THANK GOD FOR THE RADIO: A REFLECTION ON THE LIFE OF ERNEST OKONKWO AND THE RAILWAY BOY
Engr. Ben Osy Okoh FNSE, F.ASCE
Managing Director at Fieldmarshal Integrated Engineering Concept Limited
The Kendalls were an American country music duo, consisting of Royce Kendall and his daughter Jeannie. Between the 1960s and 1990s, they released 16 albums on various labels, including five on Mercury Records. Between 1977 and 1985, 22 of their singles reached the top 40 on the Billboard country singles charts, including three number-one hits: "Heaven's Just a Sin Away", "Sweet Desire", and "Thank God for the Radio".
The Kendalls in the single "Thank God for the Radio", extolled the importance of the radio when one is lonely and blue. Below are the lyrics of the song.
At the wrong end of the highway When the long night has no end When there's no one there beside me 'Til I hold you once again
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Thank God for the radio when I'm on the road When I'm far from home and feelin' blue Thank God for the radio playin' all night long Playin' all the songs that mean so much to me and you
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There's a song that we first danced to There's a song that played the night we met There's a song we fell in love to That's a song I'll never forget
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Thank God for the radio when I'm on the road When I'm far from home and feelin' blue Thank God for the radio playin' all night long Playin' all the songs that mean so much to me and you
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Thank God for the radio when I'm on…
When we were growing up in Enugu –the Coal-Cty, two things that were not missing in most homes were a radio and a fan (table or standing). However, these two were of no interest to us, but the television. Only a few homes had televisions and those that didn’t have would always peep through the windows or doors of those that had to catch a glimpse of the TV programmes which usually started by 4 pm. They always began with children’s programmes, so no child ever wanted to miss that. We would finish all our assignments and home chores on time in readiness for the show. How can I forget the rainbow lines that would appear first, followed by the national anthem and the national pledge? It was a memory that cannot be forgotten soon. In those days televisions were big treasures and some came in boxes and locks. It was only the fathers that had unrestricted rights to open and lock the televisions. When they travelled you would automatically become a spy in other peoples homes. Those whose TV didn’t have locks would be warned never to come near the TV till the soul commander in chief of the television returned.
At times they would not return before 4 pm (when the programmes would start), and we would switch on the TV and position someone outside to alert us when the owners of the television were coming back (lol). Once we were alerted, we would quickly switch off the TV and cover it with the TV clothes and pretend as if nothing happened. Unfortunately for us, we could not outwit the commanders. They knew their televisions and their televisions knew them. Once they came in, they would feel the back of the TV and the TV would respond with heat. You know the resultant effect (a story for another day). I applied this technique recently and it worked. I couldn’t stop laughing. Sometimes children in trying to outwit their parents forget that their parents were once children. It was fun passing through those stages and experiences of life.
Interestingly, my father showed less interest in the almighty television than he showed in the radio. The only time he paid attention to the television was during the 9 pm NTA Network News or during football matches. My father loved football, though I could never remember any time he went to the stadium to watch a match even though we were living close to the stadium. Each time Nigeria or his darling club Rangers was playing he would rather prefer to listen to the commentaries on radio than the TV commentaries. He would tune down the volume of the TV even when the frequencies were not the same. I could not recall any time he watched any football match using the audio of the television. Most times if the noise from us was much he would put batteries in the radio and go outside with his friends Omokwe and Papa Bassey and others and sit under the mango tree in our house to listen to the commentaries. I couldn’t understand the reason they would prefer the radio to the television.
Any time there was a power outage, we all would rush out and surround them even when we could not understand anything the commentator was saying. The only language we could understand at that time was IT’S A GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Sometimes so many it’s aaaa.. never turned to a goal and we would run to the streets celebrating only to be told later that it was never a goal (chaiii what an experience). I thought my father and his friends were the only ones guilty of that until I started going to the stadium to watch matches and pick balls during Rangers training.
I grew up at the Railway Quarters Enugu which was just in close vicinity to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu. (In those days, we were known as “RAILWAY BOYS”. It was a contemptuous way of describing children whose parents were victims of a failed system, that was the Nigerian Railway Corporation. The Nigerian Railway Corporation and the Nigerian Coal Corporation at a time used to be among the top government corporations. It was a pride to work in these two organisations until everything went bad. Sometimes our parents were owed salaries up to more than one year. It was that bad. That shining light suddenly became an object of ridicule. That was how the Railway Boys were seen – children of the impoverished, children with no hope or future. Despite all these, the Railway Boys refused that their future or destiny would be defined by others. Truly only Railway Boys and their likes could survive those horrible experiences. That is why we are always proud when we see Railway Boys doing great in their profession. Today the Railway Boys are captains of industries, generals in the army, heads of government agencies, ministers, governors, senators, honourable members, etc. In sports, they are also very conspicuous. Beatrice Utondu, Emma Okocha, Augustine Okocha, Louis Igwilo, and many others are all railway children. I am also a proud railway boy). We would sneak out most evenings to watch Rangers training at the stadium and pick balls. Each time Rangers or Vasco Dagama played at home, I never missed their matches.
I fell in love with football and on match days we would gather near the gates waiting to be smuggled into the stadium. I had a dreadlock that attracted me to many people, so I was always lucky. Most times people paid for me to enter the stadium. I watched the likes of Ikechukwu Ofoje, Charles Okonkwo, Patrick Okala, Emma Okocha, Joe Achinze, Loius Igwilo, David Ngodiga, Totty O Totty, Herbert Anijekwu, Frank Njemanze and host of others players. I was also lucky to watch the Eagles play some qualifiers in Enugu. I picked balls during their training and watched the likes of Sam Okwaraji, Peter Rufai, Ademola Adeshina, Ndubuisi Okosieme, Bright Omokaro, Rashidi Yekini, Henry Nwosu, Yisa Sofoluwe, Humphery Edobo, and many others. That was one advantage of being a Railway Boy.
During matches, it was so shocking that most people watching live matches in the stadium had their radios on. I could not understand why someone watching a live match would be listening to the commentary of the same match on the radio. My father and his friends were not the only ones anyway. But whose voice was that on the radio that was that captivating, scintillating and infectious that some would even prefer to sell their televisions and buy a radio? Were the Kendalls right in thanking God for the radio?
(Unfortunately, most people never listen to radios these days. You can hardly find radios in our homes except for the ones in our cars or phones. When I was in secondary school, I remember buying a small radio which I took to school every Monday and would sneak out of the class with my friends to listen to a sports programme “Ama Egwuregwu” anchored by legendary Nduka Obikwelu. Nduka was such a genius and a delight to listen to. Aside from football, I didn’t pay attention to other sports, but Nduka ignited my passion for other sports especially Tennis which I play today. I heard about the likes of Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf and others for the first time at “Ama Egwuregwu”. Unfortunately, I have never met Nduka Obikwelu. I did all I could to meet him, but all my attempts failed till I left Enugu. Thank God for Facebook. Nduka and I are friends on Facebook and I still look forward to meeting him one day.
From my small radio, I graduated to using a radio with a recorder. I developed an interest in football and other sports so early even though I was a JB, a name for someone with zero skills in football. But what no one could take from me at that time was my knowledge of football history and my analytical prowess. I started writing commentaries (not just sports) which were read on radio and published in some sports journals. So with my recorder, I was ready to record any of my works when they were aired. Most times I would do the same recording three times just to ensure that I didn’t miss out on anything. Chaii! I condemned many of my mother’s beautiful Christian tapes in a bid to record my commentaries. As a student at Urban Boys’ Secondary School Enugu, I never missed any edition of the Sporting Champion Newspaper on Fridays and the monthly Complete Football Magazine. How can I forget my friend Kalusha, another repository of sports history to date? We would miss classes analysing sports. I came to school late most Fridays because I was waiting at the vendor’s stand to get a copy of the Sporting Champion. My arrival at school was always heralded with chants of “Hua oh oh ya ooo” by my classmates who were earnestly waiting for my arrival. After reading the newspaper, we would go into analysis. It was fun.)
I began to ask questions on why people preferred radio commentaries to that of television and who was that man with that golden and infectious baritone voice on the radio. The answer was simple. I was told his name was Ernest Okonkwo.
Who was Ernest Okonkwo?
Ernest Okonkwo was born in 1936 at Nando, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended the local primary school, before proceeding to Government College, Umuahia for his secondary education.
He started his journey in the media at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Enugu in 1957 as a Programme Assistant but was later trained at Australian Broadcasting Commission between 1964 and 1965. He later became Head of Outside Broadcasts at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
Ernest Okonkwo made his debut at the 1976 African Nations Cup in Addis-Ababa and later went on to cover many other international sports competitions, including the All-Africa Games, Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games. On the home front, Okonkwo ran commentaries on the local sports competitions, particularly football matches, in addition to analysing matches involving the national football teams. He was the first indigenous commentator to run sports commentaries on the radio and took charge when the expatriates left Nigeria.
He distinguished himself with his witty and flowery language and a deep sense of analysis. He brought verve into radio commentary and interestingly many were entertained, enlightened and informed by his art. In essence, during his days on radio, many fans and footballers alike would record his commentaries as every outing was a masterpiece.
He was a creative mind who had a unique style of commentating, giving appropriate qualifying adjectives to each of every person, be they player, administrator or referee. He was indeed a heavyweight in the broadcast industry when he ran commentaries on the radio for Radio Nigeria in his days.
Segun Odegbami wrote - ?“I recall how people used to turn down the volume of their television sets in those days and turned up the volume of their radio sets to watch a match at home. I recall also how some spectators would carry small transistor radio sets to match venues and listen to radio commentaries of the same match right inside the venue!
As he ran the commentaries he would conjure descriptive words delivered in impeccable English and masterful usage of football lingo. The magic is that wherever he described a particular player and gave him a nickname, it stuck, thereafter, forever.
Ernest Okonkwo was a master of descriptive language, always conjuring words easily, effortlessly and aptly like a magician with his bag of tricks.
He had the power in words to give life to the most boring game. He was a flawless master of the English language often taking listeners to limits of imagination.”
Undoubtedly, he popularised many terms in sports, including the “Intercontinental ballistic missile” which he used to describe a powerful shot. There was never a dull moment when he was on the commentaries during a football match. His voice lighted up every football game. He was witty, intelligent, and flawless.
He was a guru of bombastic expression and his mastery in giving nicknames to sportsmen was second to none. Some of his coinages were - ?
Emmanuel Okala - Man Mountain
Aloysius Atuegbu - Blockbuster
Christian Chukwu - Chairman
Segun Odegbani - Mathematical
Kelechi Emetole - Caterpillar
Mudashiru Lawal - Midfield Maestro
Adokiye Amasiemeka - Justice
Uwem Ekerika - Harmattan
Sylvanus Okpala - Quicksilver
Louis Igwilo - Commander
Sylvester Oparanozie - Bahama
Benedict Ugwu - Surugede
Idowu Otubusin - Slow Poison
John Benson - Shortish
Amaechi Otti - Diminutive
Nnamdi Anyafo - Policeman
Davison Owumi - Okada Air
Daniel Amokachi - The Bull
Christian Madu - Penalty Specialist
Moses Otolorin and Nwabueze Nwankwo - Masters of Long Throw
Emmanuel Osigwe - The Man with Bullet Shot
Rashidi Yekini - Gangling
Yisa Sofoluwe - Dean of Defense
Bright Omakaro - Ten-Ten
领英推荐
Charles Okonkwo - Hurricane
Dimeji Lawal - Wonder Kid
Ifeanyichukwu Onyedika - Ahidjo
Dominic Nwobodo – Alhaji (after the player sustained a head injury during a match, wrapped his head with a bandage that made him look like a Muslim turban when he returned to the pitch)
Frank Njemanze - Santana
Stephen Keshi - The Big Boss
Teslim Balogun - Thunder
Joe Erico - Jogo Bonito
Peter Rufai - Dodo Mayana
Etim Esin - African Maradona
Samson Ozogula - Zion Train
Nosa Osadolor - Iron Bender
Benjy Nzeakor - Wing Wizard
Dominic Iorfa - Human Express
Collins Ebitimi - Barbwire
Emeka Ezeugo - Destroyer
Tarila Okorowanta - Master Dribbler
Felix Owolabi - Owo Blow
Henry Nwosu - Schoolboy International
Kingsley Onye - Mature
Some of his remarkable grammatical constructions include -
“After ninety minutes of play and extra time, the match has ended one goal apiece but a winner must emerge. Five players have on each side been selected to take the penalty kicks. The players are praying to their God to give them this day but it is not who prays more but who plays better.”
“Okey Isima, with a short pass to Sylvanus Okpala, they both play in Portugal. They can communicate in Igbo, they can communicate in English, they can communicate in Portuguese and they just communicated with the ball.”
“Etim Esin, he shilly-shallies, he dilly-dallies, he tries to beat one man but only succeeds in beating himself!”
“He lifts the ball to Adokiye Amasiemeka, Justice, he is called, who moves in a zig-zag direction and caresses the ball to Aloysius Blockbuster Atuegbu”
“In the 1975 African Club of Champions Club match between Rangers and Ghazi El Mahalla of Egypt, Rangers lost 1-3 in the first leg in Egypt but won the second leg in Enugu 3-0 and Ernest Okonkwo dubbed the match – “Mahalla see wahala”.
RANGERS OF ENUGU AND RACCAH ROVERS OF KANO
“He beats Christian Chukwu; he beats Christian Madu; he beats Christian Nwokocha, he beats three Christians in a row. Who is this man? He must be a Muslim. Oh, it is Shefiu Mohammed sending a diagonal pass to Baba Otu Mohammed.”
NIGERIA VS EGYPT
“….and the ball is ballooned skywards out of the Eagles defence by Chairman Christian Chukwu, but Muda Lawal runs towards the ball and controls it superbly with the deft touch of his right boot as if it was glued to it. The midfield maestro strolls majestically with the ball. He then sprays the ball towards Chief Justice Adokie on the left of midfield, who darts to the left and cleverly cuts the ball back in one fast swift motion, losing his marker in the process……he crosses the ball and it reaches Mathematical Segun Odegbami. He exchanges a one-two with Muda. Odegbami collects the ball back, sells a dummy and beats another player with a leg over……the crowd roar in delight….. he’s running to the right flank… He calculates one and two, maybe he will find Muda Lawal again at the perimeter circle, but he decides to kick a 50-meter cross close to the 18-yard box of the opponent. Blockbuster Aloysius Atuegbu intercepts the ball. He bamboozles his way past two players using his physical strength. He dribbles one, dribbles two and releases a cannon shot! It’s a goaaaallll!!! Oh no! The Egyptian goalkeeper, Ikrami Ahmed, tips the ball over the bar, just when the ball was flying into the top corner of the goal post! What an intercontinental ballistic missile…what a brilliant world-class save by Ahmed. And what a great flowing move by the Green Eagles. Even Father Tiko is standing in admiration”.
RANGERS FC VS WATER CORPORATION OF IBADAN
“Emmanuel Okala holds the ball, cuddles it like a baby, bounces the ball once and hits with a left-footer and Emmanuel Osigwe chest traps and lays the ball for a well-positioned Ranger. The lanky ebony black goal-hungry Ranger is ranging alone in the goal area of the water corporation football club of Ibadan. Can the one-man riot squad make it four for Rangers? A hat-trick i.e. one, two, three goals are already in his kitty. Ifeanyichukwu means nothing is insurmountable to God. Four goals are also not beyond the ability of Ifeanyichukwu Onyedika. Eventually, the opportunity is lost. Goal kick is coming to the Ibadan lads. If a man goes hunting with a gun, matchet, jack-knife, arch, horse-whip, Hausas call it ‘bulala or ‘koboko’, do you expect any animal to escape? Rangers came to Ibadan with a killer-squad. …………… who chest-traps and sends a banana kick pass to Ifeanyichukwu Onyedika in the eighteen-yard box of Water Corporation. He beats stylishly an on-rushing defender and a scissors-kick and it is a goal o-o-o-o-. Goal number four for the flying Antelopes and Indomitable Rangers International Football Club of Enugu, all scored by Ifeanyichukwu “Ahidjo” Onyedika. This could just be taken for a practice match for Rangers as with or without this victory, Rangers Football Club has won the 1981 Nigeria Division One Football League.”
IWUANYANWU NATIONALE VS ?AFRICAN SPORTS OF C?TE D’IVOIRE
Nigeria’s Rashidi Yekini was playing for the Ivorian club. "Yekini was a torn in the flesh of Iwuanyanwu Nationale’s defence. No one could mark him! He was taller, bigger, and faster than the defenders guarding him. He knew the terrain and the Iwuanyanwu players quite well. He almost single-handedly destroyed the Owerri ‘war-lords that anytime he got a through-pass it was always deadly. So whenever that happened, Ernest Okonkwo would say, “the devil is out of the chain, the devil is unchained”.
Ernest Okonkwo trained many young commentators including Emeka Odikpo who coined the phrase “Dammam Miracle” when Nigeria came from four goals down to beat USSR in the 1989 U20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
This was Odikpo’s final comment before Sam Elijah took the final spot-kick for Nigeria -? “…and now we have Elijah of Nigeria. Give us this day. The whole country is on your shoulders; you cannot afford to fail your country…and he moves, 1,2,3,4 it’s a goooooooooooaaaaal!!!! This is a miracle. The God of soccer is a Nigerian!”
Okonkwo was a legend and a colossus in his chosen career. His intellectual and prolific mastery of sports commentaries were so amazing that his name will forever remain engraved in the annals of our history.
One of his most remarkable commentaries was on 12th November 1977, Nigeria vs Tunisia World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium Surulere Lagos. It was one match many Nigerians would never forget in a haste. It was a hot Saturday afternoon when Tunisia came calling for what was the final match in the three-team final round of matches for Argentina ‘78. Nigeria needed a win to be at the World Cup, having played 0-0 with Tunisia in the first leg. This is an excerpt from the commentary –
“He starts off slowly. As the game peters out to the dying minutes of this rather engrossing match, a long ball is floated into the Eagles 18-yard box. It seems like an eternity for it to land………Godwin Odiye, under pressure from the advancing Tunisian attacker, is there to deal with it. Without looking back, he expertly heads the ball backwards toward Okala………Okala is rushing out to retrieve the loose ball.
(As the match is tilting towards the end) ……. It’s a gooooooooooooaaaallll, Oh noooooooooooooooooooo………..it’s an own goal. Nigeria has scored Nigeriaaaaaa. It was a misjudged header by Odiye, as Okala goes the wrong way and the ball the other way. The ball rolls effortlessly into an empty net.
A sad spectacle to watch……What a calamity! The Tunisians are joyous and celebrating victory. And the Nigerian camp is understandably subdued. Odiye bends down in shock as he watches the long towering figure of Emmanuel Okala walk slowly towards the goal to retrieve the ball from the net. The stadium is agonisingly silent. You can hear a pin drop. The Green Eagles are rooted to the spot. They can’t believe their eyes. Even Father Tiko is motionless. It was as if someone had just died………(At the end of the match) to everyone listening, it is with sorrow in my heart that I return you to the studios. Bye-bye Nigeria!”
I remember while running a commentary during the opening match of the National Engineering Games between the Nigerian Society of Engineers Abuja Branch and the Nigerian Medical Association Abuja Chapter, a player of the MBA team scored an own goal and I scream from the commentary stand – “WHAT A CLINICAL MISTAKE” and everyone in the stadium burst in laughter (from enquiry about who was Ernest Okonkwo to delivering an Okonkwo-like commentary mastery. That is a railway boy for you. They no dey carry last). You can imagine the quality of laughter and joy Ernest Okonkwo brought to many sports lovers. Unfortunately, Nigeria is a country where heroes are seldom honoured or celebrated.
Ernest Okonkwo died on 7th? August 1990 after 33 years in broadcasting. He is gone but his legacies live on. May his soul continue to rest in peace.
To all Railway Boys, continue to shine on and to everyone reading this piece, it is with joy in my heart that I retire to my bed. Goodnight and keep thanking God for the radio.
Engr. Ben-Osy Okoh
(Fieldmarshal)
References:
2.????? The man who named me ‘Mathematical’, Ernest Okonkwo by Segun Odegbami (https://guardian.ng/sport/the-man-who-named-me-mathematical-ernest-okonkwo/ )
3.????? TRIBUTE TO ERNEST OKONKWO – By Tunde Adeleye ?https://digicastmagazine.com/2017/12/01/tribute-to-ernest-okonkwo/
4.????? MOA news