When God created man, He planned that the man will live for a very long time. The Bible we are told mentioned two lifespans for man:

120 years as a limit set by God in Genesis 6:3, and 70-80 years as a common lifespan in Psalm 90:10.

Genesis 6:3 states thus, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years”.

However, again in Psalm 90:10, the Bible says that, “The days of our life are seventy years”, stating that by reason of strength , man could go up to eighty years.

Whether 70 or 80, God’s grace is definitely on one humble and simple man, a man who has touched and still touching lives. He was celebrated last week for crossing both limits stated in Psalms 90:10.

He is none other than Chief Sam Amuka-Pemu, who once went by the pen name Sad Sam in a Column he wrote in the Daily Times about five decades or so ago but now fond- ly called Uncle Sam by those who have passed through his school of journalism in one way or another.

On Friday, June 13, 2025, the who is who in Nigeria’s politics, government, religion and media gathered at Eko Hotel in Lagos to celebrate him, deservedly so, as the old- est living journalist and newspaper publisher in Nigeria.

One man, a boardroom guru in his hey days and who has followed Uncle Sam religiously from his Daily Times days, Dr. Michael Omolayole, an avid reader of the Vanguard titles, was not at Eko Hotel that day.

In the Sunday Vanguard which came two days after the celebration of Uncle Sam, this Column was centred on the arm-twisting tactics of Napoli’s owner, Aueriola de Lau- rentiis on Nigeria’s shining football star, Victor Osimhen whose transfer has been the most talked about in recent history.

Dr. Omolayole, as always, was following happenings in the country and around the world through the pages of Vanguard.

I was observing my siesta last Sunday when he called. When I woke up, I excitedly returned the call because it is not always that one gets a call from a man of Dr. Omo- layole’s calibre, a nonagenarian who is fast approaching his centenary, a grace that I pray for and want to tap into.

As the call went through, his voice rang out from the other end saying, “my good friend, quite and age. Your Column was missing for one or two weeks, did you go on holiday?”

When I told him I was away to Abeokuta for the National Sports Festival, he said, “you can see that I read Vanguard every week and take note”, adding that the piece ‘Osimhen and Napoli’s meanness’ excited him.

He followed by saying that he called me for two reasons. A message for Uncle Sam and then an advice to the au- thorities to monitor Osimhen’s plight in the hands of Na- poli.

On Uncle Sam, he said, “I know Chief Sam Amuka, Sad Sam, reasonably well and I want you to personally deliver my hearty congratulations to him, now a nonagenarian – the word is so difficult to pronounce that it almost ended like nonentity (a roaring laughter followed).We welcome him to the club of nonagenarians.”

Coincidentally, the next day being Monday, the Editorial staff of Vanguard were having another celebration for Un- cle Sam without whom many of us wouldn’t be where we are today.

As the staff waited for the brief ceremony to begin, I went to his office. On entering his office, the surprise on his face showed that I was the least person he was expecting be- cause he was waiting for a signal to join the party down- stairs in the newsroom.

I bowed to greet him as usual and congratulated him on his birthday. He thanked me but before he could say any- thing, I told him I was there to deliver a birthday message from Dr. Omolayole.

“Oh, you mean the UAC man? Extend my thanks to him. Where is he now”, he asked.

I told him he is in Lagos and lives in Apapa. He smiled and nodded his head. At that point I felt the message wasn’t complete and immediately retorted, “he said I should tell you that you are welcome to the nonagenarians club”.

Uncle Sam as witty as ever said, “how old is he now”, I told him he would be 97 in October but he jocularly said, “how is he sure he is older than me”.

We both laughed. As I made to leave his office, he said I should give him Dr. Omolayole’s phone number because he wants to personally call him and appreciate him for the birthday message.

One thing going for both men is that they are passionate about Nigeria’s sports. And incidentally both read Van- guard and other newspapers from the sports pages.

When Nigeria is not doing well, they feel it. Unfortunate- ly some of our sports people, especially the Super Eagles players, don’t know what Nigerians, especially the elders like Uncle Sam, Dr. Omolayole and another avid reader of the Vanguard newspapers, Chief L.C. Ochulor, the Ahame- fule of Mbaise and a retired Air Commodore, go through emotionally when they are not doing well.

That is why Dr. Omolayole has advised that the sports authorities should take note of what Osimhen is passing through in the hands of the Napoli management which he described as ‘heartless’.

To Osimhen he said, “if what he wants out of life is to earn big when he can still do so , he should go where they can pay him big money even though the football there may not be as competitive”.