Mr Bayo Onanuga, former Managing Director of TheNEWS and now News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) boss, spoke on behalf of the Nigerian media today in Abuja. That was at the investiture of the highest national honours on the late MKO Abiola and his running mate, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe as well as human rights lawyer, late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.
In his words: “I have not cried for 40 years, but today I did because of the apology tendered to the family of Moshood Abiola, the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 election.
“Today for the first time, President Muhammadu Buhari did something that is earth-shaking. That is re-visiting the injustice done 25 years ago. Buhari, you have done the right thing and this will go down well in history. It is never too late and you got the accolades.’’
Onanuga said that June 12 was “a reflection of opportunity lost and justice denied”. He named some of his colleagues in the struggle and, as NAN reports, thanked President Buhari for the recognition and for celebrating today, June 12. He said Buhari has, in his action, brought back justice. He said he felt highly honoured to speak on behalf of the media “on this great day that we have chosen to right the wrongs and injustice of a quarter of a century’’.
“No matter the commentaries in the social non-media, the negative comments by the same people who betrayed the spirit of June 12, Mr. President, what you have done is massive and earth shaking. Some cynical critics have asked, why now? Why are we atoning for the sins committed in 1993? My response is that it is better late than never, never too late to correct the mistakes of history.
“In any way, June 12 has been like a phoenix: buried several times, it kept resurrecting to haunt our collective conscience as a nation.’’
Turning to Buhari, Onanuga said: “We thank you immensely for the recognition, after all a major beneficiary of the struggle spent eight years in Aso Rock and did not for one day remember us.’’
Onanuga said that the guerrillas created by June 12 were not only journalists or editors but there were also the backroom workers, in marketing and administration.
According to him, there were printers such as Academy Press, Odufuwa Press, Satellite Press, owned by Jim Nwobodo, a printing Press, owned by Lateef Jakande, who made available their machines to roll out our `’subversive but patriotic products”.
“There were hundreds of vendors too who, at great risks of being arrested, were ready to sell our newspapers, as we waged the campaign to right a monumental wrong. Some of those vendors were actually arrested.
“I cannot also forget the contributions of human rights activists, such as Chima Ubani, Olisa Agbakoba, Beko Ransome Kuti, Alao Aka Bashorun academics, religious and political leaders, patriotic operatives of the Police, DSS and DMI, who provided the materials for the campaign, sometimes in the deep of the night and at unlikely meeting points.
He named one of those heroes to include Kunle Ajibade who was jailed for life for a phantom coup; Nosa Igiebor, the editor-in-chief of Tell magazine at the time of the crisis.
Onome Osifo-Whiskey of TELL was a victim. One day as he was returning from the church, with his family, he was kidnapped by security agents. He was held for months. And so were Ayo Akinkuotu and Kola Ilori.
Osa Director, the Kano correspondent of TELL and Dateline was arrested in August 1995, for publishing a story said to be capable of causing disaffection. He was dragged before a magistrate in leg chains and handcuffs, like a common criminal.
There were other journalists in the TELL stable, Dare Babarinsa, Ademola Oyinlola and Dele Omotunde, who used their pens to advance the cause of June 12.
“My own organisation suffered the most in the hands of the junta. At a stage in 1998, 13 members of staff, including non journalists, were in detention.
“One of them was Babafemi Ojudu, who now works at the Presidency as the political adviser. He was captured in November 1997, at Seme border, on his return to Nigeria from a trip to the UK. He spent more than nine months in solitary confinement.
“Jerkins Alumona, an editor of TheNEWS, and sports analyst, was picked up at the Studio of NTA in Lagos, where he had gone to discuss sports. Tokunbo Fakeye, our defence correspondent was arrested at Defence Headquarters in Lagos
“A founding member of TheNEWS, Dapo Olorunyomi, who now publishes Premium Times, escaped into exile in 1996 after Ajibade was arrested. Those who picked Ajibade were actually looking for Olorunyomi.
Mrs Ladi Olorunyomi was picked several times in place of her husband and in one instance, was arrested because she refused to lead the security agents to my home.
“I cannot forget Timothy Bonnett from Kaduna and Bagauda Kaltho from Gombe state. Kaltho paid the supreme price in the struggle as he was killed by the agents of the junta sometime in 1996.’’
