POWER OF THE PEN: A Refreshing Voice from the Newsroom

Book: Power of the Pen: A Journalist’s Journey Publishers: Freedom Books (A division of Apaugasma Communications Limited) Pages: 846 Price: Not stated Reviewer: Iyefu Adoba BOOK REVIEW   A refreshing voice from the newsroom is how best to describe Francis Ottah Agbo’s work, Power of the Pen: A Journalist’s Journey. With a Foreword by the […]

Book: Power of the Pen: A Journalist’s Journey

Publishers: Freedom Books (A division of Apaugasma Communications Limited)

Pages: 846

Price: Not stated

Reviewer: Iyefu Adoba

BOOK REVIEW

 

A refreshing voice from the newsroom is how best to describe Francis Ottah Agbo’s work, Power of the Pen: A Journalist’s Journey. With a Foreword by the veteran journalist and author of many books on the practice of journalism, Dan Agbese, the 846-page book is a compilation of the author’s works in The News magazine, The Sun and Leadership newspapers and opinions on major national issues that were published in major Nigerian newspapers. 

The book, which contains just 114 of the author’s many works, is divided into four sections: Investigations/Stories, Election Matters/Judiciary/Rule of Law, Interviews and Opinion.

His investigative stories cover a wide range of issues, including crises within the then ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. As demonstrated in his coverage of the massacre of Christians in Borno State over some cartoons that were published in the Netherlands, he was always the first journalist at the scene of most of the major stories he investigated and wrote. 

One of his stories, ‘Betraying Buhari’, which exposed underhand tactics by leading members of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, to truncate General Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential ambition in 2003 was the best by any journalist on the matter. T

he author’s story, ‘Yar’adua: Unmasking the Khalifa’ and his interviews with Alhaji Muhammad Hadi Balarabe were also the only efforts by any Nigerian journalist to interrogate the antecedents of candidate  Umaru Yar’adua of the PDP in the count down to the 2007 Presidential election.

Mr. Agbo’s stories also tackled the rot in the judiciary, especially in the handling of election matters in several states including Sokoto, Edo, Ondo, Benue and Ondo. His exposes showed that the judiciary was not playing impartial roles in determining the outcome of electoral disputes.

His interviews used the soft approach, often starting with innocuous questions which proved useful as most of his sources were always ready and willing to grant him further interviews about topical issues in the country. As exhibited in the interviews recorded in this compilation, the interviewer and interviewee need to be friendly and relaxed. The soft approach endears the journalist to the source, thus ensuring a long-lasting bond in their relationship. Being the Holy Grail of journalism, interviews helped him to expose dirty deals, which politicians and corrupt elements wanted buried forever. He stubbornly followed the escapades of Ahmadu Ali, National Chairman of the PDP who once chaired the Board of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and appointed his wife and son as Chairman and member of Boards of government parastatals.

Francis Ottah Agbo also wrote incisive articles which chronicled the activities of the likes of Comrade Abba Moro, Professor Dora Akunyili, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State. In all the essays, he demonstrated a clear understanding of the subjects of his discussions.

This book, Power of the Pen: A Journalist’s Journey, is educative, informative and entertaining. This monumental work is no doubt a veritable working tool for aspiring journalists, editors and reporters who aspire to change society through the pen. The book is indeed the author’s enchanting journey in his quest for excellence in journalism.

Iyefu Adoba is the publisher of  Iye magazine.