THE Nigerian Tribune, Nigeria’s oldest surviving private national newspaper founded by the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo turned 75 on Saturday, 16th November. The newspaper deserves to be congratulated by all. My relationship with the Nigerian Tribune and some of its people can be described as circumstantial, emotional and historic. The first editor of the newspaper, Late Pa Akinola Allen was a close friend of my maternal grandfather’s, late Alhaji Aminu Olatunji Amodu (a.k.a Baba Chairman-he was the Ward North 2 Chairman of the defunct Action Group in Ibadan during the first Republic). Between the two old friends was always an exchange of books and pamphlets to read, and I was the message bearer. This was in the ’60s, years after the retirement of Pa Allen. The newspaper editor around 1954-1958, Oladele Bibilari, was between 1976 and 1978 my boss in the old Oyo State Information Ministry. While I was designated Information Officer II, he was the Chief Information Officer. Professor Adebayo Williams who writes a column under the name Tatalo Alamu for The Nation newspaper, was a reporter with the Tribune in the late 60s/early 70s. and was my friend and classmate at Ife University between 1971 and 1975. Abiodun Adebisi, who was Tribune’s Controller, Human Resources, in the early 2000, was similarly a friend and classmate at Ife. To cap it all, my ‘aburo’ and first cousin, Taiwo Amodu is currently the newspaper’s Senior Deputy Editor, based in Abuja.
I grew up from age three in 1955 to 21 in 1973 living with my said grandfather at his Odoiye/Adeoyo Ibadan residence. And the Tribune was then some 200 meters away from our house. Being the official mouthpiece of the defunct Action Group, a complimentary copy or two of the paper usually got delivered to our house, especially around the early 1960s till 1966. Party men and women from across the ward came to read their favourite party’s newspaper in our house. Following the internal crisis that broke out in 1962 in the Action group, which eventually led to Akintola’s break-away from the party, and the rise of his new party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) forming the government in the Old West, the Tribune naturally became stridently critical of the government. Indeed, S. L. Akintola the new Premier, a man with a penchant for verbal laceration in three languages, English, Yoruba and Hausa called the newspaper Nigerian Tete-Buuyan (that is, eager to insult).
The Tribune between 1964 and 1966, under its stormy petrel editor, Ayo Ojewumi (who wrote a column under the pen-name ‘Pen Atlanta”), was to suffer several acts of executive persecution (lock-ups staff detentions, seizure of publications). But it remained undaunted. The newspaper and its people became “professional litigants”, always in and out of the courts in Ibadan to ask for order to restore their civic and publishing rights, etc. Indeed, at a point in 1965, the Akintola government banned the printing and circulation of the newspaper throughout the Western region. The authorities of the newspapers defiantly and secretly continued its publication, even when its circulation remained restricted, and its readership and revenue base were seriously undermined.
Baba Chairman, my grandfather, devised a means by which the “contraband” still got to its readers in our house. Some arrangement was reached with the Tribune’s then Circulation executive, a man with the nick-name Otapo (enemies are many) by which a party man was designated to pick up the newspaper and bring it home to us eventually. On days when the party man was otherwise unavailable, my grandfather recruited yours sincerely (a mere secondary school boy) to collect the paper from Baba Otapo, hide it under the dress, and bring home. This arrangement held till January 1966 when the army take-over of the government put an end to the ban. The belief of the Action Group die-hards (including their Chairman) was that defying a government they considered illegitimate (allegedly rigged elections and all) was a legitimate act.
Even under the Gowon-led military regime, the Tribune did not relent in critiquing whatever was considered politically inappropriate. It was rumoured that General Gowon told his close aides his days were incomplete without having read the Tribune. The newspaper’s editorials were usually noted for their proverbial no-holds-barred punch. Late Professor Adebayo Adedeji, Gowon’s, Commissioner for Economic Development sometime in 1974 or 75, had reportedly declared that free education at all levels was unachievable, in spite of the nation virtually swimming in petro-dollars. In a three-part editorial titled “Adebayo Adedeji’s Nonsense I, II and III, the Tribune pooh-poohed Adedeji’s position, espousing the desirability of free education, citing examples of nations that gave it, and the effects on their economic development and technological growth.
Over the years, the Tribune has produced fiery columnists who had dared to be different and bold. They included Dr. Tai Solarin, Chief Bisi Onabanjo (Aiyekooto), Ayo Ojewunmi (Pen Atlanta), Tola Adeniyi (Aba Saheed), Bola Ige, Labanji Bolaji (Eselby) Wunmi Adegbonmire (Omo Ekun) Lai Ogunsola, Banji Kuroloja, Agboola Sanni, Lam Adesina, all of whom had literally hit the lamp for today’s men including the current stars— Lasisi Olagunju, Festus Adedayo, Suyi Ayodele etc. At 75, the Tribune has weathered several storms, both under civilian and military regimes, whereas several private and government-owned newspapers have gone the way of mortality. One can only wish it luck as it navigates the future.
Congratulations!.
- Agboluaje, advertising practitioner, author and public affairs commentator, writes in via:[email protected]
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