The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has accepted the invitation to attend the launch of an epochal book on The Guardian.
The event, billed to hold on April 8, 2021, in Lagos, has several top media icons, politicians across the political divides, captains of industry and other high profile Nigerians listed to attend.
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media to the Vice President, Pastor Laolu Akande, a former staff of The Guardian, told the authors of the book that Professor Osinbajo had scheduled the event as one of those to attend this year.
The authors, Aaron Ukodie and Oseun Ogunseitan, had sent an invitation to the vice president at the close of last year to attend the event as Special Guest of Honour and to deliver a keynote address.
Several governors, including Kayode Fayemi, Chairman Governors Forum, who also had a stint at The Guardian, have also been invited to attend the event.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to attend the event as Chief Host, alongside his Delta counterpart, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, the state of origin of the proprietor of The Guardian, as co-host.
Alex Uruemu Ibru, the iconic newspaper proprietor, who passed away on November 20, 2011, shall be honoured on the day for his sterling entrepreneurship and proprietorship.
His family, represented by his wife, Lady Maiden Alex Ibru, have put their weight behind the book.
It is public knowledge that for the first time in Nigeria, the late Ibru gathered some of the best in Nigerian journalism and the academics to found the newspaper, which attracted the late iconic writer, author and media man, the late Dr. Stanley Macebuh. Others include Professors Onwuchekwa Jemie, Femi Osofisan, Ibekwe Chinweizu and Harvard University teacher, Herbert Ekwue-Ekwue and advert guru, Jide Oluwajeyitan.
Emeritus professors Godwin Sogolo and Emebvo Biakolo and doctors Edwin Madunagwu, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Patrick Dele Cole and Tunji Dare also converged on The Guardian at the time to make the daily the flagship of Nigerian journalism.
The Guardian Book is being touted by many as the book of the year, also because of the number of professors and top media men that have contributed to its making.
Some of the professors that have contributed to the book are professors Sogolo, Biakolo, Jemie and Adeniyi. Media icons such as Lade Bonuola (Ladbone) of the Caught Out fame, master news craftsman, Femi Kusa, top media manager and SMEs advocate, Ted Iwere, renown NTA-anchor, Kingsley Osadolor, Senator Ayogu Eze, Managing Director of the Sun Newspapers, Onuoha Ukeh and ThisDay editorial board chairman, Segun Adeniyi, and Lanre Idowu of the DAME Fame, have also contributed to the making of the book.
Currently, the authors and editors have made available a few copies for preorder at www.theguadianera.com. The offer will close on February 15, 2021.
