The Nation Newspaper

Category: Media Nation

  • Blogging is future of journalism

    Blogging is future of journalism

    Lady behind popular blog site, ladunliadinews.com, Oladunni Liad,i speaks on her foray into online journalism, the rewards, challenges of blogging and her aspirations.
    Daniel Adeleye takes her in

    You’ve definitely made an impression as a blogger in Nigeria with your site, ladunliadinews.com. How does it feel to be one of the leading bloggers in the country?

    It feels great, awesome. It has made me believe more in myself. And I just do now is work on how to take it to greater height.

    How did it begin for you? Were you ever into journalism before going into online blogging?

    Oh yes, I practised Journalism for two years before going into blogging. I worked for a soft-sell magazine for two years. But after two years, I just felt it wasn’t challenging enough for me, because I still had a lot of time to myself and I wanted to work all the time. Then I got to know about blogging, and I said yes, now I have my own medium, with which I can work for as long as I want. Frankly, that was it. But then, this is journalism too. Isn’t it?

    It took quite a while for you to reveal yourself to the public, by way of posting your picture very recently; what were you playing at?

    Absolutely nothing. I just see myself has a reporter and not a person in limelight. But then, the more I tried to hide myself, the more people wanted to meet with the face and personality behind the blog. So last year, I decided to do a video for my readers who had threatened to disown me, if I do not reveal myself. More so when most of them found out it was a lady behind it. And of course a lot of the advertising agencies too wanted the face out, so they could convince their clients that the owner is a young Nigerian with an identity, who knows what she is doing.

    What is the rough estimate of visitors to your blog; and do you feel fulfilled?

    Rough estimate? I obviously won’t reveal that. But if you are a blogger, you will know it’s extremely huge. It’s on the high side. Of course I feel fulfilled for now. But again, you know I am not number one yet, so I need to work harder.

    How has it been breaking hot news ahead of traditional media like radio/TV and the newspaper?

    It’s been fun. And there’s this feeling I get when big media houses, like radio, television stations break the news I probably reported some hours back. It makes me fee like, ‘Yes I am working, I am being heard.’

    Again you seem to have also pitched your tent with lifestyle/entertainment news, why so?

    My blog has always been like that. But lately we do all round news, especially in these days of politics. You know that virtually all Nigerians are concentrating on politics and the forthcoming elections now.

    How about advert patronage? How well good is the general corporate support?

    Oh it’s been tremendous, I would say. As a matter of fact, that’s where the real money is. I wonder why I don’t get background takeovers though. But hopefully that’ll begin to happen this year. Aside that, the advert patronage has been great.

    What have been the challenges and hurdles as you forayed into blogging?

    It used to be power and bad internet connection, but those are things of the past now. There are standby generators, and of course we have all the internet connection working in Nigeria today; if you know what I mean. When one is slow, I move onto the next one fast. It’s not that it’s fun buying all of them, but as a serious blogger, you just have to own all the networks. Internet connection in Nigeria is still very bad.

    Recently another leading blogger ran into trouble on account of using stories and materials without permission; how are you coping with this aspect? How do you source and gather your news? Do you have reporters etc?

    I always credit my sources. And yes, I have reporters. But sadly, they can only do the outside job. Handling cameras, attending press conferences and going on few other official assignments. As for my blog, I handle it all alone for now. I just feel that you have to have my mindset if you want to join me in handling the blog.

    Blogging is also generally believed to be highly rewarding, how financially rewarding has it been for you?

    If I will be honest with you, blogging is just like yahoo yahoo scam. The money just keeps coming in, and sometimes you say God, this is something I started like a ‘joke.’ I just wanted my own voice, I just wanted to write. But today, the story is different. It has been very rewarding financially, and I owe it to God.

    How would you assess blogging activities in Nigeria? Do you subscribe to the fact that it is the future of media?

    It is, except we want to hide away from the truth. Blogging as far as I know is modern day journalism. Everyone one wants to be featured on the blogs these days, including politicians, celebrities, leaders and opinion leaders in the country. Doesn’t that tell you that it is indeed the future of journalism?

    But there is also the little snag of it becoming overcrowded, as more bloggers seem to be emerging by the day. How are you coping with that?

    If something is doing well, it is expected that other will join in. It only goes to prove and reinforce the fact that it is indeed the future of journalism. But of course, everyone is welcome on board.

    Do you have any awards and other acknowledgements so far for your efforts?

    Of course. The latest of them is Dot Com Awards for The Best Entertainment

    Blog in 2014 (Practitioners choice).

    Tell us your educational background and antecedents.

    I am an accounting graduate. I attended All Saints Church School, Ibadan, and then ISSI, before I finished at Jelly Las College, Lagos.

    Where do you see yourself in the next five years

    I do not know where God is taking me; but anywhere He leads me, I will go.

    a chat

  • Digitisation 2015: How realistic?

    As the 2015 deadline for the digitisation of the broadcast industry draws near, Gboyega Alaka reviews the progress so far, asking if indeed the country is ready.

    AS 2015 knocks and Nigeria gets set to embrace the digitisation year for television broadcasting, stakeholders have continued to exercise fears as to the readiness of the country to meet up with the global deadline.

    The international Telecommunications Union had set the stage for global transition from analogue to digital in 2006, when it set June 17, 2015 as deadline. For those who are still wondering, that is the date broadcast stations are expected to go digital and analogue television viewers would no longer be able to receive signals on their sets, unless they have been equipped with Set-Top Boxes.

    As a signatory to the decision, Nigeria had earlier set a June 17, 2012 target for the country to comply with digitisation transition, but moved the date when it became obvious that the industry and the nation as a whole would not be able to meet it. It thus set January 2015 as the take off date, which all the state governments and the nation as a whole have been working towards.

    The Nigerian broadcasting industry has been working vigorously towards the silent revolution targeted at the transition.

    Plateau State flagged off its Jos Pilot City digital switch over on the first of July, 2014, literally breasting the tape ahead of other states. It will be recalled that the occasion of that launch brought together media professionals, politicians and technicians in the media industry who seized the opportunity to further cement the road to the transition.

    Former Information Minister, Labaran Maku, who was special guest on the occasion, pledged the government’s commitment to the process and said that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) would provide necessary support in its actualisation.

    It was also decided that the government would have to embark on massive publicity and campaign to be targeted at the over 40 million analogue television users in the country, who are expected to make the switch, if the January date is to be realised.

    The question many have been asking, however, is how many people know about this transition? A quick public survey in Lagos shows that the common man on the streets knows practically nothing about the purported transition to digitisation, except that many are just falling in love with the digital television services being peddled by the different digital. John Oluwaseyi, a student, says he is not aware of any digitisation process. He also said that if indeed there is any, the government is not doing enough in terms of enlightenment and it is not unlikely that the deadline of 2015 will catch many people unaware.

    Other states aside Plateau that have initiated bold move towards the process include Bauchi, Borno, Anambra and a host of bothers.

    Bauchi looked set to meet the deadline before 2015, when it set up a committee of experts in the broadcast industry in August, to ensure smooth migration of the state-owned television station, from analogue to digital broadcasting. The state Commissioner of Religious Affairs (and Information), Alhaji Salihu Barau, expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that Bauchi State Television (BATV) met the digitisation deadline of December 31st 2014. He announced that the state had already set up a seven-man committee towards this end.

    However, with about two weeks to the end of the year 2014, it seems unlikely that the state will achieve its target of digitisation before 2015. Nevertheless, it looks right on track.

    Borno State, which is now embroiled in the Boko Haram insurgency, is another state that instituted a big move, when it received a document on the roadmap and blueprint for the digitisation of its media outfits. As far back as November 2013, the state government announced its commitment towards digitsing its media organisations, the Borno Radio and Television Services (BRTV) before 2015. The state Commissioner of Information, Inuwa Bwala, also announced that the administration of Governor Kashim Shettima is committed to meeting the 2015 deadline, adding that “the state believed the digitisation will open up the organisation for better services to the people.”

    Aside the switch which is fundamental, the transition holds a lot of benefits for the nation, as viewers would be availed of higher quality audio and video, efficient signal processing and flexibility in programme editing, as well as mass employment opportunities.

    While clarifying the implication of the digitisation transition, the director general of the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, Emeka Mba, had earlier in the year declared at a News Agency of Nigeria forum that digitisation will also usher in economy of spectrum on the UFH band. For emphasis, he explained that only one NTA channel on an analogue capacity uses an amount of spectrum expendable by 20 channels in a digital setting.

    “With digital compression, we can actually switch up to twenty channels into that space that NTA is occupying today. In other words, you can have up to 20 NTAs in the space NTA occupies today.

    “So it’s not just a question of quantity but also quality because digital-based signal will have crisp (pictures), the picture will be sharper and you will have the opportunity to do digital sound and so many other applications,” Mba said.

    However, it already looks doubtful, with two weeks to December 31st, 2014, that Nigeria will beat that deadline. What remains to be seen is whether the nation will beat the global June 17, 2015 deadline.

  • Magazine honours Ahmed, Nda Isaiah, others

    Magazine honours Ahmed, Nda Isaiah, others

    KWARA State governor, Abdul Fatah Ahmed, has been bestowed with the HOG (Hall of Fame) magazine award.

    The event which took place at the Memory Gathering Events centre, Ikeja, Lagos was attended by two-time minister of information, Chief (Dr.) Alex Akinyele, who is a grand patron of HOG magazine; former Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and APC presidential aspirant, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah. Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, was also represented.

    In his keynote address titled: ‘Growing Nigeria, A Collective Responsibility’, Ndah-Isaiah gave knocks to the present government for mis-managing Nigeria’s economy.

    He said:  “In spite of all the negative news from Nigeria, in spite of all the gloomy stories of corruption, insecurity, loss of territory to criminals, Nigeria has been growing, at least in economic terms. When we rebased our economy, with a GDP of $510billion, our annual growth rate remained around 6per cent annually; which is good. But even at this, we can double if we are more serious. But what manner of growth is this?

    “In spite of this growth which makes Nigeria Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria has more than 100 million people who are desperately poor, according to some reports that place the poverty rate at 60 per cent. What that means is that only very few Nigerians reside in the sectors that are growing the economy.  If one also looks at the incidence of poverty in the north, especially the far northern states are the ones that are extremely poor. This should easily explain the reason why it is easy to recruit youths into terrorism in most of those states.

    “Conservatively, more that 54 per cent of Nigerian youths are unemployed. But in some of those far northern states, they get as bad as 80 per cent. In education, 70 per cent of the students who sat for the WAEC examinations this year failed. And, according to UNICEF, 10.5million Nigerian children are out of school. This is the highest in the world, ” he lamented.

    Speaking, Mr. Rupert Ojenuwa, the managing director and editor- in -chief of the magazine, explained the concept of the yearly awards and the induction ceremony.

    “The criterion for inducting anybody into HOG hall of fame is proven contributions to nation building that span up to three years. While HOG awards focuses on activities and impacts of potential awardees during a preceding year. The Hall of Fame looks at consistency in adding value and contribution to nation building through various agencies.

  • International Press Centre holds Media Tweet-A-Thon

    International Press Centre holds Media Tweet-A-Thon

    THE fifth edition of the International Press Centre’s (IPC) tweet-a-thon (tweet conference) series on promoting active media engagement and active citizens’ participation in the electoral process ahead of 2015 elections was held last week.

    The event which  is a monthly activity supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) lll Project and its international partners, the European Union (EU), UK Aid, the Canadian Department for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFTAD) and the UNDP.

    The theme: “Report of baseline survey of newspapers coverage of electoral issues ahead 2015 elections, Matters arising and lessons” according to the director of the centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, “has been deliberately chosen to enable us deliberate on the findings of the one-month exercise, which involved six Nigerian national newspapers – The Punch, Thisday, The Guardian, Daily Trust, Daily Sun and The Nation. The survey was conducted between July 21, 2014 and August 20, 2014. The survey’s report will also be presented at this event.

    “The survey revealed the major strengths and weaknesses of the reporting of electoral issues ahead of 2015 elections by the concerned newspapers.

    It is expected that media organisations would welcome the recommendations arising from the survey. On our part, we will continue to integrate the outcomes into our media engagements including capacity building programmes on the professional, conflict sensitive, public interest and gender supportive reporting of 2015 elections.

    Mr. Ray Ekpu, a veteran journalist, co-founder of Newswatch magazine and former President of Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), led the presentation while Mr. Tunde Akanni, a communication lecturer, Lagos State University (LASU) was the lead discussant.

  • ‘The media is trying to shortchange Pa Akinwunmi’

    ‘The media is trying to shortchange Pa Akinwunmi’

    Lagos lawyer, economist and public affairs analyst, Fred Nzeako, cautions the Nigerian media over an attempt to misinterpret President Jonathan’s largesse for the octogenarian national flag designer, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, and shortchange him. He spoke with Gboyega Alaka.

    YOU seem to have a grouse with the media over the recent salary largesse pronounced by President Goodluck Jonathan for the designer of Nigeria’s national flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi.

    Let me make this robust correction. I call it robust because virtually every media establishment in the country is falling into the same trap. I don’t know whether it is definitely orchestrated or whether it is a human error, but I want to call it a shortchanging of Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi by the media. I will accuse the media directly of shortchanging and undermining the largesse given to Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi by the president, either surreptitiously, unintentionally or intentionally. If it is intentional, then it is out of jealousy. If it is unintentional, then it is out of misinterpretation, wrong interpretation and wrong listening to the words of the president. You can go and replay it; Mr. President said Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi should be placed on salary at the level of Special Assistant to the president forever, and not for life. Mr. President did not make a mistake in that assertion. He knew what he was saying, and it beats me that the media is now misinterpreting his definite instruction. Pa Akinwunmi has long been suffering injustice on account of not getting royalty from his intellectual property from the copyright ownership deriving from the design of the Nigerian national flag. And that has left him without money and funds, even to train his own children or pay for his medical services, and consequently went blind. He did not even have his own house, until sometime in the recent past, when the MTN Foundation bought him a small house.

    You’re saying that Nigeria has not been fair to this historical personality.

    With all due respect, what is the life left of Pa Akinkunmi? He has long crossed life expectancy in Nigeria. He has also long crossed the life expectancy pronounced in the Bible. So he is now obviously in his twilight days. And because the president wants to right the wrong of 54 years, he has made an executive pronouncement. The president is the alter ego of the Nigerian nation, and his pronouncement is almost like law. Therefore, his instruction must be followed to the letter  not for life as wrongly being misinterpreted by the media, but for forever.

    Could it be that the media was trying to pre-empt the president?

    I think the media was trying to give their own interpretation of that word ‘forever’, as used by the president. Technically, I may not blame them, but they should as media men report exactly what the president said. Let me take Things Fall Apart for instance. Professor Chinua Achebe is dead, but his family will continue to draw royalties from his books forever. As long as publishers publish that book, the family will continue to earn royalties from it. Now, the law of intellectual property requires that once there is a patent, or where there is an invention or intellectual property ascribed to a particular person, the law requires that throughout the life of that person, he earns royalty on the property and 50 years after his death. That was the United Kingdom standard, until 1975, and adjusted in 1985, when they made it 70 years. So it is now life plus 70 years post life. But under the Received English Laws of Nigeria, when Nigeria received the status of general application of 1900, Nigeria still operates with the 50 years standard set by the British during the colonial era. So, even if you want to go legalistic and interpret it by the laws governing intellectual property, that will mean that Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi is entitled to the royalty for that design throughout his lifetime, and 50 years after his death. That obviously means that the royalty gets transferred to his family or anybody he assigns that privilege.

    Do you really think the president meant forever? Do you think it is justifiable to place the man on a salary scale as high as special assistant to the president forever?

    What is the salary of a special assistant to the president? Ordinarily, he is entitled to receive payment from the day that flag was adopted. The 100 pounds given to him in 1960 was mere pittance. Some people who have been able to sneak out the figure say it is $29,000. I know some people may want to say ‘why him? Is he the only one who has suffered such injustice?’ But the truth is, that is the way it is done all over the world. And I insist and am ready to go to court, if anybody, especially the media, tries to continue the shortchange.

    Why did it take Nigeria 54 years and 14 different governments to take this bold step?

    It is a reflection of the injustice in Nigeria. Pure and simple. It’s not as if people have not been talking. This same media has been talking about the injustice done this man, to the extent that even NTA, a federal government owned medium, brought Pa Akinkunmi and interviewed him, and he told Nigerians the abject poverty he was wallowing in.

  • Rumble in the new media

    Rumble in the new media

    Gboyega Alaka reviews events of last week that saw popular blogsite, lindaikeji.blogspot.com, taken out momentarily by Google and later reinstalled, in an alleged plagiarism petition.

    IN less than 48 hours, popular blogger, Linda Ikeji, went through hell and back last week, when her blogsite, lindaikeji.blogspot.com, was yanked off by Google and later reinstalled. The action followed a petition written to Google by a fellow Nigerian blogger and erstwhile online friend of Linda’s, AyeDee, alleging that she had been using stolen articles and pictures, without due credit or authorisation. Consequently, lindaikeji.mobi, which used to be ranked number one, also allegedly dropped to number 3,823 in the alexa ranking of online portals in Nigeria, raising fears of the demise of what has become a phenomenon in the online media revolution.

    Expectedly, a number of traditional media journalists have been commending AyeDee’s bold action, saying it will slow down the spate of unabashed plagiarism that has become the order of the day amongst new media practitioners in the country, and which has further impoverished the core media practitioners and journalists.

    One of them, Lolade Sowoolu, who currently works as a client service executive at Audio Visual First, wrote in an article, ‘Between Linda and the Journalism Profession,’ that “I have toyed with and discussed with some colleagues on the need for instituting a class action lawsuit against these opportunists who rob original work owners of the only lasting gratification a journalist has  relevance, in the face of his staggered and inconsistent pay-cheques.”

    In her opinion, “It is characteristically fraudulent and institutionally stifling for you to aggregate content without permission or mention. Simply put, you kill a journalist and her medium every time you publish her without credit.”

    She was, therefore, delighted when news broke out “that a Nigerian via Google had orchestrated the removal of plagiarised posts on Linda ikeji’s blog. Not for any personal score, she wrote, but for the “effect of the move on my victimised profession  journalism.”

    In a major twist that seemed to have, however, dowsed the motive of this’ laudable’ action, Ikeji has ‘fought back’ to say that the petition wasn’t so much about upholding the nobility of the profession, but about a certain love gone sour. She alleged in an article and chat, which she made public, that the personality behind the petition was indeed an old online friend, whom she used to know back in 2009/2010 simply as Alex, and who used to run the blogsite, 1976AD. She alleged that the action therefore wasn’t so much about her plagiarism for this gentleman who once encouraged her and even gave her ‘the woman of the year award,’ but more out of a feeling of abandonment. “It wasn’t because I showed off my new SUV. It wasn’t about plagiarism, or copyright infringement. It was something deeper, very personal and maybe even more dangerous. Some would call it obsession. …it was about a scorned former friend. It was about love turning to hate because he felt I’d abandoned him after I became big,” Ikeji wrote on her site.

    Events happened quickly earlier last week, when Ikeji, who has over the last few years made millions of naira in fortune from her gossip and entertainment site, posted a picture of her latest expensive automobile on social media. Observers are of the opinion that this must have drawn the anger of hapless journalists, who naturally wondered why she wouldn’t pay for the stories and pictures she uses on her site, when evidences point to the fact that she could jolly well pay for them.

    Linda also denied any knowledge of deliberate plagiarism, saying that her understanding of “plagiarism is when you take someone’s work and republish it verbatim.” She admitted though that she has used photos without giving credit in the past and that it “will never happen.”

  • Give fair representation to women, WACC urges media owners

    Give fair representation to women, WACC urges media owners

    The Africa region of World Association of Christian Communication (WACC AR) has urged media owners and communicators in Africa to focus on issues that concern women in their reporting.

    This according to the body will help in stemming the tide of violence against women in the region and also give them a fair representation in the emancipation of the continent.

    WACC made the call at the end of a three-day seminar on Gender and Communication in Africa at War and in Peace in Nairobi, Kenya which held from 4th-7th August 2014.

    The organization in the communiqué, signed by the newly elected President of the Africa region, Mathilda Kpalla and Secretary, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin urged media owners to give space to promote women based issues in their media and be gender sensitive in the recruitment of those who are purveyors of news in the media.

    WACC AR also called on media professionals to endeavor to “profile the role and perspectives of women before, during and after conflict and in peace and security processes.

    “They should also endeavor to promote national and regional monitoring on women’s right issue and use their media to work on the issue of changing socio-cultural norms that are against women”

    It also observed that the internet has been used to perpetuate violence against women and urged internet service providers to work towards removing content that perpetuate violence against women on the internet and drive the campaign to stem the tide of illicit postings on the internet.

    While observing that women are the most vulnerable group in conflict situations, participants at the seminar called on governments at all levels in African countries to ratify and domesticate United Nation’s and Africa Union’s recommendations on issues of rights that concern women and also create awareness on national action plans for implementation of the resolutions.

    It also urged civil society groups to work towards changing attitudes of society and socio-cultural norms towards women and girls while also calling on churches and faith based organizations to broaden their teachings beyond evangelism to include issues on women’s rights

  • ‘I always wanted to be a broadcaster’

    ‘I always wanted to be a broadcaster’

    Alero Jadesimi, ace broadcaster, entrepreneur and daughter of first republic minister, Festus Okotie Eboh, reflects on her days as a broadcaster, turning 70 and her passion for mentoring young ones. She spoke with Yetunde Oladeinde.

    WHAT does it feel like at 70?

    It feels just like yesterday. I do not feel any difference because I work, I still work. I have always worked and maybe that has helped.

    Would you consider yourself accomplished at 70?

    Well, that is for other people to judge, not me. I wanted to be a broadcaster as a young girl and I became a broadcaster. First, I worked as a broadcaster in Sierra Leone. Then I moved on to work with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) for about five years. Those were the early days when it was known as NBC /WNTV and I worked with people like Segun Olushola who was the controller, Michael Olumide who was the director and others like Bode Alalade, Ikenna Ndaguba, Friday Ifode and Buky Ajayi. It was a very interesting part of my life. If we had to turn back the hands of time, I would still have loved to be a broadcaster.

    Tell us about your love for mentoring

    I initiated a non-governmental organisation called Youth Business Initiative. Through the organisation, we help young people to start their own businesses. Once this is done, we then invite accomplished people to be mentors to this young people. So, that basically is what I do for young people. Young Nigerians should work hard but again they need to be supported, because Nigeria of today is hard.

    Insecurity and the kidnap of the Chibok girls are some of the issues that the nation is battling with at the moment. What does this mean to you?

    It is obviously a tragedy. I would never have dreamt that such a thing could happen in Nigeria. We love children and most people would be ready to lay their lives for them. So for a lot of our people this is shocking. I admire the women who are out there campaigning for these children to be free. What else can they do? We have to keep it on the front burner. We can’t afford to let it die.

    Your father was a renowned politician, why didn’t you think of stepping into his shoes?

    I don’t think that there was any way I could have stepped into his shoes. He inspired me in the sense that I am interested in politics and I am aware of politics. I do get myself interested in what’s going on but other than that, active politics is not for me. Why? Because I think that the terrain for women is not yet right.

    Would you encourage any of your children to go into politics?

    Why not! If that is what they want, I would support and encourage them. Absolutely!

    Is there something or someone that you consider as the greatest influence in your life?

    Yes, that would be my parents.

    You have not talked about your husband

    I wouldn’t describe him as the greatest influence in my life because when we met, we were already adults and our views about life were shaped. He is a brilliant man, very bright. We met in London as students. He was in the male hostel and I was in the female hostel. He was then the typical fine, young man and I was a fine, young Itsekiri woman.

    How would you assess the performance of women in politics today?

    Oh! That’s an unfair question. That’s a very dangerous question. All I can say is that it is encouraging to see that women are participating more in politics. In those days, it was only people like Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and Mrs. Margaret Ekpo that were visible. Those were the only people that we kept hearing about. Those were the women that were in politics and were not really in politics. They were in the background in the 40s, encouraging the men. But today, you have women taking the front line and it is obvious that the future would be brighter. However, what I would like to see is women actually running for governorship positions as well as the presidency and not just for the positions of deputies. I want to see a woman run for these positions in her own right and I think that we have the women who can do it.

    At 70, you are older than the entity called Nigeria, could this be the Nigeria of your dream?

    Unfortunately, no. I was very young when my father was participating in politics but I do remember that the way people approached politics then was very different. When Zik came to Sapele for instance, all the schools would be out, regardless of the fact that you were NCNC or whatever and everyone would be shouting Zik in admiration. It was the same when Awolowo came around and people would come out to applaud him. That is different from what we have today; it is worse where you have security people guarding them away from the people. Politics for me means interacting with the people. How can you do that when you are not able to reach the person representing you? There are a number of disappointments in different sectors of the economy. We have the potential; both human and mineral resources. We have the brains and wherever you go in the world, you find Nigerians who are at the top of their game and doing well. We need to translate all these to the infrastructure around us and I think it can be done.

    We have to start with education and I am disappointed with the schools. It is sad that students have been allowed to go down.

    At what point did we miss it?

    I can’t really say, but I do know that it was a very long time ago.

    Let’s talk about some of your memorable moments in life

    I guess when my parents were alive and probably when we were living in Sapele before my father became a minister. My mum was very supportive. When he was in Lagos, he had a school in the village and my mother was running the school. He was very passionate about education. That was her role and she enjoyed that.

    What are the things that you shared in common with your parents?

    I think they were disciplined and had respect for the elders. That I got from them.

    You sure look twenty years younger; tell us about the secrets of your look.

    Well, I think that is probably genetic and it runs in the family. My mum was 83 years old when she died but she did not look 83 at that point. Unfortunately, my dad died earlier. In those days, when someone was 50, he sounded ancient, but these days, 50 years is almost nothing.  The truth is that I also eat well.

  • Jakande: NUJ honours Nigeria’s media icon at 85

    Jakande: NUJ honours Nigeria’s media icon at 85

    The Nigerian Union of Journalists last week celebrated Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, a man whose contributions to the profession arguably transcends that of any other Nigerian, with a book presentation and a bash. Gboyega Alaka, who was at the event, reports.

    It was a day to honour and revel in governmental nostalgia last Wednesday as the Nigerian Union of Journalists honoured the man Lateef Kayode Jakande at 85. The event, which doubled as a book launch, witnessed the presentation of the book, Jakande: Fountain of Excellence (Celebrating Journalism Icon @ 85).

    Alhaji Lateef Jakande, a former civilian governor of Lagos State between 1979 and 1983, is reputed to be one of the founding fathers of Nigerian journalism, and the union, under the leadership of Comrade ‘Deji Elumoye, deemed it befitting to honour him with the book, which captures his life and times, both as a selfless journalist, and as a politician of unrivalled quality and achievements.

    Speaking in his capacity as Chairman of the occasion, former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, who himself is a journalism icon, described Alhaji Jakande as the ‘Grandfather of Nigerian Journalism,’ tracing his days at the Daily Service, Daily Express through to The Nigerian Tribune, where he rose to become Managing Editor, and by implication, a close associate of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    He also spoke of his instrumental role in co-founding the Nigerian Union of Journalists; his role in founding the Nigerian Guild of Editors; how he founded the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and how as a member of the International Press Institute, IPI, he became the first black African president of the association, comprising publishers and editors of reputable publications around the world.

    Osoba also recalled how Jakande brought the IPI to Nigeria, in cooperation with the University of Lagos, to train budding journalists.

    TheSpeaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who presented the book, described Alhaji Jakande as a pathfinder, without whose efforts the developments currently being witnessed across Lagos would not have been possible. He spoke of how the former governor opened up the Lekki-Epe axis, which is now rated the most expensive corridor in West Africa. He also spoke of how as a young man, he and other folks from his home-town in Epe used to travel roughly three hours to get to Lagos on a free-traffic day.

    In appreciating Jakande’s contribution to education, Ikuforiji spoke of how he miraculously condensed the previous three-session a day school system to a single session and instituted a successful free education at all levels; something the previous military regime had said was not possible. He also lauded him for taking the initiative to establish public schools across the nooks and crannies of the state, even in high-brow areas of Victoria Island and Ikoyi, asking almost rhetorically that: “Which governor will go and get a piece of land to build a public school in Ikoyi these days?”

    Alhaji Jakande was co-founder, treasurer and patron of the Nigerian Union of Journalists. Aside co-founding and being the first president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, he was also co-founder and served as a two term president of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria. Jakande was also co-founder and first chairman of the Nigerian Press Organisation; founder of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and first Chairman of its Board of Governors (1970-1979) and chairman of its Board of Trustees till date.

    Jakande is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, member of the International Federation of Journalists; first and only African president of the IPI; member of the International Federation of Publishers; member, International Broadcast Institute; member International Association for Mass Communications Research; Founder, and National Secretary of the National Press Club of Nigeria between 1970 and 1979; member, Commonwealth Press Union;  First Chairman, World Press Freedom Committee (1974) and member, Committee on the Future of the Nigerian Press (1968).

    Jakande was also Managing Director of Allied Newspapers Limited, publishers of a chain of eight provincial newspapers spread across the country.

  • Media vital for nation building -Mercy Ebuetse

    Media vital for nation building -Mercy Ebuetse

    Publisherof Shalom Truth Magazine (STM), Mercy Ebuetse, has called on media owners in the country to down play stories that promote violence and immorality in the society.

    She made the call during the launch of the magazine at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja Lagos State.

    Information Minister, Labaran Maku; Abia State Governor, Dr Theodore Orji and General Overseer of Faith Tabernacle, Bishop David Oyedepo, were duly represented at the ceremony which took place during the week.

    The publisher identified the need to save Nigerians from distasteful publications as her reason for establishing the magazine, saying: “We believe that in building a strong nation, the role of the media is very paramount. Therefore, stories that promote sex and other vices should not be encouraged by the media.

    “If you look through the media these days, all you find are daily reports of war, ritual killings, kidnapping, insecurity and other several unpalatable stories that are unhealthy for the consumption of an average Nigerian. STM seeks to play a refreshing role of shifting the mind of an average reader to issues that promote peace and development. We are out to celebrate life in its entirety, especially at this period where moral decadence breeds insecurity in our country.”

    She stated that the establishment is concerned about working with the government to build a virile nation, adding, “We are joining forces with the Nigerian government to ensure that we have healthy minds in the society, people that can stand intellectual discourse. We are also concerned about the growing rate of unemployment in our country and would try to contribute our quota towards reducing it.”

    The Covenant University graduate identified access to finance as a serious challenge to young entrepreneurs in the country and called on the federal government to address the challenge. “Institutions should be put in place to help out those who need assistance to birth their dreams. Those at the helms of affairs in the country should assist young entrepreneurs to grow in the overall interest of the nation and the people,” she said.

    Representative of Abia Sate Governor, Mao Ohuabunwa, lauded the publisher for her courage to float the magazine and encouraged other youths in the country to emulate her.

    “Mercy read engineering in the higher institution but has veered into publishing today. She didn’t stay at home waiting for when her dream job would come. I will encourage other youths to emulate her. We are planning to hold a youth summit in Abia State later in the year and would invite her speak to our youths,” he stated.