By ASAJU TUNDE
On the day that our boss, Dan Agbese passed, the first person I called was Oga Yakubu Mohammed. He said he has heard the rumour and had to call to confirm it. He and Dan had plans! This morning, I switched on my phone and the first post I saw was that of Muyiwa Akintunde. As Oga Yakubu would usually say when he does not believe your excuses but would defend your rights to make them, my thoughts were – Okay o! Another one! Wow!
Of the four Newswatch musketeers that I met when I finally joined the family in the early-90s, Oga Yakubu was the most unassuming. Except when Dan was away, you hardly have direct contact with him. But when you do, it was always revealing.
He probably has more contacts within the Who is Who in Nigeria of the other ogas. When it comes to getting hard-nose facts to enrich a report, he’d share his contacts, call the contact ahead to introduce you and make your job easier.
But I had a very personal rapport with him that I’ll remember till I join him. When I secured placement in the JournalistsinEurope programme in Paris, I notified my bosses and they surprisingly supported my career advancement. I prepared all the necessary documents including the N1,500 visa fee that was required and went to the French Embassy only to be told that they had just increased visa fee by an extra one thousand Naira.
The fatal determinist in me told myself that it was not God’s plan for me to go. So, I returned to the newsroom and continued with my job. I had just been transfered to Abuja and was working on stories from there, my first inroad into real journalism. A lot of my colleagues and editors were surprised with the calmness I demonstrated given that such an opportunity of a lifetime was slipping away from me, but it did not move me a bit.
Late afternoon, Oga Yakubu and I met at the corridor of the office and in his jovial manner he asked ‘French man, why are you still here, I thought you had left’. I smiled and told him casually that I ought to, but that I won’t be going to France after all.
He asked why? I told him that earlier in the day, I had gone to the French Embassy only to be told that they had increased their visa fee by a whopping N1,000. I had spent all my savings to afford the initial fee I was asked to bring.
Shocked and somewhat disappointed at the casual way I carried on, he invited me to his office and gently scolded me. ‘Don’t you realize that apart from being my reporter, you are like a younger brother to me. We are both from Kogi. If you had spoken to me earlier, I would have given you the extra, I just gave that money to someone who came moments ago. Is it too late tomorrow’, he asked? When I said no, he promised to give me the extra money the next day. He did, adding a little gyara for transportation to Ikoyi and making sure he came very early so that I won’t miss the appointment. Without his help, I would never have gone to France, my first trip across Africa.
From that encounter, we have maintained a father to son relationship. He monitors my moves, will call to commend a piece I had written that caught his fancy and tell me he forwarded it to some of his contacts.
Last year when he wrote his memoir, I was one of the first few people he contacted. When it was launched, he called to ask for my address so that he could send me an autographed copy. Out of shame, I promised him I will buy a copy on my own. I did not feel comfortable making him lose an extra kobo. He called again to let me know which bookshop to get it in Abuja. Now I owe him one in death.
This morning, Muyiwa broke the sad news that Oga Yakubu, like his brother Dan Agbese has changed address. All I can say is that may Allah SWT grant him jannah firdaous and comfort his family. He was an awesome mentor and a very big elder brother.
The vacuum that these icons are leaving is too big for anyone to fill. But we continue to be strong, until others are called to be strong for us.
Good night Oga @YakubuMohammed, fare thee well sir.
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