22052021

2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MAY 22, 2021
Osinbajo, Osoba, Amuka, others fete late
media icons
*VP tasks journalists on fake news, deepening democracy, keeping govt on its toes
*Says you fought colonial masters, military rule, you’ve to deepen democracy
By Clifford Ndujihe,
Politics Editor
VICE President Yemi
Osinbajo,SAN;
former Governor of Ogun
State, Chief Olusegun
Osoba; Publisher of Vanguard
Newspapers, Mr.
Sam Amuka; and a cream
of captains of the media
industry, yesterday, celebrated
nine media icons,
who passed on, recently.
Showering torrents of
tributes on the deceased
icons, the vice president
and the leaders said the
late media pillars charted
a course that journalists
must thread to turn the fortunes
of the country
around.
Specifically, Osinbajo,
who delivered the keynote
address, noted that the
media fought for independence,
and against
military rule, adding that
now that Nigeria is at a
defining moment, the
mainstream media must
fight fake news, keep
elected leaders on their
toes and deepen democracy.
Indeed, the seven
months period, July 2020
to February 2021, can be
described as the worst in
the history of Nigeria’s
media industry. It was
when journalism lost nine
icons, pillars, leaders and
mentors, a set back that
threw the industry into
deep mourning.
However, in unison, the
media industry, yesterday,
elected to turn the losses
to gains when at an afternoon
of tributes at the
MUSON Centre, Lagos,
it honoured, and celebrated
the life and times of the
departed leaders with the
aim of inspiring the living.
Reason: The nine media
leaders, proprietors,
editors, administrators
and journalists were ‘’people
who shaped the narrative
of who we are and
what we stand for.
Through joyful and stressful
times, they set the tone
and chose the words that
interpreted the Zeitgeist
of an emerging nation
and put perspectives to
our diversity and uniqueness
as a people.’’
Organised by the Nigeria
Press Organisation,
NPO, consisting of the
Newspaper Proprietors
Association of Nigeria,
NPAN; Nigerian Guild of
Editors, NGE; Nigeria
Union of Journalists, NUJ;
and Broadcasting Organisations
of Nigeria, BON,
the icons celebrated yesterday
included pioneer
President of NPAN and
former governor of Lagos
State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande;
former Life Patron
of NPAN, Malam Ismaila
Isa Funtua; former Minister
of Information and
Culture, Mr. Tony Momoh;
and former Publisher
of New Nation and
Sunday Times Editor,
From left:Publisher, Thisday Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena;
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Chairman, Niger State Council
of Traditional Rulers, HRM, Dr. Yahaya Abubakar; former Governor
of Ogun State,Aremo Olusegun Osoba at the celebration of nine media
icons who passed on,recently in Lagos.
Chief Gbolabo Ogunsanwo.
Others were former Director-General,
Federal
Radio Corporation of Nigeria,
FRCN, Mr. Ben
Egbuna; former Publisher,
Leadership Newspapers,
Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah;
former General Manager,
Lagos State Broadcasting
Corporation, Mr.
Bisi Lawrence; former
Editor, Daily Express, Mr.
Eddie Aderinokun; and
past NGE President and
former MD/Chairman,
News Agency of Nigeria,
NAN, Malam Wada Maida.
Malam Ismaila Isa Funtua
died on July 20, 2020.
He was followed by Wada
Maida on August 17,
2020; Bisi Lawrence (November
11, 2020), Gbolabo
Ogunsanwo (November
27, 2020), Sam Nda-
Isaiah (December 11,
2020), Eddie Aderinokun
(January 3, 2021), Ben
Egbuna (January 28,
2021), Tony Momoh (February
10, 2021) and Lateef
Jakande (February 11,
2021).
They lived impactful
lives – Yusuf
President of the NPO,
Malam Kabiru Yusuf,
opened the flood gates of
eulogies. In his welcome
remarks, he said the media
industry had mourned
the nine deceased it was
now time to celebrate them
because each of the nine
men lived an impactful
life in their families, the
people they mentored and
the institutions they led.
Reeling out the crucial
roles each of them played,
he said: ‘’We don’t look at
them in past tense but in
present tense,’’ adding
that it would be hard to
find another journalist like
Alhaji Jakande.
Henceforth we ‘ll
celebrate ourselves
while alive – Isah
President of the NGE,
Mr Mustapha Isah, said
all those being celebrated
were connected to the
NGE as president, fellow
or promoter and their legacies
‘’will inspire us to
overcome various challenges.’’
According to him, Jakande
was governor for
four years but 38 years after,
he remained a reference
point for good governance;
Ben Egbuna was a thorough
bred professional in
broadcast industry; and
Tony Momoh was one of the
best Information Ministers
Nigeria has ever produced.
Going forward, he said
the media should celebrate
its own while alive not after
their death. ‘’Henceforth we
must celebrate our own
while alive, perhaps on
their birthdays.’’
It’s sad media ignores its
own often – Adefaye
Speaking in like manner,
General Manage/Editorin-Chief
of Vanguard, and
Provost of the Nigerian Institute
of Journalism, NIJ,
Mr Gbenga Adefaye, lamented
that the media often
times ignores its own,
and thanked the NPO for
the event.
His words: ‘’It is not often
that the media celebrates its
own—dead or alive. In fact,
the media, more often than
not, ignores itself for too
long, despite its humongous
contributions to
national development, despite
the risks taken to discharge
constitutional duties
assigned it in a very difficult
operating environment.
‘’We can only thank the
NPO for putting up this remembrance
which is
unique for drawing attention
to the lives and times
of our revered but departed
media icons; drawing attention
to their immense
contributions to media and
national development.
Those, truly, were our icons.
This moment inspires.
‘’For us at NIJ, the honorees
were either our primary
promoters or great
alumni. Their aspirations
were that we produced
greater and better media
players of the future. And
to that we are committed.
We have their examples to
look up to in the discharge
of our duties.
This event naturally
draws our attention to perhaps
an important branch
of knowledge that we
should actively develop:
studies of the life and times
of media leaders, perhaps
while they are alive.
‘’Thank you NPO for
lighting the candle. Thank
you NPAN in particular—
our patrons and principal
owners of the NIJ. May we
have a memorable outing.
Funtua, a blessing to
Nigeria Media—Sam
Amuka
Mr Sam Amuka, in a tribute
to Malam Ismaila Isa
Funtua, which was read by
Mr. Adefaye, said: ‘’Out of
Nigeria’s more than 200
million population, none
has suffered such debasement,
indeed, bastardisation
by peddled false news
online as my friend and late
brother, 78 years old Alhaji
Ismaila Isa Funtua, patron
of NPAN, president of the
NIJ and Chairman of Bullet
Construction Ltd.
‘’Because, many people
believe Ismaila was a member
of the Cabal (which he
accepted and was glad to
be—indeed—he would
say, often in joke, ‘Look, I’m
not a member of the Cabal,
I am the Cabal’ which is
true.
‘’The conventional definition
of Cabal elsewhere is
Kitchen Cabinet and every
political ruler has one; but
Buhari’s Kitchen Cabinet is
called Cabal—Negatively
because of disapproval of
his style.
‘’And so; many fake news
reports are peddled online
about Ismaila, being a Cabal
as a corrupt businessman.
And because Online
readers swallow fake news
hook, line and sinker, they
castigate the victim totally.
This pre conceived bias has
damaged Ismaila Isa’s reputation
and denigrated his
hard work career both as a
business construction mogul,
and minder and mender
of successful Nigerian
media organizations. The
result is that many outsiders
dared to question and
query the NPAN for naming
the newly reconstructed
three-storey NIJ House
in Victoria Island after Ismailia
Isa Funtua.
‘’Let me use this occasion
to state very briefly that my
friend, Ismaila Isa Funtua,
one of those we are celebrating
today was a very big and
successful businessman
long before our President
Buhari came to power and
Ismaila became a Cabal in
2015. His coy, Bullet Construction
Ltd built the Foreign
Affairs Building in
Abuja and the Justice Building
beside the Secretariat
among others. The American
Embassy, Abuja was
once his tenant besides
many other buildings. Ismaila
spent his life servicing
other people’s lives and
organizations. For example,
my drivers, cook and stewards
used to look forward to
his visit.
‘’He was a blessing to the
Nigerian Media. Besides
serving the NIJ of which he
was President, Ismaila used
his influence to raise the
funds to rebuild the New
NIJ House in Victoria Island
at no cost to NIJ.
‘’Thank you, dear Ismaila,
I miss you and look forward
to meeting you sometime
again. Yonder!’’
Obaigbena, Akiotu,
Bonuola, Ishiekwene,
Idowu, Momoh, Ekpu
speak
At the event, Prince Nduka
Obaigbena, publisher of
Thisday, paid glowing tributes
to Mallam Wada Maida,
a past president of NGE
and former chief press secretary
to General Muhammadu
Buhari as head of
state in the 80s.
Mr Tony Akiotu, managing
director of Daar Communications,
showered tributes
on Mr Bisi Lawrence;
Mr Lade Bonuola, Consultant
to The Guardian
newspapers,spoke on Chief
Gbolabo Ogunsanwo; Mr
Azubuike Ishiekwene, editor-in-chief,
Leadership, eulogised
Mr Sam Nda-Isaiah;
Mr Lanre Idowu, CEO
of Diamond Publications,
spoke on the legacies of Mr
Eddie Aderinokun; Mr
John Momoh, chairman of
Channels television, eulogised
Mr. Ben Egbuna
while Mr. Ray Ekpu, director
May Five Media, spoke
glowingly on the footprints
of Prince Tony Momoh.
Jakande was grandfather
of Nigeria’s journalism—Osoba
Chief Osoba, in his tributes
to Jakande, lamented
that Jakande’s humongous
contributions to the development
of journalism and
the media industry have not
been documented.
Arguing that Jakande’s
contributions to journalism
were ‘’higher’’ than his contributions
to good governance,
Osoba begged the
late politician’s widow, Alhaja
Abimbola Jakande, to
make Jakande’s huge library
open to researchers to
unravel the story behind the
formation of NPAN, NGE,
NPO, and others.
‘’Jakande was first in
many areas of journalism.
He was first editor of Tribune,
first president of
NPAN, first president of
NGE, first president of NPO.
I am begging Mama to open
Jakande’s library for the story
of the Fourth Estate of the
Realm in Nigeria to be written.
Alhaji Jakande was the
grandfather of Nigeria’s
journlism,’’ he said.
Media can’t afford to
get it wrong—Osinbajo
Osinbajo, who was the last
to speak recalled that Nigeria’s
press dates back to 150
years ago, and recalled the
roles played by late Dr
Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, Herbert
Macauley, Mr Ernest Ikoli in
the battle for independence.
He also articulated the contributions
of the nine titans
being celebrated, saying that
the democracy we have today
were as a result of the
sacrifices of the media.
Arguing that power is a
public trust, he said the media
must investigate and hold
those in power accountable
because the Media is the
Fourth Estate of the Realm
and no other institution
comes close to the Media in
the task of holding governments
to account.
Harping on the dangers of
fake news and the need to
check them, he said Nigeria
is at another defining moment
in history as information
revolution has democratised
media ownership and
everyone now has a voice.
Some of the disadvantages
of the information revolution,
he said include the
emergence of individuals
that cannot be easily held to
account and surge of fake
news that cause social instability.
He urged mainstream media
to help check the menace
of fake news. He noted
that the country is not perfect
but amplifying issues that
can cause disruption or anarchy
was not the solution.
Noting that nation building
is not the preserve of government
and politicians
alone, he said the media and
civil society have critical roles
to play and enjoined the
Media to take ownership of
the country.
Notable leaders at the
event include governors Babajide
Sanwo-Olu (Lagos)
and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti),
Deputy Governor of Ogun
State, Noimot Salako-
Oyedele, former Deputy
Governor of Lagos, Alhaja
Sinatu Ojikutu, and Etsu
Nupe, Dr Yahaya Abubakar.
Media icons and captains
of industry at the ceremony
included Maiden Ibru (The
Guardian), Ajibola Ogunsola
(Punch), Frank Aigbogun
(Business Day), Mr. Eniola
Bello (This Day), Mr Muyiwa
Adetiba (former Editor of
Vanguard), Mr Toye Akiyode
(former Editor of Vanguard),
Dr Patrick Dele-Cole
as well as leaders of NPO,
NPAN, NGE, BON and
NUJ.
Family members of the
media icons being celebrated
were at hand to receive
awards for their patriarchs
They include Alhaja Abimbola
Jakande, Mrs Zainab
Nda-Isaiah, who gave a vote
of thanks, Mrs Abiola Aderinokun,
Mrs Betty Egbuna,
Mr. Bayo Ogunsanwo, Mr.
Abdulrasheed Momoh,
Hajia Wada Maida, and Mrs
Omowunmi Lawrence.