three graphite racquets; his head was ringed above the ears with a sexy bluish tennis headgear. There was a bubbling orange beverage deposited in coolers on the umpire stand, beside some very clean white towels.
We met again on a flight from Lagos to Bamako on an assignment to cover Bendel Insurance FC of Benin playing against a Malian club side.
Those were the boom days of Nigerian sports writing, starring Sunday Ojeagbase, Mitchel Obi for The Guardian. “Arena” Ayo Ositelu for the Punch and Emma Okocha, supported by Muyiwa Daniel, Yemi Ojo for the great Concord. Echiejine, the big boss of the Sports Radio showed early promise and I was the G.O.C. Concord Combat, Nigeria’s Pioneer Centre Spread Sports Magazine. Paul Bassey was the Champion in the Champion stable and Chief Iwuanyanwu paid him a coach’s salary.
Chris Okojie, Ikedi Isiguzu, Anibueze and Ubani held the fort in the Vanguard. Yinka Craig and Charles Ojugbana for the first time expanded the reach at NTA, making it a hot medium. There were no other channels and the NTA had no competition.
Chief Abiola was the Pillar of our Sports, and without any discrimination he sponsored the clubs and flew out the Sports Editors covering the sports events to any part of the world. For the flight to Bamako we sat near each other. For one thing, we were two arrogant tennis players, who have played football to college and national levels. At the end of all that drub in the dry, dusty city of Bamako, Ayo Ositelu stood aside. He was the only official, journalist, who maintained discipline. He departed the Malian airport for Lagos, without bags of rice or rings of French made tyres pulling behind him.
Ayo headed the Punch Sports Desk at a time those sports departments were stampeding through innovations. Before him, those sports desks were tied to the fortunes of the newsroom where the News Editor was supreme. Where there was any measure of independence, the Sports Editor was usually the under-performing news staff who never played the game. Most of the time, never had the language. He was the reporter or the editorial hand who was posted to the sports desk to maintain his seniority. The News Editor of those days regarded the sports desk as an appendage beat, not in the same significant notes as the Political, Foreign or the Finance departments. Ayo’s training in the United States, his courageous stint as the last man on the stone in the Punch, and of course his ability to invent his own language added to the Sports Writing Revolution of that era. Suddenly, the sports writers who could write more than soccer and the javelin were in hot demands. Concord under the great editor, Duro Onabule decided to send us on double assignments.
The gifted reporter could easily report the finished game between the Super Eagles and Hurambee Stars of Kenya and sneak through the Indian Oceans and confront the failed state of Somalia, report the Ethiopian intervention and analyze the impact of that intervention for the warring countries and its consequences for Africa.
We had everything and we did not need a boarding pass to fly. Chief Abiola did not fly the pastors. The planes were for busy journalists, athletes and those flights were in business to make more money for the kind baron.
Ayo later abandoned general sports writing and like Ingenesia Somiari, who specialised in golf, Ayo specialised in tennis. His coverage of the world Grand Slam has been given editorial accolade by The Guardian editorial. We are happy that Nigeria’s pioneer Wimbledon licensed agent, Richard Akindele has moved to replace him on that respected board.
When the busy Sports Writing Fraternity returns from their South African Football Tourney, we shall assemble again in memory and in respect for the Nigerian sports writing Icon.
The Nigerian tennis family, the Guild of Editors and the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), would play one last one for the Arena who had asked us to do that for him at his 70th birthday.
Inside the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, sitting all the executives of the Nigerian Tennis Clubs, including the oldest ones of Calabar and Asaba 1886, Ikoyi 1934, his own Ikeja Country Club, Kano, Abuja, Benin Ibadan, etc., we shall play.
The tennis playing governors: Fashola, Lagos, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta, the SWAN captained by Kienka, the Editors with Punch’s Fagbenle as playing Captain, the Armed Services, represented by Denny Akaar, Deputy Director General, Nigerian Immigration, partnering Major General Chioba of the Military Headquarters all will assemble to hit the crosscourt for Ayo who crossed the seas without saying goodbye.
Leading on points against the unforgiving death on the red corner, the Arena was almost making it to the final rounds, when the red one without keeping to the rules suddenly released a devastating wicked hook to the Arena’s chin and chest. Ayo against the run of play was knocked down before the final rounds of the seventh. He did not make it to the ripe age of 70, but Ayo like many of the missionaries before him anchored his boat.
His legacies were ample. As a sportsman he was like his Igbobi contemporary, my uncle, Sydney Asiodu, who suffered from tyranny of talents but was able to put some together and won the gold. As a deacon he was true to his religion. Incorruptible. Ayo the Arena, in his life time brought respect to the sports writing beat and before he died, working with the U.S. Embassy brought the Williams Sisters home to Lagos and Badagry.
• Okocha wrote from Lagos.