The Nigerian Tribune would always be a home for me. It was very much a part of my life between 2000 and 2017. At a time, I was the longest-serving member of the Editorial Board. I was invited to the Board in 2000 as part of a young, vibrant, intelligent team that the then Managing Director and editor-in-chief, Chief Folu OIamiti, constituted to energise the editorial content of the Nigerian Tribune. I served four Editors-in-Chief: Chief Folu Olamiti, 2000 to 2002; Dr Segun Olatunji (2002 – 2008), Rev’d Sam Adesua (2008-2012) and the current MD, Mr Edward Dickson. The exciting thing was that I survived the various changes in the board. I was never sacked as an editorial board member; I left when I knew it was too difficult to combine the strict timeline of writing editorials with my other commitments. I spent over 15 years on the board. While I joined the team as a senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan, I remained even after becoming a Professor in 2006.
It was in Tribune that I realised the significance of the editorial page. The editorial page carries the opinion of the newspaper on any issue. It does not have the writer’s name, but it is simply the opinion of the entirety of the newspaper, its management, staff and, in particular, the editor-in-chief. Usually, in those days, the editor-in-chief sits at the editorial board meetings and offers his opinions as the subject is being discussed. He must also sign on to any editorial opinion published by the newspaper. We were largely independent, and our editorial comments were never rejected by management on account of being critical of those in government. In my early days as a board member, I felt a quiet pride when an editorial opinion I led in writing was published or discussed on the radio or TV.
I met a lot of interesting people during my terms on the board. My colleagues on the board included Prof Wale Adebanwi, Prof Ebenezer Obadare, Oba Dokun Abolarin, Prof Adeolu Akande, Dr Chris Uroh, Prof Wale Are-Olaitan, Mr Sina Kawonise, Mr Muyiwa Apara, Dr Noma Owens-Ibie, and Dr Festus Adedayo (Editorial Page Editor). Others who later served on the board included Prof. Tunji Olaopa, Mr Femi Adesina, Prof Remi Ayede, Prof. Muyiwa Popoola, Prof. Asaju from FUTA, Mr Philips Aragbada and Mr Dejo Olatoye. Internal staff of Tribune who participated in our meetings due to their editorial positions in the company included Dr Lasisi Olagunju, Mr Sina Oladeinde, Dr (Mrs) Omotayo Lewis and Mr Suleiman Olanrewaju. There were other colleagues whose names I could not immediately remember—there was one other lady on our team during my term, a lawyer, Mrs Veronica Yetunde Adegboye.
The board met once a week, usually on Thursday between 12 and 2 pm. The meetings were full of intense debates and passion. It was an opportunity to engage in healthy discussions with my other colleagues, some of whom held opposing ideological views on economic issues. My colleagues perceived me as a market-oriented economist, a capitalist, or someone who shared the World Bank’s and the IMF’s views on economic issues. The beauty of our meetings is that every topic we agreed to write on was thoroughly debated, various perspectives were articulated, and key issues were agreed on to ensure that the editorial was balanced and reflected the collective view of the board. Hence, whoever wrote the editorial must ensure that the collective views and not his personal views were reflected.
The Nigerian Tribune editorial generally ensured that it stood close to the vision of the founder, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to be on the side of the masses and hold those in authority to account. Editorials were generally written to comment on government policies and public policy issues and sometimes to suggest new and innovative ideas. So, it was not always a reaction, but it could be proactive. I remember that one of the innovations that Dr Segun Olatunji brought into the editorial comments was to designate some select members of the board at the beginning of the new year to do a critical review of the past year, give an outlook for the new year and set an agenda for the government. I did a couple of these focusing on the Nigerian economy. I was considered the economist on the team. Most of the time, economic topics were assigned to me. The goal was for each board member to be assigned a topic to write about every week. Some of the issues assigned to me included the redenomination of the naira, the privatisation of PHCN, the rising debt profile, the PIB matter, the Nigerian Economy: current issues and strategic options, the Nigerian Budget 2014, the Budget Impasse and the Nigerian People, the Missing N2.1 billion at the Minting Company, the menace of dud cheques, etc.
We produced a book on the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Tribune. I also maintained a column for a brief period. The column was dedicated to presenting key economic reports and academic research to members of the public in a non-technical form. However, sustaining the column for a long time was difficult due to time constraints and my travels. It was to the credit of Chief Fola Olamiti that I started the column. He had a gift of encouraging us to bring out the best in us and to author independent columns in the Tribune. A few of us took on the challenge, including Wale Are-Olaitan and, I think, Wale Adebanwi, who wrote weekly columns. Our hard work on the board paid off, as the Nigerian Tribune won several awards, including the best editorial award among Nigerian newspapers.
I learned a lot from my years in the Nigerian Tribune. I met many passionate and exciting people on the board, some of whom went on to serve in various capacities in the country. I learned the art of leading a debate on a policy issue, presenting both sides of an issue and ability to incorporate views that are different from mine in arriving at a final decision. This art was later helpful during my time as a CBN Monetary Policy Committee member. My debating skill was honed during these meetings. The weekly meeting of the editorial board also helped me to vent my views on the political and economic issues in the country. One of the benefits of being an editorial board member was access to copies of all major daily newspapers in Nigeria delivered to my office at the University of Ibadan. Many people depended on me for their news during this period.
I fondly remember the Nigerian Tribune and the time I spent debating and discussing Nigeria in the boardroom. I thanked Chief Fola Olamiti, who brought me onto the board, and the other Managing Directors and editors-in-chief, who retained me on the board. I wish the Nigerian Tribune a happy anniversary and extend my regards to the management and staff. I wish you many more years of service to Nigeria.
READ ALSO: Police reject N174m bribe, arrest suspected internet fraudster in Lagos
