And even when it came, the import did not register immediately. I am talking about the award bestowed on me by the Nigerian bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch at its annual bar dinner which took place last weekend at the State Banquet hall.
My judicial reporter, Kayode Adeoti had brought the award notification letter over a month back.
But I had just collected it and absent mindedly dropped it among the papers littering my ever busy table. It wasn’t until few days to the ceremony when he was pestering me for my curriculum vitae (CV) that I ruminate through the heap of papers on my table, found the notification letter and read. The contents of the letter jolted me like nothing I could recall had jolted me. The notification reads in part, …Nigeria’s population of estimated to be close to 170million people. Out of this number, there are exceptional Nigerians who through dint of hard work, tenacity of purpose, focus driven attitude and patriotism consistently ensured that their vast contributions to the development of the country, its corporate existence, employment generation and educational advancement remain achievable.
The Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin branch, as an institution of social engineering has deemed it fit that these uncommon and exceptional Nigerians should not only be recognized but also be celebrated to encourage them to do more. It is in the light of the foregoing that the association after a series of robust deliberations and wide consultations, has nominated you as one of the recipients of a life time achievement NBA Award for your positive impact on professional journalism, public orientation, promotion of legal education, development of the legal profession in Nigeria and also for being a worthy African Icon”.
I was humbled. What have I done to deserve this? I muttered repeatedly. Bigger surprises, however, awaited me at the ceremony. Other recipients included former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, a legal Icon and towering figure in the nation’s judiciary. Also on the list of the carefully selected awardees are; the Dean of Igbinedion University’s Faculty of Law, the irrepressible Professor Reasheed Jimoh Ijaodola, the founder of Al-Hikma University, Ilorin, Chief Abdulraheem Oladimeji, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kwara State, Mr. Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), industrial mogul and President of Kam Industries, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ibitoye Yusuf and Proprietor of Crown Hill University, Mr. Morgan Frank Akpan. It was uncommon honour to be counted among these great achievers and by a noble and respectable Association as the NBA. It was a humbling experience for me. As I stood there on the podium while my citation was being read, my mind travelled back to the very beginning of the journey which culminated in this glorious moment. The struggle to find my feet among the very best on the nation could offer in journalism, who populated The Guardian Newspapers, the then flagship of the Nigerian newspapers.
The intense pressure to succeed which landed me behind bars for six horrible days. The beautiful but high profile professionals like Ama Ogan (the female SundayEditor of The Guardian), Emeka Izeze (the immediate past MD of the paper), Krees Omodibe who was killed by Charles Taylor group during the civil war on Liberia, Seun Ogunseitan, one of the most gifted journalists to even come out of this country, Pius Ishiekwene, the news editor, Ben Tomoloju, the Arts editor, our own Raheem Adedoyin, who pioneered transport reporting in Nigeria and many more I can’t mention here because of space constraint.
I moved from the newsroom to trying my hands on trade and commerce. I soon realized that I was not cut out for that direction. O went back to my chosen trade, this time berthing at Vintage People Magazine. It was a big priviledge working again with media icons like Muyiwa Adetiba, Fola Arogundade, Niran Malaolu, etc.
It was while there I sneaked into Ikoyi Prison to have exclusive interview with the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. I was to be invited later to join the team being put together by Nduka Obaigbena to midwive ThisDay Newspaper which we started in a 3-bedroom bungalow at Norman William Street in Ikoyi in 1995. I made my humble contribution to the growth of the paper with exclusive stories which included the shooting of The Guardian newspaper publisher and the then Minister of Interior under Abacha’s regime, Chief Alex Ibru. From ThisDay to FAME Magazine, to Anchor Newspapers it was a glorious period for me in this journalism profession, culminating in my being listed among the most influential journalists in the country by City People Magazine. That was in the year 2000 or thereabout. I was at the Anchor Newspaper when I was invited to work for my present boss, Dr. Bukola Saraki at the Societe Generale Bank.
The rest, as they say, is history. There is so much to say, but time and space did not permit. One of these days I will create the time and the space to share all with my reading public. However, I must put on record the role my boss, my mentor, my leader and benefactor has played in all these.
The honour and glory, no doubt belong to the Almighty Allah. After God, comes my boss. When he sent me over to manage this paper, he gave me the free hand to run the paper in the way I deemed fit. He never for once interfered in the way I run the paper. This is the secret of the success the National Pilot has recorded in the past five years I have taken over. I remain eternally grateful to him. My gratitude to my family who supported through and through. I also owe my staff deep gratitude for standing by me and working with me to make this success possible.
My fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters friends as well as well wishers in this state of harmony, including my brother from another mother, Alhaji Mas’ud Adebimpe, I remain eternally grateful for being there and being part of this glory.
To the NBA Ilorin branch, I can never forget this honour. I will forever treasure it and I promise to, more than ever before, work to promote the legal practice in Ilorin and to serve humanity with more vigour and dedication.
