‘How I rose from being trainee welder to newspaper editor’
We know you as a journalist. How did you start?When I left secondary school in the early 1080’s there was the challenge of [getting] finance for further education. That forced me to do some kind of handiwork. I found myself migrating all the way from Delta State to Shiroro in Niger State when government wad […]
We know you as a journalist. How did you start?
When I left secondary school in the early 1080’s there was the challenge of [getting] finance for further education. That forced me to do some kind of handiwork. I found myself migrating all the way from Delta State to Shiroro in Niger State when government wad building the Shiroro dam.
In 1982 I was employed as a trainee welder under JV Teno – that was the major contractor building the Shiroro dam. I worked under the supervision of Italians and Nigerians. I was in welding department. We welded the main turban and the water reserve for the dam. It wasn’t ordinary welding because it started from stacking the ladder for welding up the pipes. Of course, these are pipes that human beings can walk inside. The section I was working, there were about six of such big pipes to convey potable water. I worked there until Sept. 1983 when I sat for my exam at Ahmadu Behago Teachers College Minna. I was fortunate to pass. I attended university and read History and Archaeology.
It was a herculean task for me to adjust to reading because after facing fire, welding with electrodes and gorging machines, it was very difficult for me to adapt to reading under florescent. Each time I wanted to read, it would appear as if there was pepper in my eyes.
At the University of Nigeria Nsukka where I was admitted, it became so serious that I had to go to hospital now and then before my eyes could adjust to daily reading. After my first year – 1983 to 84, the second year, I was able to secure a federal scholarship.
How did you venture into journalism?
When I left university, I was looking for something that looks like handiwork that I could do and I found out that journalism was close to it because I discovered that journalism was about writing. While at the University of Nigeria Nsukka I started writing – writing articles to various newspapers – the Nigerian Observer, the Daily Star, the Statesman and the Concord newspaper then.
When I was doing my youth service in Ibadan, I started writing for the Evening Sketch. I was originally posted to Adifase High School, Apata Ganga in Ibadan. Because of my writing skills, the Evening Sketch pulled me over, I became attached to it during the last few months of my service. Because of the experience I gathered at the Evening Sketch, I was able to move on immediately after my youth service. I got to Lagos and I got job with the Truth – a monthly magazine mainly publishing about metaphysical things – predictions and so on.
I worked with that magazine for a short while. Because of the nature of my writing, it was not long before the Daily Champion discovered me then snatched me away from that magazine. I joined the Champion on Sept. 1, 1991. I left the Champion for Thisday – in the early days of Thisday and worked with Thisday until 1999 when the first civilian governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori announced my name as his Chief Press Secretary. I was in Abuja working when that appointment came up. I didn’t know him, I was not close to him. It was based on recommendation.
Why did you leave Ibori as Chief Press Secretary?
When I went there, even though I’m from [Delta State], I was like fish out of water. I was not used to Delta State. I stayed only three weeks and I disappointed my people by declining the appointment because I saw a lot of petty issues – issues that have to do with petty politics in the state. To me, it was disgusting. Issues weren’t on merit. I rejected the appointment despite the pressure from the governor. He did everything to convince me to work but I said no.
My people from Delta north were really surprised. They asked, “Is this man ok?” I didn’t like the environment so I rejected that appointment to the anger of my family, my uncles, prominent people from Delta North including my former employee Mr Nduka Obiagbena. I didn’t draw any salary and left that place.
Immediately I left, I was invited by the governor of Enugu State. I’m not from Enugu but then the then governor, Chimaroke Nnamani saw it in the papers that I had declined appointment in Delta, came to Abuja and requested me to come help him handle his political, help project him positively because he had a lot of task that time because of the politics of his state.
I relocated to Enugu State, worked for the governor for a year plus. I left that place because my friends called me. I returned to Abuja and became the Bureau Chief of the Comet newspaper which metamorphosed into the Nation newspaper. With the consent of the governor, I left having satisfactorily done the work he brought me to do – that is contain the sporadic media attacks he was having.
Back to Abuja, barely had I settled down, there was change of cabinet under the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. Engineer Mohammed Aba Gana was appointed Minister of FCT. I never knew him but my friends recommended my name to him and without my slightest knowledge, he came to my office at Area 3, Comet office where I was working and invited me. I again had opportunity of working with somebody from another state having worked with Chimaroke Nnamani. I worked with him smoothly until he was changed during cabinet reshuffle. I stayed behind briefly to work during the time of el-Rufai but later returned again to journalism. I was appointed the Bureau Chief of Abuja.
I worked there a few months after which my big brother and former boss, Prince Nduka Obiagbena, the publisher of Thisday again came calling precisely on my birthday. He gave me a call and invited me to come over to continue as Group News Editor of Thisday. I had to tell my employer, Prince Emeka Obasi who was publisher of National Mirror. I left for Lagos as Group News Editor of Thisday. Later, I was appointed Group Political Editor of the paper.
I later had to leave Thisday again voluntarily because living in Lagos, my family was based in Abuja, it was something very difficult for me. The political office was not in Abuja but Lagos. I left Thisday and joined the Sun as associate editor where I met one of my mentors, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State.
I was barely four months with the Sun when a senator I had met in the National Assembly in the course of my job, Sen. Bala Mohammed called me directly, not through any intermediary that he wanted me to work with him following his nomination as Minister and subsequent deployment to the FCT Ministry. That’s how I came here – no godfather, no godmother!