I first met Oga Dan Agbese in 1984 during the preparatory days of Newswatch, the pioneering Nigerian newsmagazine. Before then, his reputation had preceded him as one of the stars among the alumni of our Department of Mass Communication of the University of Lagos, UNILAG. Then we met at the home of Dele Giwa, off Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja, where I had gone to meet the four editors who were destined to shape our lives. Agbese was the only one I did not really know among them then. He had the reputation of being the man writing the Candido column in the old New Nigerian newspapers, a great institution that dominated our growing up years that is now regarded as Nigerian Journalism Golden Age. Candido, the man behind the mask, column was said to have been created by Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, one of Agbese’s illustrious predecessors as editor of the New Nigerian. Here was he now before me in flesh and blood! We were to work together for five giddy years. His influence was to remain with me forever.
Newswatch early years was dominated by big dreams. I was among the four first editorial staff of Newswatch; Rolake Omonubi, Dele Olojede, Wale Oladepo and I. Among the four founders, three of them were already well known to those of us coming from the stable of the Concord Group of Newspapers. Ray Ekpu was already a famous editor who ran the Sunday Times with so much vigour and creativity that the old conservative elements of President Shehu Shagari’s government felt very uncomfortable with him. He was forced out and, in the end, resurfaced as the chairman of the editorial board of the Concord Group founded by that great man, Chief Moshood Abiola. When I was a student at Unilag, Dele Giwa, as the feature editor of the Daily Times, was the man who made me a stringer for the paper. I was introduced to him by my friend and roommate, Waheed Olagunju, who later became the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry. I was writing a column for the Daily Times called Campus News every Friday. Yakubu Mohammed, the editor of the National Concord, was the one who employed me and Oladepo in November 1982. Mohammed was also the one Oladepo and I followed into Newswatch. The man we did not know before was Agbese.
We soon found Agbese to be in a special class of his own. To him, journalism was science. To him, a journalist needs to be precise and unambiguous. He should employ brevity if it would convey a clearer meaning than circumlocution. He writes as he speaks; with precision and wisdom. He put himself under the rigour of proof and demanded the same from us. When we encounter Oga Agbese, we knew we were in a special master’s class of journalism. He taught us a lot. He demanded beauty of expression; not of flowery language, but of the kind of words that convey greater truth than the best photographs and paintings. He was a special kind of artist.
Like his other colleagues, Agbese regarded journalism as an instrument of service to Nigeria and humanity. He was resolute, resourceful and intrepid in the pursuit of his calling as a first-class journalist. He believed in journalism as a pillar of any thriving democracy. He put himself in the line of fine for his belief. He was fearless. Therefore, he was one of the heroes who gave us democracy. He endured with dignity and courage the constant harassment and intimidations during the military era. In the formative years of Newswatch, he was designated the managing director until our editors decided to combine the office of Chief Executive and Editor-in-Chief and Dele Giwa was allowed to hold the two offices.
But the journey was meant to be turbulent. What was meant to be a professional business concerns soon became a serious struggle with the operators of the Nigerian state. On October 19, 1986, less than two years after Newswatch hit the news stand, Dele Giwa was killed with a parcel bomb and our life was changed for ever. Our editors were at the centre of the storm. The echo of that bomb still rings in our ears till today.
Less than one year after Giwa was killed, Newswatch carried a story on a panel report on the draft Constitution that would guide the Third Republic. The military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida seems to have been looking for any excuse to pounce on the media house. This exclusive story, which is based on the truth, was the excuse the regime used to outlaw Newswatch. It passed a special decree, called the Newswatch Prohibition Decree, declaring that even the media house cannot seek redress in the court of law, declaring that “notwithstanding anything written in the Constitution or any other law,” Newswatch remained banned. It was the beginning of Newswatch Second Session. I remember Oga Dan and his colleagues, corralled in front of our office at Oregun Road, surrounded by security agents as they were being prepared for detention.
But no prison could keep the soul of a great person in bondage. Despite the travails and vicissitude of those days, Agbese and his colleagues stood tall. Agbese was figure of serenity under pressure, including the pressure of deadlines. He demanded from us his subordinates, the exactness of science and would not allow any fussy language to escape his scalpel as an editor. He demanded what he gave. His column, brimming with wits and wisdom, was a pilgrimage into Nigerian history and society. His thoughts, deep and clairvoyant, ring with candour and bitter truth. He was the one who described Chief Obafemi Awolowo as “the best President Nigeria never had,” in an essay he wrote to mark Awo’s 78th birthday. When Awo died on May 9, 1987, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, was to quote him without attribution. Agbese was an original thinker who thought us to value critical thinking.
In October 1990, I went to inform him that I would be resigning. By that time, it had become an open secret that I and four of my colleagues were planning to start another magazine, TELL. He invited me to his house and we held a long discussion in his private study. It was an intimate moment and our discussion was frank. I learnt a lot of lessons on how to treat subordinates from the great men who led us in those giddy years at Newswatch.
I am indebted to Agbese. I leant Mass Communications in Unilag, but the great men of Newswatch thought me journalism. Agbese was deep. His solidity and courage give the impression of timelessness. You have the feeling that nothing can scare him and when you enter his office, he would raise his head, with his glasses perched on his nose, you are confronted with something almost spiritual. Agbese had a presence filled with ethereal force, creative and comforting. He transmits his aura with effortless ease. He was a great man.
My memoir, One Day and A Story, published by Gaskia Media Ltd in 2016, was based on my five years tour of duty in Newswatch. After it was published, I went to my bosses at their new office on Acme Road to present copies. I was received enthusiastically. Our former General Editor, Olusoji Akinrinade, joined Agbese, Ekpu and Mohammed to give me a royal welcome. I am happy that I had maintained a cordial relationship with my old bosses over the years. Some years ago, when I approached Mr Mohammed to come and serve on the Advisory Board of Gaskia Media Ltd, he readily agreed. Recently I visited him at home to congratulate him on the publication of his enthralling autobiography, Beyond Expectations. With the death of Agbese, a significant chapter of that book has closed.
But Agbese, like all great thinkers and writers, would always be with us. His corpus of works, which includes, Babangida: Military, Politics and Power in Nigeria, The Reporter’s Companion, and The Art and Craft of Column Writing, would ensure that down the centuries, future journalists, historians and youths, would continue to cherish the depth of his thoughts, the profundity of his knowledge and the sheer beauty of his rendering. Now, he has embraced mortality, the ultimate fate of all of us, so that he can inherit immortality. His magnificent wife, Aunty Rose, and wonderful children, should take solace that the patriarch completed his assignment on this side of the Great Divide. When he was with us, he was blessed with the wisdom of the ages like a living ancestor. Finally, he has become a true ancestor. May his valiant soul find eternal rest.
Dare Babarinsa, CON,.is the Chairman, Gaskia Media Ltd
He saw the way I looked woebegone that day in 1995 at Tejumola House, Omole, Ojodu-Berger Road in Lagos. That was where Tempo, where I started my journalism career, operated from. It was one of the strategies by the ICNL management to form a mosaic of operational centers to beat Abacha and his Praetorian Guards, who were baying for the blood of our bosses and their staff who showed him pepper with what they were writing.
“What is the problem, Demola?” Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi (Dapsy), one of the founders of TheNEWS, Tempo, AMNEWS, and PMNEWS (and now publisher of Premium Times), asked me. “I just secured a one-room self-contained apartment at Abule Egba. I want to buy a mattress, but my money is not enough.”
I fished out my I.O.U. form for him to sign, after which I wanted to take it to our Accounts/Admin section (where Mr. Idowu Obasa was the high priest), about three kilometres away, to collect cash.
“Don’t bother going there,” Oga Dapsy said, waving me, a bloody reporter who was still wet behind the ears, to a seat. “How much do you need?”
I told him.
He stretched out his leg where he sat so that his blue pair of jeans could create enough room for him to dip his hand in the pocket. He brought out the money and gave it to me. I prostrated flat and ran off to Ogba. When I wanted to return the money, he asked me to keep it.
This is one aspect of Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi’s multi-dimensional life—his empathy is legendary.
Like a palimpsest, Oga Dapsy has many other layers. He can bring stories from inside the granite, a gift that proved invaluable when the military held Nigeria by the jugular.
He is also a teacher, even if he does not sit beside you or stand before you in class. His life and writings are open textbooks. Let me explain and make a confession.
He is such a highly intellectual, philosophical, and perceptive writer that when I am suffering from writer’s cramp, I would go and pick up some of his old cover stories in TheNEWS bound volumes. One of my favourites is “The Spartan’s Limit,” his preface to an exclusive interview with the late General Muhammadu Buhari in 1983.
As you read, you would be transported (as a form of time travel) to 1953, when Buhari was a school pupil. The description is vivid.
Check this out:
“The Spartan’s Limit
One sunny afternoon in 1953, first-year pupils of Katsina Middle School were sweating it out in an arithmetic class. Mallam Baraya Gombe, the teacher who doubles as headmaster, was prowling the narrow passage between the blackboard and the class, his hulky frame casting a frightening shadow on the class.
One of his pupils was missing, and Gombe, without prompting, knew who that could be: Leko, the truant, was at it again. Suddenly, as the teacher was trenchantly stressing his point, a tall, skinny, gangling frame burst into the class, his face plastered with smiles. Gombe was mad with rage. Who was this lousy fellow, late to class, still grinning, still naughty? He thought. He reached out for Leko, the famous hockey player, soccer centre-forward, and the school’s 800-metre record holder, who had never hidden his disdain for school, and delivered a horrendous slap on his face.
Muhammadu Buhari, Leko for style, in later years an army general and former Nigerian Head of State, learnt his first lesson in discipline, order, and rules…”
Sir, I wish you a happy birthday. Your intellect will not whittle down.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 20, 2025, for the judgment in the terrorism case brought against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Maxi Nnamdi Kanu.
The development came after the IPOB leader had firmly refused to open his defence within the six days allocated to him by the court to present his case.
Announcing the date for the judgement, on Friday, Justice James Omotosho
held that since Nnamdi Kanu failed to avail himself the opportunity granted him to conduct his defence, he could not claim to have been denied his constitutionally guaranteed right to a fair hearing.
Also on Friday, Maxi Kanu made a motion challenging his trial, maintaining that terrorism was no longer an offence in Nigeria.
He insisted that the earlier Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act had been repealed, and consequently, no valid charges could be slammed against him.
Kanu, therefore, submitted that there was no case against him. He then urged the court to dismiss the charges and allow him to go home, a free man.
Among top Nigerian editors of the last three decades, the mention of the word “monumental” only signifies one individual — Dr Reuben Abati. It has nothing to do with the topography or archaeology of his native Egbaland; but rather it’s an acknowledgement by media contemporaries of Abati’s prodigious capacity for both hard-work and play; that capacity to engage in scholarly circuits as well as tease flawlessly in street lingo; the facility to deliver a brilliant lecture at short notice and yet never failing to meet editorial deadlines to his primary employer. To multi-task as a writer, bibliophile, TV/Radio anchor, speaker, dramatist, compere, wine connoisseur and — I must not forget to add — a very good lover of beautiful women. And yet, never disappointing in each task or role. If you like, call him a Jack of all trades, but he is a master of all.
That is why you would hear the shout of “monumental! monumental !!” when Dr. Abati joins the gathering of his media associates. Only that could explain why Abati who, for instance, was heard giving an impeccable summary of the presentation by a visiting high-profile guest at The Niteshift Coliseum nightclub by Sunday midnight as the in-house moderator, would yet be among the first to be seated at the the editorial board meeting of The Guardian very early the next Monday morning, back in those days.
Let me tell you a story. Sometime in the early 2000s, a senior and much older colleague of Abati, perhaps out of malice or envy or both, sought to bruise Abati’s ego at the workplace. The story is told that on that fateful day, to the hearing of not a few people gathered, the big Oga said rather condescendingly: “Everywhere I go, everyone keeps asking me ‘Where is Reuben Abati?! Where is Reuben Abati?!’ They don’t know that, here at The Guardian, you’re nobody!”
Of course, that was a lie. In the estimation of the average reader or follower of The Guardian back then, Abati certainly counted much more. After the exit of titans like Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi and Dr. Tunji Dare, not a few media scholars would agree that Dr. Reuben Abati came to embody The Guardian in the civic space on account of his high productivity, depth and influence.
To put things in historical context, it must be recognized that, before Nigeria’s independence in 1960, newspaper columnists played a significant role in anti-colonial agitation by way of mobilizing local resistance and they all seemed united for a common purpose back then. However, that unity of pursuit unfortunately devolved into something else in post-colonial Nigeria. As the socio-political dynamics changed with the intensification of power struggle among competing factions of the elite, so did the character of newspaper columns in Nigeria. And part of the consequence is the emergence and proliferation of media organizations which, in some cases, openly aided and abetted the peddling of ethnic or sectional agenda. Nowadays, quite unlike the pre-Independence Nigeria, we see a growing number of columnists in the public space who would rather be identified more as the defender of ethnic, sectional or sectarian interests.
Abati stands as the very antithesis of this parochial tendency. In philosophy and practice, Abati’s journalism is defined essentially by an unflinching fidelity to intellectual curiosity, logic and reason; certainly he will not be listed among the ethnic irredentists. As can easily be seen through his public engagement in almost four decades through the agency of both written and spoken words, Abati would certainly be counted as a passionate advocate of the concept called Nigeria. Perhaps, his greatest strength as a writer is a unique gift to seek winning an argument with the combined artillery of logic and needling humor without being overly abusive. Of course, overall, Abati’s language, his stylistics, bears a distinctive flavor marked by easy accessibility without losing elegance, steeped in native humor that disarms even the supposed enemies or confuse those being mocked so much that they start thinking they were receiving a compliment instead. His multi-disciplinary academic exposure is certainly uncommon among peers and indisputably unique in Nigeria’s broader civic space.
This distinction is very much in evidence in what is now being presented today as an anthology of some of his essays in the last three decades published as columns in The Guardian and Thisday. Some of them won him virtually all the prestigious media awards available to be won in Nigeria over the years, as well as got him inducted as a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. This rich harvest of essays are thematically classified into three books namely “How Goodluck Jonathan Became President” running into 285 pages; “A Love Letter & Other Stories” running into 402 pages and “PORTRAITS: People, Politics and Society” spanning 642 pages. The books are published by Caltop Publications based in Nigeria.
Writing in his seminal book entitled “On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History”, Thomas Carlyle reminds us of the power of little stories and little drama. The famous Scottish essayist and historian propounded the theory of the “The Man” which underscores how impactful individuals shape history. What then becomes the history of a nation, according to Carlyle, is an aggregation of the biographies of great men that inhabited the epoch under consideration. So, in a way, it can then be argued that, with its range, depth and consistency, Abati’s weekly columns effectively offers an aperture to view the evolution of Nigeria over the past three decades.
But note: Abati’s chronicle is not entirely value-free. He was not a mere verbatim recorder of events or ideas or a biographer for that matter, engaged in a perfunctory exercise. Rather, his own historiography was undoubtedly shaped by the earlier referenced instinctive bias for logic and commonsense which align with what can normatively be classified as the public interest or the common purpose.
The first book entitled “How Goodluck Jonathan Became President” comprises 31 chapters subdivided into four sections. The first captioned “In The Beginning …” details the political and historical circumstances that gave birth to the administration of President Umar Yar’Adua in which Goodluck Jonathan had fortuitously emerged as the deputy. In Chapter Two with the title “The Jonathan Presidency” (on page 29 precisely), Abati sums up popular opinion about the 2007 presidential polls conducted by the Obasanjo administration thus: “In the end, the 2007 elections were regarded as the worst in Nigerian history. On Election Day, television stations showed images of underage voting, ballot box snatching and gross violation of the people’s right to choose. The international community was alarmed, local observers dismissed the election as a sham.”
Indeed, the months between late 2009 and up to the middle of 2010 were quite unprecedented in Nigeria’s history and obviously unanticipated by the framers of the 1999 Constitution, whereby a constitutional vacuum was exploited by the inner circle of a sitting President bedridden in a foreign land with the exact nature of his ailment hidden, plunging governance at home into a state of suspended animation and turning Aso Rock into a theatre of the absurd. Until the 9th of February 2010 when the Senate contrived the Doctrine of Necessity to proclaim the deputy as acting Presidency. The high drama and treacherous intrigues that preceded the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan first as acting President following the Senate’s intervention and eventually as substantive President on May 5 after the death of Umar Yar’Adua are adequately documented in the eleven-part series under the rubric of The Jonathan Presidency in the Section One of the book.
Again, while the Hajia Turai Yar’Adua-led cabal sought to tighten their grip on power in Abuja in her husband’s curious absence, Abati vividly captures the popular mood across the land then in Chapter Fourteen with the title “Thank You, Dora”. Professor Dora Akunyili, the then Information Minister, had summoned the courage to break the conspiracy of silence by opening up on Yar’Adua. On page 129, the author writes: “Dora Akunyili … is obviously the only man in the Executive Council of the Federation, the others have lost their spine and submitted to the tightly knit conspiracy spun by that body and its faceless accomplices in deceiving Nigerians 74 days on, that President Umaru Yar’Adua is fit. Akunyili thoroughly fed up with all the fibbing and shilly-shallying reportedly submitted a memo to the Executive Council this week asking that the deception must stop and that President Yar’Adua must hand over to the Vice President so the country can move on in his absence.”
But as sympathetic as Abati might sound in his portraiture of Jonathan at the hands of the Aso Rock cabal before Yar’Adua passed on, he nonetheless does not hesitate to whip the same Jonathan over his poor habit soon after assuming full power. In a piece entitled “The Speech Jonathan Shouldn’t Have Made” (Chapter 31, page 254), the writer scolds the new President for a tactless talk at the pre-inauguration lecture with the theme: “A Transformation Agenda for Accelerated National Development” after securing an emphatic victory in the 2011 presidential polls. After being handed the microphone at the said event, according to Abati, it was a moment some tactfulness or even silence would have been golden. Rather, an overly overexcited Jonathan chose to rhapsodize on the inadequacy of four years for a President or Governor to make a big impact in office, thereby setting off alarm bells in some quarters about possible hidden agenda by someone who had not even been sworn in.
Abati’s take is quite ruthless: “If that speech was written for President Jonathan, the speech writer should be suspended, and never allowed to write a Presidential speech again. He says four years is not enough to make a difference, because the government needs to settle down and stabilize. That certainly cannot apply to him. He cannot ask for the luxury of settling down after spending four years in office as Vice President, Acting President, with the last one year as President. Nigerians don’t want him to settle down; they want results. That is why they voted for him.”
(On a lighter note, maybe that explains why President Goodluck Jonathan is still looking for just any way to return to Aso Rock come 2027, twelve years after leaving the same address.)
Overall, compelling as Abati’s rendition of Jonathan’s journey to power might sound, the job is certainly incomplete. The nation undoubtedly yearns for an extension of his documentation to the four years Abati himself spent as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan, consistent with the tradition already set by his predecessor and successors in that office. He once whetted public appetite with a jeremiad written shortly after Buhari defeated Jonathan in 2015 with the title “When the Phone stopped ringing”. I searched the first book many times. That piece, which went viral at the time, is omitted in this collection. It could have been added, even as an addendum to the Jonathan odyssey at the Villa. Could the omission be deliberate or an oversight?
Abati surely owes us and future generations a debt to share his insider experience as a key player in the highest office at some point in Nigeria’s history. For instance, my brother and friend, Olusegun Adeniyi, who served President Yar’Adua already documented his experience in a book entitled, “Power, Politics and Death: A Front-row Account of Nigeria Under the Late President Umaru Yar’Adua”. Just as the duo of Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu who served President Buhari as senior media aides have equally published their individual memoirs entitled “Working With Buhari” and “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience” respectively.
Now, let us transit to the second book entitled “A Love Letter and Other Stories”. If the first book named “How Goodluck Jonathan Became President” dwells on the serious issues of politics, the second one deals with soft matters, as we can already infer from the title. Here, we see the humorist Abati in full throttle, deploying his exceptional competence in English language to satirize, sermonize or philosophize. The seventy-seven essays you find here explore the associated themes of love, family values, fame, fortune, pursuit of happiness, human vanity etc. For ease of consumption and digestion, the author classifies the materials into three parts. Part one is called “Love Notes”, the second is “The Nigerian — Citizen and Anti-Hero” and the third is called “The Legacy of Lysistrata”.
The one you might find most hilarious in this collection is the eponymous “A Love Letter” in Chapter One where Abati resorts to self-deprecating homour. He shares an application for romance he had written as a thirteen-year-old, love-smitten schoolboy to a prospective Juliet, as part of a determination to test the power of a new-found puberty. He happened to have chanced on the said old letter while rummaging his personal library. Hear what a naughty thirteen-year-old Abati, otherwise sent to school by parents to learn, intended to send to one Bose precisely on July 10, 1978:
“My dearest, sweetest, fondest, fantastic, extra-ordinary, paragon of beauty a.k.a Bose. I hope this letter meets you in a fabulous state of metabolism, if so doxology. My principal aim of writing this letter to you is to gravitate your mind towards a matter of global and universal importance, which has been troubling my soul. The matter is so important. Even as I am writing, my adrenaline is 100 per cent on the Richter scale, my temperature is rising, the wind vane of my mind is pointing North, South and East at the same time; the mirror in my eyes has only your divine image. Indeed when I sleep, you are the one in my medulla oblongata, and I dream about you. I went out to sea in my dream, and I saw you: surrounded by H20 and you in your majesty rose from the abdomen of the sea like Yemoja, the avatar of beauty. Oh, Lord be with us! We are thy servants.”
To know how that adventure in romance ended, you would have to get a copy to read.
No less funny is Abati’s interrogation of the culture of Valentine Day in the context of material exploitation of the male gender. He extensively x-rays this in two essays entitled “When Love Isn’t Enough” and “A De-VAL-ued Life” in Chapter Two and Chapter Three respectively. To capture the frenzy that precedes the customary celebration of Valentine Day on February 14, Abati observes in Chapter Two thus: “The romantic propaganda can be really oppressive. In the past few days for example, GSM service providers have insisted that the only ring tone that fits this season is the one that forces you to think of romance, just in case you may have forgotten. I didn’t solicit for the ringtone, but I got it all the same and I have had to listen to it, on other people’s lines, and I guess it doesn’t come free.
“The GSM companies are making money selling Valentine messages. And that is the point: the frenzy over Valentine’s Day is commercial, capitalistic, and it is of course, global.”
To sustain the salient points raised in Chapter Two, a very creative Abati resorts to the dialogue technique which helps to incorporate the nuances not easily captured by the prosaic form. Of course, among the tribe of top Nigerian columnists in the last three decades, there can be no dispute that Abati is the master of this technique, which is not surprising considering his doctoral certification in dramaturgy. To draw attention to the deeper concerns, hear the conversation between Abati’s two fictive characters in the next Chapter, that is Chapter Three:
“So, is Venus a Nigerian? I think we Nigerians like to copy white people a lot. Valentine’s Day is all about commerce and illicit sex. Married men running around with small girls, lecherous men sending gifts to other people’s wives, and flirtatious women looking for someone to cuckold them, and everybody pretending to be in love. I say it is a charade. Government should ban it. We can’t afford to have a day when people just fool around, mouthing nonsense.”
Then, the gist partner responded: “I don’t think anybody will agree with you. Government cannot ask people not to love each other. That will be strange.”
However, of the three tomes by Abati under reference, the most definitive, in my mind, is the third one entitled “Portraits: People, Politics and Society”. It reminds of the 690-paged classic by The Times of London entitled “Great Lives — A Century in Obituaries”, edited by Ian Brunskill and published in 2005. Or another by The Economist of London with the title, “Book of Obituaries” edited by Keith Colquhoun and Ann Wroe published in 2008.
But thankfully, Abati’s own is not about only the dead. A good many of the personalities examined in Abati’s third book are still very much alive. Just as “Portraits: People, Politics and Society” showcases the multi-disciplinary virtuosity of Reuben Abati as a compelling presence in Nigeria’s intellectual space for almost four decades, this particular collection will more or less also pass as a roll-call of most — if not all — of the consequential individuals who have shaped and defined Nigeria as well few in the global community in the last four decades.
As usual, for ease of consumption and digestion, Abati subdivides the book into four sections namely “Man-Of-The-Year Essay” (twelve in all published in The Guardian). Then, you have the section tagged “Profiles”, followed by “Different Encounters” and “Birthdays”.
Put together, they are either tributes and mini biographies of a hundred individuals. They cut across politics, commerce, military, academia, journalism, law, science, religion, philanthropy, art and entertainment and even crime. Another title for this collection would be “The saints and the sinners”.
Of course, Abati is not merely documenting them but also passing a value judgment. Those praised will be those who have impacted their society or humanity at large for good. Those lampooned will be those who left or are leaving the country or the world worse than they met it.
Why this third collection by Abati is also significant is for the inspirational appeal in most cases, and as cautionary note in few instances. The young ones should be inspired by the many examples of how small idea started by ordinary folks became big through sheer hard-work, persistence, perseverance and delayed gratification. This is all the more instructive in a new world we seem to have been thrust in which the wrong heroes are worshipped and wrong values glamorized by the social media. For the impressionable ones who think only Yahoo Yahoo can bring fortune, they will find a rebuke in this collection, for instance, from the story of Jimoh Odutola who started a business with a capital of just Six Pound in 1921 and, thorough a practice rooted in diligence, fear of God and integrity, transformed to a commercial octopus in the next five decades. A conglomerate that employed thousands in the Southern part of Nigeria. It is no fairy tale. Abati documents his personal relationship with the old man whose disciplined lifestyle ensured he could still visit Abati and climb the stairs at The Rutam House at the Guardian when he was well over 90 years of age. Pa Odutola eventually died at the age of 105 in 2010. Readers will find this in Chapter 27.
And for those who easily get intoxicated by political power, two of Abati’s essays in this collection should serve as a caution. The two are entitled, “Lucy Kibaki’s death: Africa’s Most Violent First Lady” in Chapter 21 and “Ten Years After Lamidi Adedibu” in Chapter 58.
Taken together, the three books are well packaged in a manner that will not only keep the ordinary reader spell-bound, but also earn respect from academic quarters, with not too many typographical infelicities. The indexing presents them as serious academic offerings. Perhaps, the low incidence of typos can be attributed to the fact that all the essays earlier benefited from intense editorial scrutiny before being published in The Guardian and Thisday. However, I noticed some misalignments in the Table of Contents of the three books. The version I was given for this review was the soft copy. While seeking to reference the chapters, I noticed that the pagination set out in the Table of Contents differs from the actual location in the book. I believe this can easily be remedied, particularly for the copies to be sold in the digital space.
All said, the three books are undoubtedly monumental fittingly reflecting the putative monumentality of Dr Reuben Adeleye Abati, a consequential public intellectual, a media icon, a politician and, more importantly, someone relentlessly advocating for a better Nigeria. Together, these books not only tell the worst and best of us as a nation, but also prognosticate the greatness that awaits us as a nation if only the critical mass can coalesce in the pursuit of a common purpose. I strongly recommend you all get copies to read and pass on to your children, friends and neighbours.
A woman, Elizabeth Thamson, is now cooling her heels in the custody of the Ogun Stater Police Command, for allegedly defrauding three people of N8.5m under the pretext of helping them secure Canadian work visas.
Thamson’s arrest came shortly after the command warned residents about the rising cases of online fraud, including fake dating sites, travel and visa scams, and other schemes used to swindle unsuspecting victims.
Spokesperson of the Ohun State Police, Command, Mr. Omolola Odutola, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, revealed on Thursday, disclosed that the victims were deceived into believing that their visas had been approved.
“The victims narrated that after undergoing biometric verification as instructed by the suspect, they were informed that their visas had been approved,” Odutola said in the statement.
However, when they took the supposed approval letters to the Visa Facilitation Service office in Lagos for verification, discovered that the documents were fake.
“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime,” Odutola continued. “Preliminary investigation revealed that she had been operating a fraudulent migration scheme targeting individuals desperate for employment opportunities abroad.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lanre Ogunlowo, has ordered a detailed but discreet investigation into the case. He urged the public to be cautious.
“He cautioned members of the public, especially young people, to exercise due diligence when seeking travel opportunities, verify online information through official channels, and avoid patronising touts or unverified agents for visa processing,” the statement added.
Despite repeated warnings from the police and several victims’ experiences, many Nigerians continue to fall victim to fake travel agents.
WeThe National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved the following new programmes for the University of Ilesa, Osun State, with effect from the 2025/2026 academic session:
1. MBBS. Medicine and Surgery
2. B.Agriculture
3. B.Sc. Agri Business
4. B.Sc. Fisheries and Aquaculture
5. B.Sc. Agricultural Economics
6. B.Sc. Animal Science
7. B.Sc. Crop Science
8. B.Sc. Soil Science
9. B.A. Chinese Studies
10. B.A. Modern European (French Language)
11. B.Ed. Early Childhood Education
12. B.Ed. Special Needs Education
This achievement is a remarkable milestone and a testament to the profound impact of His Excellency, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, Governor of Osun State, on our University’s development.
Congratulations to the Vice Chancellor and the entire university community!
Babatunde Fanawopo
SAR (Corporate Service & Information Unit)
Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the public presentation and official launch of three new books by Dr. Reuben Abati, a renowned journalist, intellectual and former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The notable cleric, social crusader, bridge builder and advocate for an inclusive Nigerian democratic and economic society, will speak on the topic “Nigeria: Time to Re-Load.”
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah
The three books to be presented on Friday, November 7, 2025, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs include:
1. Portraits: People, Politics and Society
2. A Love Letter & Other Stories
3. How Goodluck Jonathan Became President
Caltop Publications Nigeria Limited are publishers of the three books, and the event coincides with Dr. Reuben Abati’s 60th birthday celebration and an opportunity to reflect on a media icon, that has remained focused and dedicated to national development.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, November 7, 2025
Venue: Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA),
Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
Time: 10:00 AM prompt
About the Keynote Speaker
Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah was ordained a Catholic Priest on December 19, 1976. He also attended the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a diploma in Religious Studies. Kukah also received the Bachelor of Divinity at the Pontifical Urban University, Rome in 1976, followed by a Master’s degree in Peace Studies, at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom in 1980. Kukah’s academic pursuits culminated with a PhD from University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 1990.
Between 1999 and 2001 he served as a member of the Nigerian Investigation Commission of Human Rights Violations. In addition to his work as a parish priest of Saint Andrews’s parish in Kakuri, Kaduna from 2004 until his nomination as Bishop, he was secretary of the National Political Reform Conference (2005) and from 2005 onwards he has been serving as the chairman of the Ogoni-Shell Reconciliation.
Additionally, between 2007 and 2009 he worked also in the committee for electoral reform set up by the Nigerian government. He was a senior Rhodes fellow at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford and an Edward Mason Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Among his many publications are Democracy and Civil Society in Nigeria (Codestria, 2001), Religious Militancy and Self-Assertion: Islam and Politics in Nigeria (Avebury, 1997), and Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria (Ibadan, Spectrum Books, 1993). Other books are Witness to Justice (Udara, 2010) and Witness to Reconciliation and Broken Truths: Nigeria’s Elusive Quest for National Cohesion (Adonis and Abbey, 2022).
Kukah was appointed as a member of the Dicastery on Integral Human Development in December 2020, by Late Pope Francis.
He is the convener of the National Peace Committee, established in 2014, with the commitment to facilitating and supporting credible and peaceful general elections in Nigeria, strengthening political stability.
The Federal Government has pledged to support the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Federation Conference (CNMF), West African Region, in Abuja.
A release issued by the Director, Information and Public Relations at the State House, Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, said the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, stated this on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja, when the leadership of the association paid him a courtesy visit ahead of the event.
According to Oladunjoye, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila reiterated the Tinubu administration’s unwavering commitment to healthcare reforms, noting that health remains one of the government’s top priorities.
Gbajabiamila cited several recent achievements, including the revitalization of primary healthcare centres, the expansion of national health insurance coverage from 20 million to 60 million Nigerians, and increased investment in health infrastructure and manpower development.
He congratulated the association for securing the hosting right, the first in West Africa, and emphasised the need for a clear implementation plan to guide government support.
“Thank you for taking the time to come and inform us on what you’re doing. Congratulations that you will be hosting this Commonwealth event in April next year, the first of its kind, the Chief of Staff said.
“We wish you all the very best, and undoubtedly, government will play whatever role it deems fit and is in a position to play.
“I think it’s important if this office can get a clear plan as to where you are, the roadmap to April, what you’ve done, and how you intend to execute it.”
He also called for synergy between the association, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, for seamless coordination.
Earlier, the National President of NANNM, Comrade Haruna Mamman, appealed for government’s support in hosting the conference scheduled for April 20 to 24, 2026.
He said hosting the West African regional CNMF conference would benefit Nigeria and showcase the country’s leadership in healthcare.
Mamman disclosed that the event, which will attract nurses and midwives from 56 Commonwealth countries, will also be attended by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon. Shirley Botchwey.
According to him, the conference aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and will promote professional excellence and international collaboration in the health sector.
He requested the support of the Federal Government in visa facilitation, financial support, and hosting of CNMF executives from the United Kingdom, Europe, and Africa.
Mamman also requested for a courtesy visit to President Tinubu by the CNMF leadership and for the President to officially flag off the conference in April 2026.
“We are not in doubt of the political will of Mr. President to make Nigeria a reference nation to others. We believe this conference will further make Nigeria a pride of the continent,” Mamman said.
The CNMF conference is expected to focus on strengthening healthcare systems, advancing nursing practice, and enhancing collaboration across Commonwealth member nations.
Family, friends, and colleagues gathered on Thursday October 16, to celebrate Modupe Akpan, a woman of grace, strength, and excellence who turned 50.
Modupe is the Business Development Director at Neo Media & Marketing, a public relations, marketing and event management agency, where she also oversees client service engagement and company operations.
The celebrant is the younger sister to Oluwakemi, the wife of the Chairman/CEO of Neo Media & Marketing, and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Naija Times and Lagos Post, Ehi Braimah.
With an analytical mind, and a strong background in finance and business management, Modupe has carved a unique niche for herself in the world of strategy, with competencies in event management, experiential marketing and brand development.
Her professional journey began in finance, as a Senior Accountant at PeopleTemp/Prime, where her passion for Human Resources Management was born.
Over the years, her career evolved and led her into the advertising and marketing space, where she discovered her enthusiasm for events and experiential marketing.
Today, she is widely respected for her expertise in business start-ups, HR management, and client strategy, with a diverse portfolio spanning the professional services, banking, telecoms, and advertising sectors.
Beyond the boardroom, Modupe is a devoted wife to her loving husband, Pastor Ofon Akpan, and a proud mother of two amazing children, Utibe and Abasiono.
Her personal life is grounded in faith and gratitude – values that were evident during the intimate prayer session held at her home on her 50th birthday.
A thanksgiving service will follow at The Stone Church, Ikeja, as the Akpan family offers thanks to God for His enduring faithfulness.
One of the proud moments during the milestone celebration on October 16 was the surprise appearance of her UK-based big sister, Mrs. Bukola Olakotan, whose presence brought joy and happiness to the celebrant. Bukola flew from London to Lagos on the eve of her birthday.
For Modupe, turning 50 is not just a milestone; it is a testament to God’s grace, a reflection on purpose, and a moment of renewal.
As she steps into this new chapter, she remains passionate about her dream to see over 50 percent of Nigerian businesses become transgenerational, sustainable enterprises that will outlive their founders and shape the future.
Happy 50th birthday, Modupe, a woman of vision, values, and purpose.
It was one of those Saturdays that remind you why Ijesaland is called the cradle of dignity and pride. From the early hours, Ilesa was awake, the streets alive with colourful attires, convoys of dignitaries, and the buzz of anticipation for Asiwaju Olayinka Fasuyi’s 70th birthday thanksgiving.
At the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Omofe, the crowd was massive. Inside the church, the choir’s harmonies blended with drums and organ tunes, setting the tone for worship. The atmosphere was thick with gratitude as bishops from across dioceses filed in gracefully, their robes gleaming under the morning light.
When Rt. Rev. Prof. Dapo Asaju took the pulpit, his sermon hit home. He spoke about “Living the Christian Exemplary Life,” drawing inspiration from Asiwaju Fasuyi’s journey. At that point, the celebrant looked calm but grateful, the kind of calm that comes from a man who has walked faithfully with purpose.
The thanksgiving dance was something else. The entire congregation joined the Fasuyi family as they danced forward, smiling, waving, and singing. It wasn’t just a service; it was joy in motion.
From the church, the crowd moved to the Zenabab Half Moon Holiday Resort, a venue already glistening in elegance. The décor spoke of class, the music of celebration, and the faces of satisfaction. People who hadn’t seen one another in years embraced. Cameras clicked. The legendary Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey took over the stage with his band, and nostalgia filled the air.
Then came the book presentation, “Olayinka Fasuyi: The Passion of a Patriot.” As the author, Bobagunwa Remi Oyeyemi, Professor Soji Adejumo analysed the chapters of the book, one could sense a story that went beyond pages; it was the story of a man who turned service into a legacy.
But just when everyone thought all the big surprises were over, the real moment of the day arrived.
Even when whispers had gone around that His Imperial Majesty, Owa Obokun Adimula of Ijesaland, Owa ( Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, would not make it — it happened.
The first sound was faint — the distant rhythm of drums. Then the trumpets followed. Heads turned. Within seconds, the hall erupted. The Owa’s convoy had arrived.
What followed was indescribable. The traditional drummers beat harder, the flutists sang praises of the throne, and praise singers echoed “Kabiyesi ooo!” from every corner.
Everyone stood, some recording, others simply taking in the moment. The Owa Obokun, in full royal grace, entered the hall, greeted by thunderous applause and admiration.
It was a defining moment. You could feel the pride of Ijesaland radiating through that hall.
When His Majesty took the microphone, he spoke with the voice of a father. He praised Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi for his relentless commitment to Ijesa unity and progress. He said, and I quote, “If this man ever chooses to go further — even politically — he has my blessing.”
The crowd cheered. But beyond the words, it was the sincerity that struck everyone.
He cautioned detractors to stop sowing division, describing Fasuyi as an honest and selfless man who has done more than enough to deserve the love of his people. It was not a prepared speech — it was a heartfelt declaration.
From Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) who chaired the occasion, to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Erelu Olusola Obada, and Chief Mrs. Modupe Adeleke-Sanni, everyone spoke with respect, describing Asiwaju as a man who works not for applause but for the growth of Ijesaland.
As dusk settled on Ilesa, the lights at Zenabab glowed softly, music still playing, laughter still ringing. Some guests were still dancing. Others sat quietly, reflecting on what they had witnessed — not just a birthday celebration, but a day when unity, honour, and love for Ijesaland took centre stage.
For me, as a innocent reporter watching it all unfold, one truth stood out — that leadership isn’t about position or title; it’s about service that speaks louder than words.
And that was what Asiwaju Yinka Fasuyi’s 70th birthday represented: a celebration of purpose, and a reaffirmation of Ijesa greatness.
