Other dead columnists that will seriously contend for that prize include Dele Giwa and Stanley Macebuh. Dele Giwa was Nigeria’s most popular journalist, no thanks to the circumstances that surrounded his death.
by Jarus Oyewale
Penultimate Tuesday on this column I recounted my growing up years and how I got used to reading newspapers at a quite early age.
I concluded the memoir by stating that OPED and column pages are my favourite parts of a newspaper. What this means is that I have followed top Nigerian columnists for probably as long I can read.
This week, I will attempt doing a psychoanalysis – call it fantasy or vanity journey if you like – of some of Nigerian columnists I follow in the last fifteen years. But wait, I asked, who is the greatest Nigerian living or dead? Unfortunately, I doubt I have the competence to answer that question, especially the dead part.
I started actively following newspaper columns in the mid-90s but from my historical readings I have been able to have a glimpse into print journalism of 1960s through 1980s. Mohammed Haruna, the Wednesday backpage columnist for Daily Trust and The Nation, is my favourite source for what went on in Nigerian journalism scene in the 1970s.
Haruna, whom Dare Olatunji, described as “regurgitator” when both men squared up in the battle for the authentic place of June 12 in Nigerian democracy some five or six years ago, is known for effortlessly recalling events of yore.
Dare Olatunji, who now writes on Tuesdays for The Nation, is himself a man to follow when you want to catch a glimpse of what went on in Nigerian journalistic space, especially in the 1980s. Of course, since two different historians, or even witnesses to same event, will not likely have the same interpretation of events, it is no surprise that Dare and Haruna always give contrasting interpretation of same events, especially when the issues have to do with former President Ibrahim Babangida.
I have been wanting to get hold of the 1960s to 1970s editions of top Nigerian dailies at the time – principally New Nigerian, Daily Times and Tribune, to see the works of much-talked-about legends like Ismail Babatunde Jose, Alade “Allah De” Odunewu, Peter Enahoro, the three Musketeers (Felix Adenaike, Segun Osoba and Peter Ajayi) amongst others, but I have not had any luck. But if accounts of people that read these papers in those days are anything to go by, it appears that Odunewu’s “Allah De” column was perhaps the most popular of the era. I read about Bisi Onabanjo’s “AYEKOOTO” column in Tribune too. Does it mean Odunewu was Nigeria’s greatest columnist dead? With the limited information available to me, I’m inclined to say that. I have also heard or read some people say Babatunde Jose was arguably Nigeria’s greatest journalist, but he was better known for casting earth-shaking newspaper cover headlines, than column writing. I grew up hearing about his famous cast in Daily Times during the fierce J.S Tarka vs Godwin Daboh political war of the 1970s: “If You Tarka me, I Will Daboh You.” This cast, alongside Yoruba newspaper, ALAROYE’s famous cover headline, Wahala wa l’eyin iku Abiola (There is trouble after Abiola’s death), in an edition shortly after MKO Abiola’s death in 1998, will compete for the newspaper headline of the century in Nigeria. That ALAROYE headline is still a popular slang in South-West Nigeria today, twenty years after. The Tarka-Daboh headline is also still popular today even among our generation who were not born then. Other dead columnists that will seriously contend for that prize include Dele Giwa and Stanley Macebuh. Dele Giwa was Nigeria’s most popular journalist, no thanks to the circumstances that surrounded his death. The fact that his killing by letter-bomb was linked to his writings easily shows how powerful they were. I read Stanley Macebuh in his final days as a columnist in THISDAY, but I did not know his legendary status until his death and some other columnists and analysts did tributes for him. I got to know he, alongside Olatunji, was the brain behind Guardian in its formative years. I also read he pioneered the use of “Mr.”, rather than Alhaji, Chief, Dr., Professor etc, for everyone in Nigerian journalism. Although Guardian has since dropped that, as I see them use Alhaji, Chief, Professor etc. in their reportage now, some newspapers, like the defunct NEXT and Premium Times, stuck to that till day. Now, who is the greatest Nigerian columnist living? Four years ago, not a few people would argue that that has to be Reuben Abati. I was never a fan of Abati even in those years he enjoyed cult followership among Nigerian newspapers readers. Not taking away anything from him. The Abuja land deal nailed the coffin for me. And that was far before he even took this presidential spokespersonship appointment. Ironically, I don’t have any problem with his – or indeed any journalist’s – taking the role of media adviser to a government. Truth is, someone must do it, and journalists are better trained to do that. I must however confess I enjoy Abati’s satires. He is one of the best in the art in his generation. I won’t forget his “The Making of Sister Janet of St. Bottles’ Cathedral”. Dare Olatunji is widely regarded as Nigeria’s finest political satirist. I understood his best was his Guardian years but from following his Tuesday column in The Nation in the last five years, I can’t but agree with this assertion. He is a master humorist. His “Day Babangida Came Knocking” (if I got the title right) which he published in an edition of his column in 2010, got me literally rolling on my office floor in laughter that morning. But to me, what makes Olatunji a fantastic columnist is not just his wittiness or ease of recollecting past events, but his wordsmithry. He is a master in that aspect. The Kogi-born journalism teacher has a way of keeping you asking for more, irrespective of whether he decides to use simple English or, as he does once in a while, go bombast. No other Nigerian columnist has added to my vocabulary base than Olatunji. Words like watchacamalit, thingmalingan, kerfuffle are examples of vocabs I first came across through Olatunji’s column. Has anyone also read his “To Patrick Obahiagbon, From a Kindred Soul”? Continues next week.
I concluded the memoir by stating that OPED and column pages are my favourite parts of a newspaper. What this means is that I have followed top Nigerian columnists for probably as long I can read.
This week, I will attempt doing a psychoanalysis – call it fantasy or vanity journey if you like – of some of Nigerian columnists I follow in the last fifteen years. But wait, I asked, who is the greatest Nigerian living or dead? Unfortunately, I doubt I have the competence to answer that question, especially the dead part.
I started actively following newspaper columns in the mid-90s but from my historical readings I have been able to have a glimpse into print journalism of 1960s through 1980s. Mohammed Haruna, the Wednesday backpage columnist for Daily Trust and The Nation, is my favourite source for what went on in Nigerian journalism scene in the 1970s.
Haruna, whom Dare Olatunji, described as “regurgitator” when both men squared up in the battle for the authentic place of June 12 in Nigerian democracy some five or six years ago, is known for effortlessly recalling events of yore.
Dare Olatunji, who now writes on Tuesdays for The Nation, is himself a man to follow when you want to catch a glimpse of what went on in Nigerian journalistic space, especially in the 1980s. Of course, since two different historians, or even witnesses to same event, will not likely have the same interpretation of events, it is no surprise that Dare and Haruna always give contrasting interpretation of same events, especially when the issues have to do with former President Ibrahim Babangida.
I have been wanting to get hold of the 1960s to 1970s editions of top Nigerian dailies at the time – principally New Nigerian, Daily Times and Tribune, to see the works of much-talked-about legends like Ismail Babatunde Jose, Alade “Allah De” Odunewu, Peter Enahoro, the three Musketeers (Felix Adenaike, Segun Osoba and Peter Ajayi) amongst others, but I have not had any luck. But if accounts of people that read these papers in those days are anything to go by, it appears that Odunewu’s “Allah De” column was perhaps the most popular of the era. I read about Bisi Onabanjo’s “AYEKOOTO” column in Tribune too. Does it mean Odunewu was Nigeria’s greatest columnist dead? With the limited information available to me, I’m inclined to say that. I have also heard or read some people say Babatunde Jose was arguably Nigeria’s greatest journalist, but he was better known for casting earth-shaking newspaper cover headlines, than column writing. I grew up hearing about his famous cast in Daily Times during the fierce J.S Tarka vs Godwin Daboh political war of the 1970s: “If You Tarka me, I Will Daboh You.” This cast, alongside Yoruba newspaper, ALAROYE’s famous cover headline, Wahala wa l’eyin iku Abiola (There is trouble after Abiola’s death), in an edition shortly after MKO Abiola’s death in 1998, will compete for the newspaper headline of the century in Nigeria. That ALAROYE headline is still a popular slang in South-West Nigeria today, twenty years after. The Tarka-Daboh headline is also still popular today even among our generation who were not born then. Other dead columnists that will seriously contend for that prize include Dele Giwa and Stanley Macebuh. Dele Giwa was Nigeria’s most popular journalist, no thanks to the circumstances that surrounded his death. The fact that his killing by letter-bomb was linked to his writings easily shows how powerful they were. I read Stanley Macebuh in his final days as a columnist in THISDAY, but I did not know his legendary status until his death and some other columnists and analysts did tributes for him. I got to know he, alongside Olatunji, was the brain behind Guardian in its formative years. I also read he pioneered the use of “Mr.”, rather than Alhaji, Chief, Dr., Professor etc, for everyone in Nigerian journalism. Although Guardian has since dropped that, as I see them use Alhaji, Chief, Professor etc. in their reportage now, some newspapers, like the defunct NEXT and Premium Times, stuck to that till day. Now, who is the greatest Nigerian columnist living? Four years ago, not a few people would argue that that has to be Reuben Abati. I was never a fan of Abati even in those years he enjoyed cult followership among Nigerian newspapers readers. Not taking away anything from him. The Abuja land deal nailed the coffin for me. And that was far before he even took this presidential spokespersonship appointment. Ironically, I don’t have any problem with his – or indeed any journalist’s – taking the role of media adviser to a government. Truth is, someone must do it, and journalists are better trained to do that. I must however confess I enjoy Abati’s satires. He is one of the best in the art in his generation. I won’t forget his “The Making of Sister Janet of St. Bottles’ Cathedral”. Dare Olatunji is widely regarded as Nigeria’s finest political satirist. I understood his best was his Guardian years but from following his Tuesday column in The Nation in the last five years, I can’t but agree with this assertion. He is a master humorist. His “Day Babangida Came Knocking” (if I got the title right) which he published in an edition of his column in 2010, got me literally rolling on my office floor in laughter that morning. But to me, what makes Olatunji a fantastic columnist is not just his wittiness or ease of recollecting past events, but his wordsmithry. He is a master in that aspect. The Kogi-born journalism teacher has a way of keeping you asking for more, irrespective of whether he decides to use simple English or, as he does once in a while, go bombast. No other Nigerian columnist has added to my vocabulary base than Olatunji. Words like watchacamalit, thingmalingan, kerfuffle are examples of vocabs I first came across through Olatunji’s column. Has anyone also read his “To Patrick Obahiagbon, From a Kindred Soul”? Continues next week.
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