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It has always been the dream of aspiring journalists and those who practised elsewhere to ply their trade at the Flagship. The Guardian earned the Flagship moniker by offering something refreshingly different from what was in the market at the time it debuted – explorative features, investigations, arts in volumes, super columns and a dose of the academia. If you dared to be part of that media revolution you needed to prepare yourself. It was a competitive setting and you didn’t need to know anybody or someone who knew somebody. No godfathers apart from your talent and passion.

There were no entry tests as such, but you were attached to a Desk to begin to hone your skill and get familiar with the house style. After one month, it should be clear if you were staying or not. The regularity of your byline is a clue to your survival. At the end of the day, it was your unit head that would recommend you to higher authorities. The test was designed to flex your capacity and character and could run into months.

I remember Pascal Anyaso, one talented ex-Rutamite, gifted with flowery magazine-style reporting, who also deployed light strokes of comic graphics. He talked me into going for a test at The Guardian. He had just transferred his craft to the service of then Quality Magazine. He recommended the Magazine Desk.

Obasi Ogbonnaya headed the Magazine Desk of The Guardian on Sunday at the time. His love for the job was remarkable. He didn’t talk much, somewhat withdrawn but with eyes sharply fixed on the ball. There was Amanze Obi, the prose stylist. John Odey Aduma, the poet and lover of nature. Remi Olaoye was charged with producing the pullout. Charles Orji Okoro was also on the Desk, a lover of the environment. Later, we were joined by Mufutau Ogunbunmi, Peace Ekwy Uzoanya, Taofeek Akanni and Jumoke Serrano. The standards were very high and there was healthy competition to get published. Getting published in The Guardian was a feat and still.

The Magazine Desk provided a softer inner pullout to the main Sunday paper, housing the living pages – society, travels, nature and leisure, the Arts, conservation etc- embedded in a feature Cover page and personality profile. The rest of the paper is left for harder local, foreign news, sports, others.

The processing of stories to qualify them for publication used to be some nightmare for reporters. You ended up shredding a couple of off-cut just to have an Intro. Under the Magazine Editor, the effort was tormenting. Sometimes one needed to return to the Library to get the right alignments to the story. Sometimes, you returned to the field if the Editor was still not convinced. I remember one nasty experience when Amanze Obi had to return to Kano to update a copy the Editor ruled unfit in the first instance. At his expense, Obi returned to Kano, I think by night bus, to fill in the missing gaps.

That was how painstaking and sometimes, unfeeling the process could be. It wasn’t about an individual but the institution. The atmosphere was close to that of a military setting and newsroom discipline was watertight, no compromises. Your unit head decided your fate, not the faraway title Editor. You didn’t get to see the Managing Director because you had no business with him. If you had, you went through your unit head. It was so, to entrench law and order and everybody up the ladder was well supervised.

The man at the head of the table in the larger Sunday Team was the trim and clear-headed Emeka Eluem Izeze. He was stylish in his fitting shirts. I barely encountered his fullness on Sunday before he relocated to Daily as Editor. Kingsley Osadolor became the boss. We called him the Grand Master (GM), very self-assured with a swagger. GM wasn’t generous with a smile, unless you had a good copy for him. If you didn’t have a clear idea of a story for the week, you avoided his path. He loved newspapering to a fault and he manicured the product very jealously, like a prized possession. It was him I pestered to sign me on. And he did.

Assisting him at that top echelon were Jonas Okwara and Raheem Adedoyin. Okwara appeared stiff, also self assured, great guy. He left. Adedoyin was a good mixer. The Sunday foot soldiers were Seth Akintoye, Ambrose Akor, Eddy Odivwri, Dickson Adeyanju, Lekan Fadeyi, Alex Emeje and Godfrey Opugie. Emma Eke has passed on. GM christened him ‘the general’ to massage Eke’s fictive civil war exploits. Austine Edemodu has also gone to be with the Lord. Not to forget our ace photojournalist, Paul Oloko, also gone to be with the Most High.

Producing at different times were Hyacinth Ono, John Ose, Timeyin Ejoor, Tony Okeregbe, Louis Eke and Niyi Akinjide. In case I skip any name or chronology, kindly pardon my memory. There was this good guy, Tunde Oladepo we lost in Abeokuta. He had been transferred to Lagos, but went on a weekend to visit his family. He was shot. I remember Ben Akparanta, ace Metro/Police reporter. He too passed on.

Fred Ohwahwa, who managed the Sunday Paper after GM’s stint offered a fairer, softer disposition; you could appeal to that side of him and steal justice. He too was a through-bred, hard-hitting and consummate professional. His strong ally was Chukwumah Nwoko. They were together in the African Guardian Magazine before it was rested.

They joined the main paper with Dulue Mbachu, the late Abayomi Ogundeji, Debo Adesina, Paul Nwabikwu and others. Mbachu was a specialist in foreign stories, particularly American politics. There was Bruce Malogo, another in-house expert on foreign matters. Assisting Ohwahwa was Kunle Sanyaolu, a great team manager and superintendent of news. In those days when there was no social media to give a hint you could rely on Sanyaolu for leads and links; a thoroughbred Rutamite.

Jahman Anikulapo was the craziest of them all in the Sunday title. He was too immersed in the job to countenance other activities around. His expectations of himself were too high and he transferred same to associates. With him there was no place for loafers and idlers. He led from the front and barely had time to take a meal, the only Editor who built his pages. Before joining Sunday, he had managed the most detailed and entertaining Arts Desk anywhere in the country. With him then were; Bankole Ebisemiju, Sola Balogun, Steve Ayorinde, Ozolua Uhakheme, Uduma Kalu, Chuka Nnabuife and others. Jahman was a trainer and mentor.

Across the newsroom from the Sunday Unit was the Features Desk, where Harriet Lawrence held court. She had a star-studded desk of fleet-footed men and women who combed the countryside for compelling copies. Felix Abugu, Gbemiga Ogunleye, Collins Obibi, Emmanuel Efeni, Chijioke Odom, Nike Sotade did The Guardian proud with great copies. They were joined later by Ronke Olawale, Ibiba Don Pedro, Steve Nwosu, Prisca Egede, Pius Odiaka, Victor Onyeka Ben, Rotimi Oyekanmi and others.

Sometimes, poorly scripted copies were flung in the faces of writers. Other times, your heard the distraught howl from the head of the desk. Her ‘fuse’ got easily snapped, but she got over it quickly.

The Business Desk was a bevy of in-house experts and reporters in different sectors, headed by book-loving Bisi Ojediran. I remember Isiaka Aliagan and Pius Mordi covering the maritime and aviation sectors. Banji Adeyanju, the late Remi Oyelegbin tended the transport/ motoring sector. Sonny Aragba- Akpore, Tunji Oketunbi, David Ogah were in the pool tending ICT, aviation and maritime. Tunde Shofowora, Onyekachi Nwosu and others reported the financial sector.

Gentlemen Paul Okunola, Timeyin Uwejamomere, Mike Simire, Atere Sylvester and Chinedum Uwaegbulam gave a fresh definition to property reporting in the country. The Monday paper was a must for players in that sector and still.

Akpo Esajere, the guru in political reporting helped to establish The Flagship as the most dominant source for current news and the best of analyses. Gbolahan Gbadamosi managed the Judiciary desk.

Femi Kusa, former Editor who became Director of Publications was tasked with an expansionist agenda for the titles. Under him, the paper multiplied in-house expertise in education, judiciary, health, ICT, environment and foreign affairs, industry, insurance and judiciary reportage. To complement these for bountiful revenue streams there was the Financial Guardian and a Supplement Desk. I remember Jide Ogundele, Sola Alabi, Dele Lawal, Abraham Ogbodo and others, not to forget the late Doyin Mahmood, who multiplied the revenue streams for the organisation.

Izeze, ebullient and suave Debo Adesina, Razak Adedigba, Jewell Dafinone and others queued behind Kusa to achieve that commercial success. Not to forget Henry Onifade, and his team in the Advert Department.

We had the Sub Desk, composed of able gatekeepers who processed the raw material to ward off impurities. Meticulous Banji Adisa was the head, supported by very capable hands – Yinka Oyegbile, Bode Olorunfemi, Kayode Idowu, Sanya Onayoade, Wale Afolabi among others. They ensured that the original standard that was set in the first decade of the paper did not drop.

At the head of the overall table was the calm Lade Bonuola, who was the Managing Director. You didn’t see enough of him. If he passed the newsroom, he was nimble-footed and swift. If he conversed, his voice was measured. He didn’t waste words. He appeared to me conserved and esoteric, and his aura and persona sustained the entire team and helped to preserve the flagship mystique.

That was the tradition that has held us spellbound. A tradition that recognised your intellectual capacity and offered you space to be whatever you worked hard to be.