By Patrick Omorodion

Two people influenced my joining. Vanguard Newspapers and remained more than friends. One is Tony Ubani with whom I served in the Executive Committee of the Lagos State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN). He was Chairman while I was secretary. We served two terms from 1995 to 1999.

The other is ‘Prof’ Sylva Eleanya, who unarguably, took over from John Ebhota as Nigeria’s most versatile sports photo journalist until Saturday, October 20, 2012. He was Ubani’s bosom friend and worked hard to ensure Ubani was voted Lagos SWAN chairman.

From the moment we started work as SWAN executives, I became fascinated with Prof’s, that was the name Ubani always called him, mannerisms and friendliness. I never asked why he went by the ‘Prof’  sobriquet because I knew he was not a scholar or university don.

Some weeks after it became clear to me why the name stuck. Sylva was a professional to the core and knew the camera like professors knew the courses they took in the university. So it would not be wrong if you call him professor of the camera.

He was not a member of our EXCO but when he found out we were serious to turn Lagos SWAN around, he approached us and asked if he could introduce a businessman who has a soft spot for sports to support us as a Patron.

That was how Mr Dan Ngerem, became one of the Patrons of SWAN. The first meeting we had with Ngerem at his office somewhere off Eric Moore road in Surulere then was an eye opener. He was not one to readily give you fish but will teach you how to fish.

Our first major project was the annual memorial lecture in honour of the Late Sam Okwaraji. Ngerem ensured that we did not only use the occasion to discuss the failures of our football but also raise funds for Okwaraji’s mother who was hitherto forgotten by the Nigerian system.

Sylva did not end there. When the Lagos SWAN secretariat was half completed and was just lying fallow as a play ground for rodents and reptiles, he, like the business minded journalist he always was, approached the SWAN chairman, Niyi Oyeleke, then of NTA but now with Supersport, that SWAN could make some money by renting out part of the completed portion of the secretariat to someone. That was how Old Skool came about and provided an alternative to O’Jez, a more expensive outlet, for relaxation at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

Sylva was a rallying point for sports photo-journalists and ensured they were never relegated in any function SWAN or the larger NUJ was organising. He equally represented them adequately before corporate organisations which sponsored one sport or the other. Because of his versatility, Sylva was engaged in other fields of photo-journalism and excelled.

On the job, Sylva was a veteran who covered all major sporting activities under the sun, ranging from the football World Cup to the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, All Africa Games and the  Africa Nations Cup where he competed with the best in the world.

Even our local National Sports Festival and league matches caught his attention. The Sports Ministry as well as the Nigeria Football Federation and other federations relied on his professional skill to have their major activities documented.

As a family man, Sylva loved his wife and children. He never ceased to talk about them. He called them on phone regularly, either to find out how they were faring or to let them know where he was and what time he would be home.

Sylva was always there for me. Through Sylva, I got to know one of the best and unsung private secondary schools in Lagos, St. Francis Catholic Secondary School which his son, Daniel attended. That was how my son, Victor joined Daniel.

On that fateful Saturday, Sylva was in the office to co-ordinate the downloading of photographs sent from our colleagues covering the Ondo State gubernatorial election while I was attending St. Francis’ PTA meeting and was to join him in the office later.

When I had not arrived, he was worried and called to know where I was, because he didn’t want me to delay the paper’s production for that day. I told him I was on my way but held by the heavy traffic along the way.

Just before I rounded off my work that night, he had the opportunity to join Mr Bosun Oladejo, Vanguard’s Cooperative Society president in his car home but he chose to wait for me. We always went home together in my car but that day I didn’t drive to the office.

He had cough and on that day, as we trekked along to the bus-stop, he told me his throat was dry and wanted some water to drink. We stopped over at a nearby store and he bought bottled water, drank from it and we headed home in a public bus.

We parted ways at the Cele Bus-stop along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. At 10.36pm, he wanted to know if I had got home because he was home, at his gate, he said. I told him no, that I was still at Igando, along the Iyana Ipaja -LASU road. I then told him good night. It was strange though because I’ve never told him that before.

Our usual greeting in pidgin English was, we go see tomorrow. That good night turned to be the final bye as his wife’s call woke me up after midnight to tell me my friend was in crisis and had been rushed to a nearby hospital. He never got there alive. Prof, I still don’t believe you have left me. I see you every day. Your memory will remain etched in my heart. Adieu. Rest in peace until we meet again in God’s kingdom.