Former governor of Osun State, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, said: “The Nigerian Tribune newspaper was founded in 1949 by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. It is the oldest surviving private or any newspaper in Nigeria. The newspaper has clocked 75 years and this calls for much celebration.
“The ride through these 75 years has been stormy, dangerous, tempestuous, but more importantly, successful.
“These 75 years are no mean feat. Small local newspapers have a lifespan of 10 to 50 years. Then regional newspapers on the average will live for between 20 to hundred years. National newspapers live for between 50 and 200 years.
“Thankfully, Tribune has surpassed the minimum age for a national newspaper and hopefully when it will hit the 200-year mark, none of us alive today would be around to be part of the celebration.
“Chief Awolowo was a visionary. He established the newspaper for the cause of the anti-colonial struggle for which he was a foremost actor.
“It was clear to him then that an organ of struggle for independence and nationalism was critical and strategic to his political ambitions.
“For good measure, Tribune has lived to justify the objectives of its founder. Chief Awolowo was a social welfarist. The newspaper has remained on the path of promoting this idea till today.
“Tribune stood up to the British imperial domination, robustly defended the social democratic programmes of the parties of Baba Awolowo and vigorously resisted the military dictatorships of the late 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s with the civilian interregnum of 1979-1983 and a diarchy of 1992 to 1993.
“The newspaper was a Trojan in the anti-corruption struggles throughout the military era. It creditably supported the heroic struggle of workers, students, farmers, market women and men as well as all other popular forces against the arbitrary and despotic military rules, illegal racist minority rule in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and apartheid South Africa.
“The Tribune was involved with the popular democratic forces in the struggle to build a strong progressive, prosperous and productive Nigeria that will stimulate the renaissance of the Blacks worldwide.”
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