Elder Statesman, versatile journalist, and Sports Administrator, Mr. Bisi Lawrence, fondly and professionally known as Uncle Biz Law, is dead.
The renowned sports administrator died on Wednesday, more than two weeks after his 87th birthday.
He was born in Lagos on October 23, 1933. He spent two years at CMS Grammar School, Lagos before going to Christ School, Ado-Ekiti where he also spent two years.
Recounting how the erudite pen-pusher joined his ancestors, his daughter, Barbara, according to Vanguard report specifically handled by top editors of the frontline newspaper, said: ‘’He had been feeling unwell for some days. When his condition didn’t improve, they sent for me and I rushed down immediately. I met daddy, he could not lift his hands, he could not talk, he could not eat anything and had to be fed with liquid. We immediately took him to the hospital. An MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography) scan was then carried out where it was discovered that he suffered from stroke, which affected his speech (MRA takes clear, detailed pictures of the blood vessles, including arteries and veins using magnetic resonanace imaging, MRI, machine). I was with him throughout as the hospital commenced treatment on him. The doctors found that fluid had accumulated in his chest and they had to drain it.
“After about three days of treatment, his condition improved, although he still couldn’t talk or lift his hands. I kept assuring him, ‘daddy, you’ll be all right, daddy you’ll be all right’. Before I left him on Saturday, I even held fellowship with him and prayed with him for a couple of hours. But on Sunday, his condition became worse again and deteriorated. On Wednesday evening, he lost the battle to stay alive. Daddy has gone to rest.”
The DEFENDER’s young publisher, Alhaji Bashir Adefaka, submitted that, “Baba Bisi Lawrence, friend of my father, Alhaji Kola Animasaun, will be remembered for specifically choosing me, during his days as unputdownable columnist of Vanguard, to put down some of his experiences as a father of journalism in Nigeria. Unfortunately that uncommon assignment never started until his death. I will miss the cooling voice and fantastic company I had up to the Ijora home of the sports administrator. May Allah grant the biological children and all of us the other children the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Amiin.”
His giant footprints in sports
The death of the eminent sports guru, administrator, columnist, broadcaster, sent shock waves throughout the sports community, on Thursday.
Bizlaw, a former Vice Chairman of Nigeria Football Association, NFA, died on Wednesday leaving a very sour taste for Nigerian fans, who depended on his lucid writing to follow many Nigerian sporting events he covered.
Bizlaw was an enigma, one man who had eyes for details and supervised the hiring of former Dutch-born Super Eagles Coach, Clemens Westerhof. The Dutch was later to become the most successful coach for Nigeria winning the Africa Cup of Nations and qualifying the country for its first World Cup in USA ’94.
Biz Law also served in many sporting committees and shone brilliantly when he served as Media Committee Chairman for Nigeria ’99 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Before then, there were so much apprehension by the world on the suitability and capability of Nigeria hosting the world. The Media Committee was loaded with so much responsibility to ensure not just good coverage for the games but to ensure that Nigeria did not go down with bad publicity by the Western world.
The enigma went to work with another workaholic Danladi Bako and it turned out to be one of the most memorable Junior world cup competitions. Foreign journalists, who had thronged the National Stadium office of Bisi Lawrence could not believ the knowledge and expertise of Biz Law.
He was a loyal soldier of Nigeria Football and was a leading member of our intellectual wing. He had facts and figures at his finger tips. He was an all-round organiser who knew how to deploy people to get the best out of them.
He was one man you can always rely on to give candid advice. We bounced ideas off him regularly and picked his brain on many issues because of his wide knowledge and decades of experience in football administration.
At the France ’98 World Cup where Bizlaw led Onochie Anibeze and Tony Ubani to cover the World Cup for Vanguard, he brought the light to shine on the Newspaper.
Biz Law has touched so many lives with his compassion and his philanthropy.
His legacy is etched on the minds of many. Words can do little to comfort the pain and anguish his death has brought us.
As a lover of sports and an outstanding sports writer, he was head of Outside Broadcasting, Radio Nigeria. He was to work abroad where his employers tried to nationalise him but he declined because of his love for Lagos. He grew up in Campos area of Lagos and attended CMS Gramar School, Lagos.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Second Republic Governor of Lagos, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, engaged him to run the Lagos Broadcasting Corporation as general manager.
Indeed, Biz Law’s expertise cut across politics and current affairs, where he shaped events in his Passing Scene column in Vanguard among others.
He was a wonderful historian. His consuming flair for writing reflected in his writings and columns. He wrote compelling political analyses as a fellow who was abreast of
