Life of a journalist after retirement

I share some similarities with the celebrant of today, Comrade Jola Ogunlusi. Before 1996, we were both from the old Ondo State. I am from Idanre in Idanre local government of Ondo state, while he is from Esun Ekiti in Ikole local government Area of Ekiti State. Longevity runs in his family. His father died at the age of 131 while his grandmother died at the age of 122. His mother died at the age of 110. He is just 90.

He grew up with his grandmother Princess Oguntuka also from a royal family but married to Oba Adumure, Elesun of Esun-Ekiti.

At that time only two of his mother’s children survived, himself and Mrs Idowu Aruleba, mother of Gbenga Aruleba of African Independent Television (AIT). He was given many Abiku names which he jettisoned later and adopted Emmanuel Ajibola-Iya.

He attended different schools in Odo-Oke, Aiyedun and Esun-Ekiti and finally completed his standard six in 1953. There was no job for a year. He was going to the farm with his father.
But from 1955 to 1958, he was a teacher. His first salary was 48 pounds per annum. It was later increased to 56 pounds a year with arrears. From his salary, he bought a bicycle which he rode to school. It was a fine, well-decorated bicycle.

His preference was to study Medicine at the University. An incident motivated him. In 1955 when he was a teacher, they sent him to his only sister, Idowu, who was ill.

He returned home late in the day. They had already presumed she was dead. He went into the room, took her hand and noticed she was warm. He used his knowledge of first aid to remove the mucus that blocked her nostrils. Then she started breathing.

Comrade Ogunlusi worked in Iroyin Yoruba, Daily Sketch, Gbohun Gbohun Nigerian Tribune and New Nigerian. He worked with Lamp magazine and also wrote for the African Arik published by the University of California.

In 1977, he rose to be the National secretary of the NUJ.

In 1972, I joined the Nigerian Tribune as a reporter. We worked under our then Managing Director, Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (23 July 1929-11 February 2021), who was later elected governor of Lagos state in 1979.

Those of us in the Nigerian Tribune then were Mr. Osugbohun, Alfred Ilere, Soji Alakuro, Mufu Akinloye, Tope Orimoloye, Toye Akiyode (Agosco), Dan Ikuniaye, Bode Oyewole, Bayo Osiyemi, Folu Olamiti, Kayode Osifeso and others, while our news editor was Fola Oredoyin. Our Editor then was Ikhan Yakubu and our editor in chief was Mr. Kayode Bakare.

Incidentally in 1975, I was elected the Western State Secretary of the NUJ. A plaque is at the press centre in Ibadan today to remind us all.

I was the last person to hold that post till Oyo, Ogun and Ondo states were created on February 13, 1976 by General Murtala Mohammed GCFR (November 8, 1938 – February 13, 1976). After the creation of states, there was pressure on us to sell the assets of the Western state NUJ including the present press club in Ibadan. We resisted the pressure. That is why the press centre still belong to the journalists today.

During that time, there were newspapers and there were newspapers. That was before The Guardian,Thisday, Daily Trust, The Nation, The National Concord, The Vanguard, The Punch, The Sun, Daily Telegraph, Daily Independent, Pilot, The Matrix, Business Day, The Point, Leadership and other reigning newspapers of today, were established.

At that time, we had The Nigerian Standard in Jos, The Chronicle in Calabar, The Nigerian Tide In Port Harcourt, The Nigerian Observer in Benin city, The Daily Sketch in Ibadan, The Nigerian Herald later in Ilorin, The New Nigerian in Kaduna and the powerful Daily Times in Lagos.

During this period, The Daily Times was the most circulated. There was a column in the New Nigerian then called CANDIDO. It was during this period that the celebrant of today worked in the New Nigerian. CANDIDO was a must read for decision makers in Nigeria.

To its credit, The New Nigerian has produced outstanding journalists in this country. Among whom were Alhaji Mamman Daura, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, the present Monarch of Badagry, Oba Babatunde Akran, Aholu Menu Toyi 1, Mr Mike Pearce, Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, Owolabi Ilori, Nat Balogun, Alaja Browne, Yakubu Mohammed, Nkem Agetua, Yinka Guedon, Clement Eluaka, Mr Tayo Kehinde, Alhaji Adamu Adamu, Chief Olugbayo Ogunleye, Mr. Gboyega Amoboye alias The Governor, who is today the Chairman of Lagos wing of Veteran Journalists, Alhaji Turi Mohammed, Mr. Nvendaga Jibo, Mr. Stephen Bamigbele, Mr. Ndanusa Alao, Clem Baiye, Dan Agbese, Abba Dabo, James Jukwe, Moses Olorode, Alaye Gbenoba, Clement Agba, Buka Zarma, Buki Wilson, Adebola Idowu, Yinka Dagunduro, Sehinde Dagunduroro, Biola Ajoni, Victor Awogu, Otunba Segun Runsewe, Dayo Onibile, Fola Asiru and so many of them.

To count on positive things that newspapers have done for this country is like counting on the number of times the rain has fallen in a year. Let me refer to one, that still affects us today.
In January 1970, the Daily Times published an editorial pleading that Nigeria must adopt left hand drive policy.

On January 30 of that year, the then head of state, General Yakubu Gowon GCFR (89), inaugurated a commission, to deal with the issue. The commission was headed by the then Chief Executive of The Daily Times, Alhaji Babatunde Jose (December 13, 1925- August 2, 2008).

In March 1972, the then Minister of Works and Housing, whose Ministry was in charge of Transportation, Alhaji Femi Okunnu announced that with effect from Sunday, April 2, 1972, Nigeria would operate left hand policy. The policy is still operating till today unlike what operates in some Commonwealth countries like United Kingdom, Kenya, Australia, Uganda and South Africa.

I have spoken from the viewpoint of a newspaper man. I hope outstanding radio and television journalists like Mr. Gbenga Onayiga, Bayo Awosemo, Sola Atere, Bayo Adewusi, Vera Ifudu, Emman Okondo, Bisi Olatilo, Adebayo Bodunrin, Bola Oyeladun, Frank Olize, John Momoh, Nduka Obaigbena, Jimi Disu, Jones Usen, Chris Anyanwu, Jumoke Susan Fajana (now based in London), Yori Folarin, Mac Amarere, Lekan Alabi, Abike Dabiri, Bankole Laotan, Blossom Ubani, Augusta Maduegbuna, Seun Okibaloye, Stella Din Jacob, Ladi Lawal and so many others who are either here or here in spirit or have departed, will pardon me.

A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, process it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public.

Journalists can be broadcast, print, advertising or public relations personnel. Depending on the form of journalism, “journalist” may also describe various categories of people by the roles they play in the process. These includes reporters, correspondents, citizen journalist, editors, editorial writers, columnists and photojournalists.

A reporter is a type of journalist who researches, writes and reports on information in order to present using sources. This may entail conducting interviews, information-gathering and/or writing articles. Reporters may split their time between working in a newsroom, from home or outside to witness events or interviewing people. Reporters may be assigned a specific beat (area of coverage).

I see journalism as a way to learn more every day and try to work on my ignorance and understand the difference ways of life and how people live. Curiosity motivates every journalist. If you want to know the impact of a journalist just stay a day without listening to the news both in the radio, television or newspapers. It’s as if you are in a prison yard.

Our job is a noble profession. After waking up every morning, checking on his health and offering his prayers, the next thing an average journalist does is to listen to the news or read the papers. It is a very interesting routine.
Journalists always strive to be fair, accurate, and complete.

Fair means being fair to the evidence. A good rule of thumb is the more evidence you have, the less balance you need.

Accurate means verifying all the information in the story and being transparent about what you know, how you know it and what you don’t know. It also means remembering that journalistic truth is provisional. Like scientific truth, it changes over time as more evidence becomes available.

Complete means learning as much about the story through as wide an array of sources as possible so you can include a range of relevant and diverse points of view.

In the civil service if you reach the age of sixty or put in thirty-five years of service, you are to retire. And when you retire in the service you will collect your gratuity and continue to live on your pension. But in our profession, we do not retire. There is no such thing as a former journalist. There is no age limit to the practice of journalism.

The body that invited us to this lecture is called ‘League of Veteran Journalists.’ League means an association of persons or group united by common interests or goals. It could also mean fellowship or solidarity while a veteran means a person who has had long experience in a particular field or job. It is not a league of retired journalists.

The topic given to me is to speak on ‘Life after retirement for journalists.’ I have been ruminating on the subject. And I doubt whether journalists really retire. I think the topic should have been ‘Life when journalists stop going to offices.’

I remember a refrain that says “Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away.” It originates from a stanza from the soldiers’ folklore song ‘Old Soldiers Never Die.’ In the United States, the phrase was used by General Douglas MacArthur in his April 19, 1951 farewell address to the U.S. Congress (which has become known as the “Old Soldiers Never Die” speech).

Journalists are like old soldiers. They don’t really retire they just fade away when the time comes. They are active till the end if their health can sustain them. If journalists retire why should Chief Olusegun Osoba at 85, the twice-elected governor of Ogun state be reporting till today. If journalists retire why should veterans like Chief Tola Adeniyi, Sam Omatseye, Dan Agbese, Dele Sobowale, Lanre Idowu, Reuben Abati, Magnus Ibe, Bunmi Sofola, Dupe Ajayi, Medline Tador, Comfort Obi, Tunde Fagbenle, Azuibike Ishiekwene, Kayode Komolafe, Yakubu Mohammed, Ray Ekpu, Soji Akinrinade, Lade Bonuola, Bayo Osiyemi, Ayo Akinkuotu, Dare Babarinsa, Dayo Sobowale, Martins Oloja, Muyiwa Adetiba and many others still be writing columns. The truth is that journalists have an active mind. They may not be rich but they perform essential services to the world.

To be continued tomorrow.

Teniola, former Director in The Presidency, deliver this as Birthday Lecture in honour of Comrade Jola Ogunlusi recently.