• NGE, others hail newspaper @50
Leading lights in the Nigerian media industry yesterday gathered at NECA House Auditorium in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, for the unveiling of a book, titled: OUR PUNCH YEARS.
The over 400-page book is said to be the “reminiscences and insider accounts by former editors and staff of Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper at 50”.
The book was written by 38 ex-punchers who gave accounts of their memorable experiences while working at the newspaper.
The editor of the book, Lekan Otufodunrin, said the history of the successes of PUNCH Newspapers would be incomplete without recalling the roles played by former staff members at various critical times.
Otufodunrin said: “We reached out to as many former staff members as we could and invited them to contribute to the goal.”
He said ex-Punchers, as they were fondly called, shared their good, exciting and not-so-pleasant experiences in the book, as the contributors had the option of writing on any aspect of their stay in PUNCH.
“There is a lot to read in this book, including the formal and dramatic way some persons joined The PUNCH, their growth, and the positions they held, as well as office politics and many more,” he said.
A former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The PUNCH, Gbemiga Ogunleye, who gave the welcome remarks, noted that PUNCH, being 50 years as an organization, “is not a small achievement”.
He added: “The book we are about to present is not the story of PUNCH. The story of PUNCH is yet to be told. What we are presenting today is a book chronicling the experiences of 38 former staff members of The PUNCH, titled: ‘Our PUNCH Years.’ The book documents the memorable experiences of accomplished journalists.”
Ogunleye said the book was dedicated to the founding chairman of The PUNCH, the late Chief Olu Aboderin, saying: “It is our contribution to the 50th anniversary of The PUNCH Newspapers.”
Quoting the book editor, Ogunleye stressed that the years spent in the company “contributed significantly to our career journeys and we have chosen to document our experiences for posterity”.
The event was attended the Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Angela Enuwa; Managing Director, Mr. Joseph Adeyeye; General Manager, Digital and Publications, Mr. Ademola Oni; the GM, Corporate Services, Mrs. Olufolakemi Gbemuotor; Company Secretary and GM Subsidiaries, Mrs. Omolara Ogunleye; Editor, The PUNCH, Mr. Adedayo Oketola; Editorial Board Chairman, Mr. Abiodun Sonowo, and Editor, weekend titles, Mr. Olusola Fabiyi.
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Others were the immediate-past Managing Director of Punch Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ademola Osinubi; the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Eze Anaba; Editor, Daily Independent, Mr. Yemi Adebisi; the Executive Director, Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, Ms. Motunrayo Alaka, as well as numerous media players and representatives from various media houses, such as Ray Power, The Guardian Newspaper, among others.
Mrs. Enuwa said it was a time to celebrate PUNCH’s journey as media professionals and to reflect on the journey so far.
“Gatherings like this are golden,” she said. “PUNCH is 50 this year and it has been such an interesting and exciting journey. But what is most profound about this journey is that we could never be here without you – you, ex-Punchers, you, current Punchers, you, our hard readers and friends, you, our critics, you, our contributors, past and present, and anyone in this room who has made that decision to be part of this iconic train. Here is where I say Ubuntu: We are because you are.”
The PUNCH chairman recalled the sacrifices and prices the former workers of the newspaper had to pay, which contributed to ethical journalism “that respects and promotes rights of the people, holds the government to account and amplifies the voice of the minority while doing the core journalistic (duty) of keeping the people across the spectrum informed; we stand here today, tall”.
She said for 50 years, PUNCH had had to forge alliances for the greater good and had taken noble pathways.
“Tomorrow, someone else will be standing here, and will have this much, and more to say,” she added.
A former spokesman for ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, congratulated The PUNCH for standing tall for up to 50 years, and still counting.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, praised the ex-Punchers for putting the book together.The Assistant Director in the Ministry of Information, Mobolaji Odumade, who relayed Omotoso’s goodwill message, said: “It is my pleasure to join other well-wishers on the occasion of this unique goodwill presentation. I appreciate the depth of time it has taken the participating experts of PUNCH Newspapers to come up with such a masterpiece.
“This publication underscores the relevance and immortality of the intellectual endeavors of the writers in their PUNCH years. It equally highlights the willingness of these accomplished journalists to document their memorable and insightful experiences to serve as a reference for this generation as well as upcoming ones. This is indeed worthy of commendation.”
He added: “It is quite refreshing to note that there are still individuals and organisations that are spearheading the entrenchment of the reading culture. This publication is an attempt to show an appreciation for the platform that has produced the best in the journalism profession. It is indeed a laudable way of marking the 50th anniversary of PUNCH Newspapers, the first choice in the country.”
He said: “The very familiar burden of responsibility is that PUNCH is a very credible media voice in Nigeria. We consider ourselves to be the number one newspaper. I also always say to them that as a newspaper, we have a huge (responsibility) to society. It’s not in the constitution, as media scholars will agree, but it is generally acceptable that the media has a role to play that is only slightly different from the roles played by the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary.”
According to him, that role includes holding the powerful to account, ensuring that the voices of the voiceless are not only heard on social media or other media channels but also in the corridors of power.
“But in addition to all of that, I say to them always: you are also custodians of a legacy, a legacy of very strong pro-people journalism that has placed PUNCH in good stead over the years.
“That point is particularly important to be stressed here today because those who contributed and invested their prime, their sweat, and their blood into building that legacy are the ones who came together to put this book together. Without you, and your contributions, there wouldn’t be us. To you all, I say a very big thank you,” he added.
Adeyeye described the book as “a collection of the perfections and imperfections of one of the most enduring media brands in this country”.
Adeyeye expressed appreciation to the organisers of the event and the ex-Punchers who invested good time to contribute to the book.
“First and foremost, I will like to thank the organisers for putting together a very good event. I would also like to thank, specially, all the contributors who invested and travelled back in time to put down the recollections of their time at PUNCH,” Adeyeye said.
The MD said he always told his colleagues during meetings and discussions that they all had responsibilities towards the society.
A former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, spoke about the role PUNCH played during his early and recent days of activism.
Sowore said: “There are lots of activists that are supposed to be here today because PUNCH represented us in the ‘90s. In my way, I was a student activist at the University of Lagos, but if not for PUNCH Newspapers and Vanguard, I probably wouldn’t have graduated from the university.”
The programme also featured a panel of discussion on: Sustainability in the Digital Age by Media Managers.