It was one of those rare weeks that seemed to sprint past like a 100-metre dash yet managed to etch memories as indelible as carved stone. In just seven days, my calendar brimmed with nostalgia, honour, camaraderie, and renewed bonds—threaded through three distinct alumni encounters that spanned cities, professions, and decades of shared history.

In a seeming echo of “charity begins at home”, the week began in the tranquil town of Ede, Osun State, where the 1976–1981 cohort of Ede Muslim Grammar School had planned what I thought would be a modest get-together. It turned out to be far more. It ended as an effusive special reception in my honour to celebrate my recent elevation to professorship. The venue, Dignity Hotel, lived up to its name, dressed in understated elegance, and buzzing with anticipation.

Old girls and boys of my set streamed in, each bringing with them a piece of our shared youth. Among the earliest arrivals was the ever-first Elejigbo, Fatai Oyeyemi, accompanied by his gracious wife. Soon after came Haji Kazeem Mustapha, whose laughter could still fill a stadium, and Suebat Adenle, our indefatigable cohort secretary whose organisational flair remains undimmed. Alhaji Kayode Adetunji arrived with a warmth that instantly took us back to our school corridors, followed by Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf, better known as Ebedi,   The General Manager of Osun State Ambulance Services, Dr Olapade Mukaila also joined, alongside several other well-meaning colleagues who had travelled from their respective current locations.

The air was rich with the aroma of sumptuous delicacies, and pastries that got gulped as quickly as they were served. Drinks flowed freely, loosening tongues and lubricating memories. Soon, the room erupted into the familiar banter of old classmates: mischievous tales of school escapades, long-forgotten nicknames, and legendary incidents retold with dramatic flourishes. Laughter blared ceaselessly, echoing long after the sun had surrendered to night. By the time the evening wound down, I felt not just celebrated, but anchored in a community that had shaped my earliest ambitions.

READ ALSO: Lagos raises alarm over looming environmental collapse of lagoon

I unpacked from Ede and right on Monday, August 11, 2025, entered the second phase of my reunion week. This time, I joined my former UNILORIN folks, drawn from different sets though. The venue was the command post of none other than Dr Kayode Opeifa, Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC. As with Governor Adeleke at Ede Muslim Grammar School, Opeifa and I graduated the same year from Unilorin. Time to hum the Yoruba folk song of “ori’re kon’re mi…’ for Kay as he was fondly hailed at Ilorin.  Dr Opeifa was recently honoured as a distinguished alumnus of our “Better by Far” University of Ilorin.

The Lagos Branch of the Alumni Association, seizing the moment, arrived with a life-size congratulatory banner that stood like a sentinel in the room. As leader of the delegation, Engineer Isiwat Lawal from the Lagos State Ministry of Works announced our mission: to rally support for the national body’s plan to commemorate the university’s 50th anniversary in a manner worthy of its legacy.

Opeifa’s reaction was most prompt and pleasant. He instantly declared his full support for the anniversary plans and promised to marshal every resource within his reach. Wasting no time, he summoned all Unilorin alumni within reach at NRC, including Dr Toheeb Quadri, to join the courtesy moment. He urged them to be part of what he described as “a glorious proposal for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.” In that moment, the past and future of our alma mater  fused manifesting pride and purpose.

Running almost parallel to my Ede reception was the third phase of my reunion series.  It was the National Elective Conference of The Companion, held from Friday, August 8 to Sunday, August 10, 2025, at the Peace Hotel in Ilorin, Kwara State. The Companion is not just any association. It is the post-university family of those who once belonged to the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) during their tertiary education years.  It is one family of professionals and business people bound by faith, ethics, and service.

This year’s conference drew an impressive roster of dignitaries. Royal fathers graced the opening: the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu, and the Aala of Ilala, Oba Abdulfatai Oladega Talabi. The keynote address was delivered by Dr Sulayman Ibrahim, a transnationally seasoned IT expert, while the principal goodwill message came from Professor Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, Principal of Ghalib Law Firm.

Fleeting though it was, that week of reunions has left me convinced that while honours and titles may fade with time, the bonds we build and the communities we serve endure far longer

Themed “Thriving Amidst Adversity: Strategies for Survival in Nigeria’s Challenging Economy,” the conference became a melting pot of ideas, reflections, and pragmatic counsel. From calls for attitudinal change and anti-corruption discipline to appeals for government support of MSMEs, the resolutions covered a broad spectrum of national concerns. Youth development was a recurring refrain: participants urged young Nigerians to embrace creativity, diligence, and entrepreneurship as shields against the harsh economy.

For me, the conference carried personal significance. At its close, I was entrusted with the role of Public Affairs Director in the new National Executive Council, led by the newly elected National Amir, Imam Nojeem Jimoh, a retired oil and gas executive whose calm authority inspires confidence. It was an honour steeped in responsibility, aligning with The Companion’s sustained mission to combine professional excellence with service to humanity.

The communiqué issued at the end reflected both the seriousness of the deliberations and the optimism that fuels the group’s work. From ratifying a nine-member Board of Trustees for The Companion Zakat and Zadaqah Foundation to granting autonomy to its youth wing, The Dawn, the conference underscored the association’s commitment to renewal and impact.

By the week’s end, I found myself mulling over a simple truth: reunions are far more than social niceties. They are living proof that time may separate us geographically, but shared experiences—whether forged in school classrooms, university lecture halls, or faith-based fellowships—remain potent connectors. Each event that week, in its own way, was a bridge between past and present, carrying both the laughter of youthful adventures and the gravitas of present responsibilities.

At Ede, it was the intimacy of childhood bonds and the joy of seeing how far each had come. In Lagos, it was the strategic alignment of alumni energy towards a shared institutional milestone. In Ilorin, it was the reaffirmation of purpose, rooted in faith and amplified by professional diversity.

Of course, these gatherings also had their lighter side. In Ede, the jokes about who had aged most gracefully and who hadn’t never quite ended. At NRC headquarters, the playful ribbing about radical and rascally students’ leadrers drew chuckles even from the MD.

But beneath the laughter was something enduring: the quiet acknowledgement that these connections—whether to classmates, alumni peers, or faith companions—are invaluable threads in the fabric of our lives. They remind us of where we began, they enrich our present, and they can, if nurtured, shape a better collective future.

As I returned to my desk after the somewhat colourful week, my mind was still warmed by the camaraderie, my spirit buoyed by the celebrations, and my sense of duty sharpened by the responsibilities newly entrusted to me. Fleeting though it was, that week of reunions has left me convinced that while honours and titles may fade with time, the bonds we build and the communities we serve endure far longer

*Akanni is a professor of Journalism and Development Communications at LASU, Nigeria.

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Town and gown meet, you’re tempted to say. Yes it was, and really quite enriching.  Following an earlier discussion with a mutual connection, the former minister had promised that he would reach me once he returned to Lagos from his trip to Abuja. However, Yoruba culture prescribes that you should reach out first if you had such a consensus with an elder.

Even as I was deeply steeped into thickets of the layers of fun programmed by my family and friends for my 60th birthday on that beautiful Sunday of April 20, 2025, I called Alhaji Mohammed to reconfirm his return especially as I was also preparing for my immersion into the JAMB Situation Room in Abuja set up to coordinate UTME exams nationwide.

Shortly after the Asri prayer of around 4pm was over, Alhaji Mohammed’s arrival was announced to me. The former minister was not one person addicted to superfluous comfort in spite of his status. As at that afternoon, the retiling of my apartment, as part of the general renovation commenced days earlier, had just been concluded and to make the job easy for the workmen I had moved out the entire furniture and other accompaniments such that I had only one plastic chair complemented by multi-purpose mats. Alhaji Lai settled into the plastic chair and leisurely took water offered him as he took me through some masterclass session on the need to focus properly to achieve excellence in professionalism.

Over with the exchange of pleasantries with my son, a UNILORIN alumnus like me, Alhaji Lai recalled that he had taught in my department at UNILORIN before, as a graduate assistant. Formerly called Modern European Language Department, MEL, the bride of the entire Faculty of Arts of the university used to house both English and French programmes even as the two programmes were ultra-functional, giving as much room as desired for the performance of the constituent elements of the two programmes. It’s the reason you find the alumni of my department doing well in professional environments ranging from advertising to broadcasting, journalism, diplomacy, academia and so forth.

Alhaji Lai recounted his daunting professional journey of marketing a political party that began as a modest regional entity with a tall ambition though. According to him, his party, Alliance for Democracy, AD, started well with what could be described as a comfortable win in the southwestern states but only in the third place with ANPP coming second to PDP which was the party in power with former President Obasanjo in the saddle from 1999 to 2007.

Obasanjo, Alhaji Lai continued, wanted his entire southwest region captured by PDP and therefore forcibly pushed through ensuring his party took over the governorship positions in all of the southwestern states except Lagos, leaving Governor Bola Tinubu, as the last man standing.

But the last man standing defied loneliness and chose to fight on.  He instilled courage and hope in the purportedly defeated candidates of his party and enjoined them to sustain judicial struggles against their opponents who had the benefit of the support of the ruling party at the centre. Support from the government headed by Obasanjo transcended the ordinary. Obasanjo threw decency to the wind and proclaimed electoral victory as a do or die matter. True to his stance, he was out to crush any factor that may constitute an obstacle to his goal. But Governor Tinubu neutralized this level of despair and pushed on with legal battles with unprecedented ingenuity.

All of these were efforts  given due publicity for the world to know and feel the plight of the party and the lot duly fell on Alhaji Lai Muhammed’s tirelessly grinding machine. Three states were eventually rescued back from PDP namely Edo, Osun and Ondo thus ushering the reigns of Adam Oshiomole, Kayode Fayemi and Rauf Aregbesola respectively.

READ ALSO: Fuji music: Wasiu Ayinde hiding behind elementary sophistry

As I relished Alhaji Lai’s recall, he took time to explain further that what was particularly significant in their publicity efforts was that although ANPP had won more states than their party that had transformed into ACN, they had media visibility that was better and indeed towering. Theirs was an opposition you could not afford to ignore or you ignore it to your peril. It provided a formidable pedestal for the party to enter into a protracted coalition negotiation with ANPP.

President Buhari had taken particular note of our persistent and timeous interventions and was obviously impressed. Prior to the consummation of the coalition, I had been Lagos based but with the coalition came my movement to Abuja to hype our decibel.

Handing out to me an autographed copy of his book, Witness to History, Action Congress of Nigeria and the Struggle for Democracy, Liberty and Justice, he was emphatic in making me realise that scholars will surely find his efforts therein superlatively inspiring.  It’s the truth, really.

“What we cultivated as opposition was sustained and even carried over into government.  For the purpose of clarity, these qualities were insistence on the truth from other parties even as we ensured that we ventilated nothing less,” Alhaji Lai emphasised.

He continued: “Don’t forget that we inherited the unfortunate Chibok kidnap liability. Ironically, social campaigners including former minister Oby Ezekwezili stepped up their campaigns to the level of slapping some heavy blemish on the new government for which I had been appointed Information Minister.

“As a consistent professional, I felt the need to enable them verify the efforts of our government which had taken an early risk of visiting Maiduguri, the notorious launch pad of Boko Haram’s activities. We equally went as far as Kaure, Konduga and Bama, the shortlived capital of the BH caliphate.”

Alhaji Lai eventually flew Oby Ezekwezili and some others to the ‘war’ front and got them embedded with airforce officers to make them see, firsthand, how the nation’s armed forces’ personnel had been prosecuting their campaigns against all visible and predictable odds and life threatening hazards.  By the time the tour was concluded, they could not hold back their commendation for the government. “I’d try show you their public statement in this regard someday.” Other seriously challenging episodes for him in government were those of P&ID and the alleged massacre at Lekki Toll Gate.

Indeed, the alleged massacre saga was the toughest. “My immediate family even felt I had done enough in that government and should yield my seat. Based on the facts available to me however, there was no truth in the massacre claim. Should the head of the government also resign as it was obvious that he was receiving far more intense heat than my family perceived for me? I controverted the compassionate suggestion of my family.”

Handing out to me an autographed copy of his book, Witness to History, Action Congress of Nigeria and the Struggle for Democracy, Liberty and Justice, he was emphatic in making me realise that scholars will surely find his efforts therein superlatively inspiring.  It’s the truth, really. What’s public relations without being a media activist of some sort? I have no doubt that those who, beyond being my regular students, are also my mentors are already anxious to have some bites of the book. Alhaji Lai, of course, complemented the book for me with a designer, customised card and another precious gift.

Alhaji Lai was the second former federal official to adorn my special day, the first being the most outstanding chair of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria in the recent time, Ustaz Zikrullah Hassan. Together with my very precious neighbours, Ustaz Hassan, Alhaji Mikail  Mumuni formerly of Tell Magazine; Professor Ismail Ibraheem of the University of Lagos;  Dr Oluremi Olaleye, formerly Rector, Lagos State Polytechnic; Guardian newspaper Editor, Dr Kabir Garba; Executive Secretary of foremost generalist non-governmental organization, Sulaiman Arigbabu a.k.a. Bruno, as well as Mr. Kayode Ogunbunmi who crowned the day with the lovely tribute on me published by The Guardian of Sunday April 20, 2025.

*Akanni is a Professor of Journalism and Development Communications at the Lagos State University. Follow him on X: @AkintundeAkanni  

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Until his elevation, he was an Associate Professor of Journalism at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at LASU where he also serves as the pioneer Director of the Digital Media Research Centre, DMRC.

Tunde Akanni is a Nigerian journalist, media scholar, and development expert.

With a robust academic background, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Ibadan and has studied at prestigious institutions such as Columbia University, USA, the University of Leicester, UK, and the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (Netherlands).

His educational journey began with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in English from the University of Ilorin in 1986.

Professionally, Akanni has extensive experience in journalism and development work. He worked with leading Nigerian print media outlets like The Punch and National Concord during the 1980s and 1990s, rising to the position of Acting Features Editor at the latter.

READ ALSO: Tunde Akanni: Our very own deservedly becomes a professor

Following the military government’s proscription of Concord titles in 1994, he transitioned into activism, serving as the Head of Campaigns for the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, where he advocated against military dictatorship in Nigeria. His career has since spanned both governmental and non-governmental sectors, including international consultancy roles with organizations like UNDP, DFID, Internews, and Friends of the Earth.

Akanni is widely recognized for his contributions to media scholarship and practice. He is a prolific writer, published both locally and internationally, and serves as a public affairs commentator. His accolades include being a distinguished British Chevening Scholar and a recipient of the Netherlands NUFFIC Fellowship.

He holds significant roles such as a director at the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) and an International Advisory Board member of Dubawa, Nigeria’s first indigenous fact-checking organisation.

Akanni remains active in the media and academic spheres, often engaging with contemporary issues through his work and commentary.

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I am excited and exceedingly grateful to God, The Almighty, that the authorities of Lagos State University, where for decades, Dr. Musbau Tunde Akanni has taught a range of communication courses at the School of Communication, have confirmed his academic status as professor.

Besides the grace of waking hale and hearty, this is my best news today and a particularly awesome news in a long time. Indeed, I have been waiting patiently for this news and I am gratified it has come well.

Prof. Akanni, a Chevening scholar, has been a friend, brother and mentor for decades. I must have met him first at the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Surulere, Lagos in the 1990s when I was expelled from the university for activism. We would reconnect later at Freedom House Nigeria Project through our mutual mentor, Dapo Olorunyomi. I have followed his trail conscientiously as an activist, journalist, writer, media scholar and development expert with special interest in journalism and development communication. He has consistently raised the banner of exemplary humanity, in truth and indeed.

A relentless communication specialist and researcher under whose tutelage I have learnt sufficiently, Prof. Akanni has reached a new goal that gives me and those who have met him an assurance that with faith, dedication, sincerity and focus, nothing is impossible.

READ ALSO: LASU elevates Tunde Akanni to full professorship

When I came under tremendous pressure to go and enrol for a PhD programme, it was professor Akanni I turned to for more concrete reflections. Aside being one of those who put me under pressure to run the doctorate quickly, it was he who insisted I must undertake an academic doctorate.

A relentless communication specialist and researcher under whose tutelage I have learnt sufficiently, Prof. Akanni has reached a new goal that gives me and those who have met him an assurance that with faith, dedication, sincerity and focus, nothing is impossible.

I certainly lost count of times he would call me to remind me not to forget to start the programme ASAP. He would hound me in his usual words, “Baba, kini yi tin pe ooo”, meaning, in my poor translation, “it is taking too long for you to start this programme”. When eventually I pieced fragments of my thoughts together as a draft proposal, I sent it to him to review and he encouraged me to proceed immediately to apply to any good school.

An uncommon enabler, Prof. Akanni has served as a good counsellor both in didactic sphere and in career pathways. His PhD research at the University of Ibadan was on media and conflict resolution. Evidently a multidisciplinary scholar, he has published so many articles in reputable academic journals (including Researchgate and Google Scholar).

He has equally intervened in our social and political processes through quality intellection expressed in numerous print publications and other specialised media as well as serving as resource person in development programmes organised by NGOs, CBOs and multilateral organisations. He was Special Assistant to Dr. Abba Ruma when the latter was Minister of State for Education. Prof. Akanni is also a member of the editorial board of Premium Times.

Dear friends, I invite you to join me to celebrate an uncommon teacher, scholar-activist, educator, and a decidedly dedicated Nigerian patriot.

*Dr. Ibietan is Secretary General of the African Public Relations Association. He lives in Abuja

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My favourite teacher of all time at the University of Ilorin, Olu Obafemi, in the course of cultivating me and my classmates in the relentlessness of seminality of ideas, had introduced literary works like Trial of Dedan Kimathi by Ngugi Wa Th’iongo to us. Little did I know, courtesy of the efforts of someone like Olisa, I was going to be demonstrative of Obafemi’s many submissions on the great play in not too distant a future. Kimathi, seemingly replicated in Olisa Agabakoba, is the indomitable anti-oppression champion in Kenya who remains undaunted in the face of all intimidation and torture and yet defies all officialdom and even goes ahead to talk wisdom into the heads of those being used to perpetrate injustice.

Olisa had founded CLO at 34 in 1987 and left no one in doubt that he was genuinely committed to replicating his leadership acumen in as many a Nigerian as possible. His fountain of knowledge and demonstrations keep drizzling till date.

Way back in 1998, taking advantage of my exposure to human rights work to which I got exposed at the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, I was a Visiting Scholar to Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, SIPA.  One afternoon in the month of February that year, the lot fell on me to speak out to the world on my major concern with the Nigerian situation under the military siege then. While I was shouting myself hoarse at Columbia University on the downward slide of press and in fact all other genres of freedom, the military government of Coupist Sani Abacha was pounding OA at Yaba, Lagos Nigeria.

OA as we hailed the CLO President then, had staked his life to lead a 5 million man march beginning from Yaba against the fascist regime. It was a counterforce against Abacha’s grand falsehood in Abuja in form of one million march he had funded to advertise an unfounded support for his dictatorship. My audience at Columbia University felt a palpable pity for me. To most of them, it was unimaginable that Abacha could still feign support for himself in spite of the visible signs of resentment for his government nationally and internationally. OA left the grand march ground with swollen, bloodshot eyes.

READ ALSO: Dividends of friendship for Jide Jimoh at 60, By Tunde Akanni

Olisa Agbakoba happens to be the pioneer president of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, and remained in office until I joined the organization in 1994 as Head of Campaigns.  Olisa had founded CLO at 34 in 1987 and left no one in doubt that he was genuinely committed to replicating his leadership acumen in as many a Nigerian as possible. His fountain of knowledge and demonstrations keep drizzling till date.  I didn’t have to know Olisa or the executive director, Abdul Oroh, to join the team.  It was a question of the skills and knowledge you had. Indeed, ‘surviving’ as a staff, especially as a project officer, was also based on your viability. You must be up and doing especially with raising fund for your project. And the rewards were reasonably massive too as no project officer hardly wanted to go on leave. There were always international engagements from January to December where CLO had to be represented, in addition to international career enhancing opportunities for which the CLO brand already provided the needed launch pad. Where, on earth, did we not travel to, yet tapping into more and more opportunities?

Even as we couldn’t travel out of Nigeria through the airport with our names blacklisted by the various security agencies, travels for us and our journalist friends in the progressive media for who we managed to raise travel funding too, were fun, availing us the opportunities to further Nigeria’s human rights campaign needs. But we kept returning to our dear Nigeria each time we travelled out defying threats of arrest and detention. And there was hardly any of the project officer who didn’t take a bite of this. My very meek Ismail Ibraheem, now a professor at the University of Lagos, for instance, had advised me to be cautious in planning my return from Columbia University as the programme was running out. Ironically however, same day I returned was the day my brother was taken away to the notorious Awolowo Road detention facility of DSS for some days. He survived it and in no time had to join me in the newly launched CLO campaign I had just commenced for journalists in all the regions of the country. Everywhere in Nigeria today is our home!

Perhaps much more for OA. There’s hardly any thriving civil rights organization in the country today without the midas touch of the the boss. Especially, the towering ones.  Stakeholders, particularly the leaders must have either been CLO staff or board member. OA is ubiquitous!

We have had to do national ‘criss-crossing’ repeatedly engaging with civil society activists and journalists in the course of our official engagements as CLO programme officers. The big boss, Olisa, never relented either. His was to do high level networking with ambassadors and high commissioners leaving us to run consultations with other diplomatic cadres when and where necessary. OA (Zero to Ability, in my appropriation) cultivated us all for what Dapo Olorunyomi and Gbile Oshadipe would later label as high shoulder indulgence characteristic of folks in diplomatic arena.

My enlistment as a staff of CLO was at the instance of my brother and lifelong school mate and career twin, Professor Ismail Ibraheem, now Director of International Liaison, University of Lagos. Ismail was editor of Liberty Magazine published by CLO but extended his interest in serving CLO to media relations. Thus, each time he had to come drop CLO’s press statement at Concord Press where I was a feature writer, we usually had good time to undertake regular review of our lives and even project into the future as young, ambitious folks.  Thus began Ismail’s overture to me to join CLO.  He wanted my company at CLO and the vacuum I should fill was gaping, really.

Timeously in the face of the riotous, post-June 12 election annulment period in 1993, an opportunity that presented itself as some kind of human rights work orientation ritual came my way. Human rights abridgement by law enforcers and other state functionaries kept mounting following the criminal annulment of the June 12 election by the military government of Ibrahim Babangida. CLO suitably mounted a conference on law enforcement and human rights for police officers. It held at the Administrative Staff College, Topo- Badagry beach and I happened to be there as a reporter. It was a good opportunity to further appreciate what citizens should or should not do when interfacing with policemen and officers especially during arrest. The summary of it all: don’t despair before law enforcers as you’re still entitled to your rights. Dare to demand for your right always.

Never short of sartorial elegance including his taste for sleek automobiles, OA had, since our days in 1990s, been impressively self-respecting even as he purposively sought and appreciated expressive press photo shoots that often readily registered with production editors and general public alike.

Olisa upheld rule of law most consistently within the CLO system always abiding by Financial Regulations, especially. He also encouraged everyone to be independent minded. His constant refrain: “be focused”. For as long as you are and you can justify it, you are OA’s guy, forget your official rating. Sampler:  Our restless chain-chain smoker executive director then, Abdul Oroh, who later became a House of Reps member and Commissioner in the government of Oshiomole in Edo State, felt the need to up CLO campaigns and wanted OA to upbraid Ismail and me being the chief campaigners for CLO. Shortly after he reported us, OA requested we should see him at his law firm in Apapa. “So what’s the problem, Tunde, Ismaila (as they preferred to call Ismail)? We promptly told OA that we had always made a case for the campaigns desk to run dynamically given that the allotted office space wasn’t conducive enough. Parrotting OA, we submitted that “we couldn’t focus”. Abdul suddenly joined the discussion and argued that newsroom everywhere was a mad house and that Tunde and Ismaila being journos should be able to cope. OA snapped back saying not everyone could function in your mad house emphasizing “even me, I can’t focus in that space. You must do something, Abdul, and immediately too. I will approve.”

Never short of sartorial elegance including his taste for sleek automobiles, OA had, since our days in 1990s, been impressively self-respecting even as he purposively sought and appreciated expressive press photo shoots that often readily registered with production editors and general public alike. With no less pride, one can recall the rising profiles of my CLO colleagues and others who are accomplished in their respective quarters.

Here’s hailing the real big brother in organized human rights campaign in Nigeria. From me to you sir, 70 gbosas!

*Akanni, PhD,  associate professor and acting head of Journalism Department at LASU, is a multi-sectoral development consultant. Follow him on Twitter via @AkintundeAkanni.

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Not the Lagos politician that you probably know, but a scholar who has had to work his way up to professorship. He clocked 60 Monday May 15, 2023. And the world literally stood still for him. In the course of his appreciation for the honour accorded him on the occasion of his 60th birthday, Professor Jide Jimoh who is my friend of some 19 years or thereabout almost melted down in tears. As he found his fervour for speech again, he began to recount some of the special favours friends and relations had dispensed to him. In particular, he picked on Mrs. Aluko who, for no reason, had chosen to be in the front row at the special reception. It was therefore easy for him to point at him for special recognition. If you were at my convocation ceremony at the University of Ibadan and you ate pounded yam, this is the woman who gave us the special treat. In fact she started serving pounded yam to friends and well wishers before the foregrounding official ceremony ended.  Everyone clapped thunderously for Mrs. Aluko.

JJs 60th birthday celebration at the faculty could not have been better themed focusing on our shared scholarly path of conflict sensitive reporting.

Like Mrs. Aluko, like the three other Professors in the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Lai Oso, Rotimi Olatunji and Sunday Alawode, the current Dean of the Faculty. Barely a week to go, they conceptualized the reception and enlisted the support of colleagues to organize the reception for their jolly good fellow. Almost everyone in the Faculty gave the varying  support they could muster. They specifically sought to set up a session that would help to commemorate the path of scholarship Prof Jimoh has emphasized in his career as a matured scholar. That realm is called Conflict-Sensitive Journalism.

Serendipity! The intimacy between Prof Jimoh and me had been unmistakable and even peaked in scholarship and reasonably in practice. No other scholar has had to co-author any work on conflict-sensitive journalism related project with him than me.  We had our convocation at the University of Ibadan same day in 2015 following the successful completion of our doctoral programmes at the same Institute of African Studies where, from different perspectives, we have had to focus on Nigerian newspapers reportage of conflicts.  Till tomorrow, we both remain the darling trainers of the staff of Voice of Nigeria, VON, having been commissioned to run a training session in Lagos and being found duly dutiful and competent with substantial generational advantage, we were quickly signed up further to move on to Abuja for another  session. Feeling fulfilled with the adventure, we both resorted to a weekend of what we considered a deserved rest in Kabba, JJs hometown.  I got the good guest treat that will endure for long especially with the additional flavour and enhancement of warmth flowing freely from an array of our common friends though of Okun stock who had been our professional colleagues and school mates. Over the years, I have had this advantage of extensive relationship with folks from Okun land having done my first degree programme at the University of Ilorin, which is another favourite for Okun youngsters, after the older Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, in Zaria.  So the weekend, from Abuja to Kabba, availed me some reunion for instance with the duo of  Zak Ejibunnu and Hon. Duro Meseko. Zak was my classmate as an undergraduate at the University of Ilorin while Duro was my contemporary in journalism practice though he worked for Tell Magazine while I was in the employ of National Concord.  The professional adventure also availed me the opportunity of meeting for the first time, the chief publicist of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kola Olgbondiyan, and of course our lil brother and friend whos now a top Customs officer, Comptroller Kehinde Ejibunnu.  Comptroller Ejibunnu happened to be the third Ejibunnu brother I was meeting having met Kayode Ejibunnu, also at Unilorin, as a fellow Student Union activist.

READ ALSO: Arogundade, the King of Boys, @ 60, By Tunde Akanni

JJs 60th birthday celebration at the faculty could not have been better themed focusing on our shared scholarly path of conflict sensitive reporting. No less invitingly enhancing was the composition of the team assembled for the panel session. It was reasonably reflective of the versatility and wide striving of the celebrant. On hand to deliver were the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of of the The Guardian, Martin Onoja; Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Bishop Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo Professor Muyiwa Popoola; former Head of Political Science Department at LASU and member of the editorial board of The Guardian, Professor Sylvester Odion-Akhaine and yours sincerely. The session was chaired by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Sunday Alawode while it was moderated by Professor Rotimi Olatunji, former Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies when it was still known as the School of Communication. It should interest us all that Prof Jimoh, like Odion-Akahaine, is a member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian. Prof Jimoh is also currently away from LASU on sabbatical leave to Ajayi Crowther University. Though not on the panel, Mr. Francis Onaiyekan, another member of The Guardians editorial board was in attendance all through the session.

He clocked 60 Monday May 15, 2023. And the world literally stood still for him.

Though the chief host of the day as the  dean, Alawode still took up the gauntlet to  offer didactic opening remarks on conflict sensitive journalism helping the entire audience with substantial examples of how some Nigerians conducted themselves during the just concluded 2023 General Elections in Nigeria. Over with the deans invaluable remarks, Professor Olatunji took charge as the moderator and got Professor Odion-Akahaine to speak on the essence of conflict. Pointedly he asserted that conflict may not always be bad as they may yield some good dividends too especially where and when debates and disagreement are healthy. Professor Popoola went on to note how the factor of political-economy may affect the conduct or interface of the media with conflicts.  He made rigorous effort to exemplify how conflicts manifest dangerously in the media and offered possible alternatives. From Martin Onoja who has seen it all as a reporter, editor and now managing director, came the practical experience of the inseparability of ownership of media and their conduct especially in relation to conflicts to which their owners are party. He lamented how it has become increasingly difficult over the years to remain in the business of newspaper publishing with incessant hiking, of the price of newsprint resultant from the sliding Naira-Dollar exchange rate. The intervention from yours sincerely was from the angle of solution invoking the principle of solution journalism which is a component of conflict sensitive journalism. I offered that remaining in business was fundamental but that the difficult times such as we are enduring called for creativity which may inevitably imply a combination of business and social campaign approaches. I added that  media organizations may also consider reactivating the age-old wisdom of Bashorun Abiola (may Allah be pleased with him) of pooling resources together to run training programmes as well to do deliveries and maybe printing with satellite printing facilities now made possible by technology. The celebrant was all ears all through the session and commended the panelists for doing him a great honour.

As the current Head of Journalism Department to which  Prof Jimoh belongs, I later had the honour of appreciating all panelists with a pack of gift for each member of the panel and of course the  good woman that offered us all pounded yam, on our joint convocation day at Ibadan.

*Akanni, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Acting Head of Journalism Department at LASU.

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For the first time in the history of the country, and also acutely contrasting with simple logic and commonsense, a second runner up in the presidential election February 25, 2023, is making a most laughable claim of having won the election. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of All Peoples Congress, APC, had won the election with no fewer than two million votes ahead of the Labour Party’s Peter Obi who came third with Abubakar Atiku of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, coming second.

In a most convincing reconfirmation of the previous rating of the three during the presidential election, Peter Obi’s Labour Party, LP, won the governorship seat in only one state out of the 33 available for bid. But neither  Obi, the presidential candidate of LP nor his VP candidate has demonstrated the universally known genuine spirit of sportsmanship. In spite of the unmistakable statistical data, they have been insistent that they won, as against the official declaration of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. It’s been messy to the extent that the narrative, especially online, of the opposition in the camp of the second runner in the presidential election, is extremely befuddling, having thrown all caution to the wind.  If this was never sufficiently envisaged, one organization did, apparently projecting scientifically and taking advantage of intellectual efforts well cultivated and nurtured on elections.

The centrality of the media to Multi-Track Diplomacy is such that cannot be over-emphasised with the other tracks feeding it and even feeding on it to enable proper functioning in mitigation of conflicts.

Dr Babatunde Afolabi, Africa Regional Director of the Geneva headquartered Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, HD, oozed so much excitement in 2019 over a book project he had superintended as the Nigeria Director of his organization. The book is titled “Post-Election Assessment of Conflict Management Mechanisms in Nigeria, 2019 and Beyond”. Such was the excitement that even before the production was concluded he had programmed the public launch session that was to feature two reviewers namely, Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, renowned fellow of Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, and yours sincerely. Incidentally, COVID-19 happened and ensure global shutdown for the better part of 2020. Though painful, the book launch from which so much was expected had to be postponed indefinitely.  But HD kept having the feeling that the launch still had to happen and so it finally did on December 1, 2022.

The launch attracted the best of the sober stakeholders in the moulds of high ranking and veteran diplomats, high profile civil society players and academics featured, among others, His Excellency Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General/Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel;  the immediate past INEC Chair, Prof Attahiru Jega;former Special Representative of the ECOWAS in Liberia, Ambassador Tunde Ajisomo; former Nigerian Ambassador to France and former AU Special Rep in Liberia, Ambassador Akin Fayomi; Dr Hussein Abdul, one of the two non-media professionals recently appointed to serve on the National Media Commission.

Beyond the impactful speeches at the launch are the more enduring recommendations of the publication played up by your’s sincerely as the reviewer. What are these?  They include:

• Formal and informal conflict management structures and initiatives should work more closely in preparation for election processes.
• Traditional and religious leaders should be mindful of the implications of publicly showing sympathy or support for any political party or candidate.
• Development partners, donor organizations and other stakeholders should support the sustained training of journalists and social media influencers on conflict-sensitive reporting.
• The signing of Peace Accords should be promoted at all tiers of government, including the federal level with enough resources and incentives to ensure that all stakeholders comply with their provisions.

The inadequacy of attention and resources allocated to the last two suggestions listed above have since been haunting Nigeria since February 25. The conduct of the media, especially the so-called Fifth Estate, has been unimaginably irritating. Outright misinformation and disinformation competing incessantly and compelling the concerned to do rebuttals to the discomfort of the world. Incidentally, unmistakable as the manifestations are, even core stakeholders appear dismissive. Otherwise, how do we explain the insensitivity to diversity manifest in the composition of the recently inaugurated National Media Commission with the inclusion of the spokesperson of only one of the presidential candidates, Prof Stella Okunna?  How can the promoters of the commission convince the world against bias with the religious insensitivity burden with the only two muslims included in the 10-member body, being neither media scholars nor media professionals? The commission has since been inaugurated and expected to command our respect. How?

READ ALSO: ‘Little Englanders’ and the rest of us, By Tunde Akanni

The centrality of the media to Multi-Track Diplomacy is such that cannot be over-emphasised with the other tracks feeding it and even feeding on it to enable proper functioning in mitigation of conflicts.  The media connect with the people as collectives and individuals and therefore bear a lot of responsibility helping to stabilize social imbalance.  This is the very basis of  the rigorous transformation effected by media and conflict resolution experts and scholars as manifest in the trajectory of, at first, Peace Journalism and much later till date, Conflict-sensitive Journalism.

Such is the reckoning that conflict-sensitive reporting enjoys that UNESCO has had to invest heavily on it with trainers and researchers  being relentless globally to entrench the principles. But what has our own newly inaugurated commission to do with all the global efforts?  The world waits!

Compounding the situation further is the disregard for HD’s submission on Peace Accord. Since its inception, it has always been a one-off, pre-election routine.  But post-election engagement as scientifically foreseen by HD has turned out to be hugely important.  This is to the extent that if care is not taken, whatever is envisaged to be dividends of democracy may get  recklessly frittered away.

The media connect with the people as collectives and individuals and therefore bear a lot of responsibility helping to stabilize social imbalance.

The Peace Accord, as envisioned by HD with the wish for robust funding should be all-encompassing to accommodate the rest seven tracks of diplomacy as conceptualized in 1991.  And Nigeria is well endowed enough to drive the integration of the rest seven tracks to work for the desired peace for our dear country.  For instance, not a few Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies programme in different universities in Africa and even beyond have had to rely on the University of Ibadan professors for take-off and sustenance.  Such also is the respect that the world  has for the relevant experts from Nigeria that there is hardly any of the global associations that does not have a Nigerian on its leadership team. Interestingly, Dr Afolabi who conceptualized the book mentioned in this article is the current Africa Director of HD whereas he was Nigeria Director of HD when the idea of the book took root.  Perhaps more important are the renowned efforts of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in the recent time in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa.

It is absolutely indispensable to ensure adequate sensitivity to diversity in the workings of democratic processes, say at the level of political parties as well as at the level of formulating solutionist agendas such as may involve constituting membership for an all-important organ like the National Media Commission whose relevance transcends election and related complications. Most concerning perhaps is the sky high intolerance of the so-called Obidients one of who is Prof Okunna, who, self-respecting, should have honourably declined the membership of the commission, on the ground of equity, even if she was erroneously offered. Wouldn’t his fellow Obidients not have pulled down the sky on and offline? Is the Nigerian media sector so Obidient- biased to ignore this to the detriment of other political parties and indeed the nation’s peace?

*Akanni, PhD, a media and conflict expert is  an associate professor of journalism at the Lagos State University, Nigeria.

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Treasured by both institutions obviously on account of the strength of his literary productivity, Nwelue had been a visiting scholar to both Oxford and Cambridge. Suddenly, some bubble exploded. Nnwelue wasn’t a professor afterall. So he had to be pressured to disengage from being an Academic Visitor to the two universities. The excuse: Onwelue wasn’t a professor, and so a ‘big lie’ had been uncovered. But the guy never claimed to be a regular professor, other than being so hailed. How simplistic can any institution choose to be in relating with stakeholders? How can substituting casual street banters for official information stand?  But the romance with both British institutions had been cut short on account of little talks.

Amadi has not disclosed his intention of doing it but it turned out to be a most embarrassing intervention from someone deemed to be knowledgeable enough to know the enormity of his misdeed.

Given the propensity of the internet for speedy and global spread of information, only God knows how much humiliation Onwelue would have had to endure but for Soyinka’s intervention. Shortly after the two universities severed their relationship with Nwelue, Kongi had to authoritatively assert that Nwelue wasn’t alone in the craze for some persons to arbitrarily lavish titles on others, especially online.  He recalls, in his intervention, how he had to alert somebody who was being so similarly titled, to be wary.

But not yet Uhuru from UK still. In matters they hardly understand or choose to deliberately misunderstand, they still hasten to intervene and flaunt what you may rate as an angelic posturing.  It was like the Nigeria Office of the Corporate Accountability and Public Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, had them in mind in formulating the curriculum for the training of Nigerian journalists prior to the 2023 General Elections for which they were supported by the European Union, EU.

Yours sincerely had been contracted for presentations in Ibadan and Port Harcourt on the subject of Understanding Conflicts and Drivers of Conflicts in Elections.  Being so familiar with the tendencies of some little folks manning international affairs around the world in this age,  and guided by my sense of patriotism, I pointedly alerted my audiences to the factor of international community as an unmistakable variable.  Often, they observed elections in the past and stamped judgments on the fairness or otherwise of elections without sufficient data. That has changed.  They now observe and remark on the general atmosphere of peacefulness or otherwise.  However, some far less populated countries with unfounded colonial pride like the UK have failed to recognise the beauty of modesty and the need to steer clear of avoidable deadly and reckless interventions far from smacking balance.

And so UK felt it could afford to be discriminatory in its reckoning with strands of political developments in Nigeria, deliberately dismissive of what the consequences may turn out to be for innocent souls that may ultimately fall victim of violence, with regards to the nation’s most competitive presidential election held February 25, 2023.  A winner, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has since emerged and duly congratulated by leaders of governments around the world including those of the United Stated States, Saudi Arabia and even UK.

Incidentally, the opposition in this contest turned out to be extremely bad losers hardly bothered by whatever could befall the nation they’re seeking to rule having lost to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The two leading contenders after Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, promptly constituted legal teams and have since been in court. Notwithstanding this, they have been relentlessly loquacious on their presumed stronger popularity, implying as much as they could that the president-elect never deserved the victory.

READ ALSO: Sweet memories of Zanzibar, By Tunde Akanni

Their supporters, irrespective of whatever accomplishments, have been wrongly inspired and become far worse, throwing caution to the wind completely.  Sam Amadi, holder of a PhD from Harvard, heightened the tension to a most dangerous peak, surprisingly. Shortly after the president-elect announced that he was travelling to France and Saudi Arabia for Umrah, a few days back, rumour began to circulate that the CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, was spotted at the airport trying to sneak out of the country allegedly to go and hold secret meetings with the president elect. In the middle of the confusion, Amadi, who was also a former law professor at Baze University owned by Obi’s deputy in the 2023 presidential election, published a photograph online perceived to be complementing the rumour.  Amadi’s falsehood was soon betrayed and he owned up with regret that he did it in error. But the CJN, his family and other Nigerians had been severely embarrassed especially as Amadi’s fellow Obi followers had feasted on it on the social media and similar terrains.  Amadi has not disclosed his intention of doing it but it turned out to be a most embarrassing intervention from someone deemed to be knowledgeable enough to know the enormity of his misdeed.

Apparently sensing the opposition was up to fighting dirty, former Minister and one of the campaign directors of Asiwaju Tinubu, Femi Fani-Kayode, FFK, shot back at the opposition relentlessly and seemingly in a stronger way but devoid of falsehood. The UK authorities however chose to ignore Amadi, who had even volunteered public regret.  Instead, they launched against Femi Fani-Kayode threatening visa denial and all. So mean, many Nigerians noted and particularly, FFK himself. He reckoned that the concerned UK diplomat was one little Englander who should seek a lot to learn from fellow diplomats. But this writer was not surprised by the conduct of the little Englander given UK and some of its establishments’ trajectory of irrational partiality and wrong profiling of persons such as had been encountered and condemned by many Nigerians.

Rather than being supportive of developmental strides of Nigerian citizens and the country as a whole, especially during uncertain times, often you find UK’s policies being either indifferent or antithetical. Otherwise, why heat up the polity with a hardly justifiable position on the side of Dr Amadi and the rest opposition against Nigeria’s president-elect?  The degeneracy of UK’s diplomatic disposition to Nigeria has been relentless, unsurprisingly.  What, with the rather strange stance that Nigerian students who plan to enter UK with their families may no longer have that opportunity? No be today nah!

It is gratifying enough for now that FFK has little or no need for any advocate being more than up to the messy situation cooked by the British Diplomat.

As the spokesperson for Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO in 1995, a visa officer at the British High Commission had rudely told me he was going to deny me visa because I was young and unmarried. I scanned the ‘quantity’ told him I was even older and had a first degree which he probably didn’t have. He thought he could threaten me by saying he would write down my comments and I told him he should do but should make a copy for me.  Shortly afterwards, I was in New York and graced the  renaming of the Nigeria Corner after Kudirat Abiola together with several colleagues and dignitaries including Asiwaju Tinubu as a NADECO chieftain then as well as our Kayode Fayemi who later became Ekiti State Governor . The renaming over, Dr Fayemi insisted I must detour to UK while returning to Nigeria. As the executive director of CDD then, KF, as we fondly hailed him, did me an invite while I was still in the US and I got the UK visa in New York within three hours! Much more courteously, I did not even have to appear for visa interview the following year when I clinched the all-time prestigious British Chevening Scholarship to do a postgraduate programme in the UK.

It is gratifying enough for now that FFK has little or no need for any advocate being more than up to the messy situation cooked by the British Diplomat.  He gave it all to him so he can learn to deepen his diplomatic orientation before the next challenge.

*Akanni, a distinguished British Chevening Scholarship alumnus is an associate professor of Journalism at the Lagos State University. Follow him on Twitter:@AkintundeAkanni

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But candidly, Lanruze, the one who shares same birthday anniversary with Wole ‘Kongi’ Soyinka, is masculine in every sense, reiterating the strength of the spirit of the day he shares with the Nobel laureate. Thrice, yes, three distinct times, Lanre led me through perilous but fulfilling paths. What do boys do, other than court challenges?  Blanket greetings of gentlemen of the press for the males and females in journalism seemed to have foreseen the entry of the likes of Lanre. Lanre not only courted, but dragged us, friends and colleagues, into what has turned to be an endless struggle. Since 1984, Buhari, then head of a military government, had stoked some fiery instinct in us… Today Lanre and several friends remain eternally charged with much of the sustenance and support from the likes of my darling King of Boys.

But candidly, Lanruze, the one who shares same birthday anniversary with Wole ‘Kongi’ Soyinka, is masculine in every sense, reiterating the strength of the spirit of the day he shares with the Nobel laureate.

In 1984, the brutal and parochial military government of Buhari/Idiagbon could not think out of the box but fell for a policy that would victimize perhaps the most helpless among the weaklings in the society, the students.  That government, at the end of the nationally fairly stable academic year, ordered the very final stoppage of subsidy to the cafeterias of the universities in Nigeria. It ushered in a most challenging era for students who, until that time, had only insufficient on-campus accommodation to battle with. NANS leadership, therefore, had to activate its consultation machinery afterwards before arriving at what action could be taken to liberate the sinking ship of the students. The authorities of my University of Ilorin would have none of it. Sola (Mike) Olorunyomi, now a professor, held sway as the president of the union was all for the NANS big meeting. Newspapers and other media kept on running NANS insistence on fight-back as being advocated by the Lanre Arogundade leadership. The intolerant government soon got Lanre arrested and detained for months. Sola Mike, for defying the authorities to host NANS meeting, got expelled. Other Unilorin students’ leaders handed suspension in various measures were Sec Gen Mathew Keyi, ASG Femi ‘Straightaway’ Ibrahim and PRO Joseph Abereoran. All universities were shut down indefinitely leaving the country somewhat hopeless. No be today dem start o!  The universities were later reopened without recalling the union leaders and even with very strict conditions for the rest of us.

But the obstinate Ijesha-Ekiti boy with the unmistakably suggestive surname name for addiction to struggle, could not be stopped.  He had become what, in his Yoruba culture, could be labelled ageku ejo with its own extreme venom. The struggle had become his life, as was and still is, for most of us.  We had been toughened to, not only be impatient for injustice, but to also have zero tolerance for it.

Lanre eventually sought his way into mainstream journalism and became an editor at the defunct The Republic newspaper. A few years afterwards, he found his way to National Concord where, again, we became collaborators in the never-ending struggle for a better Nigeria.

Lanre later became the features editor, captaining my team, a model team. The team comprised energetic and creative hands in the likes of Sam Nwanze, Jide Orintunsin, Beifoh Osewele as well as bevy of beautiful gals who came for internship turning the desk to the most frequented by Concord male staff from adjoining editorial units and other departments.

Lanre had a unique editing style: He would rather source a replacement for an unsuitable intro from the same report, thus strengthening the reporter’s self confidence and cultivating another budding editor at the same time. Lanre never hid his admiration and respect for anyone who crafted flawless, poetic prose either. He was no less strong on keen competition with features published by Concord’s only rival then, The Guardian. Akin Adesokan of the Guardian’s feature desk then, now a professor in the US had done a feature on the political crisis in Osun State when Governor Adetunji Adeleke was the governor in 1991. Commissioned by Lanre, yours sincerely, did another, published the same week. While The Guardian’s was titled “Osun State: Handshake Beyond the Elbow”, Concord’s was headlined “Osun State: Whither Runs the Living Spring?” Osun state is otherwise referred to as the State of the living spring. Our review meeting for the week openly acknowledged that we were surely not in want of wits under Editor Lanre.

READ ALSO: Arogundade at 60: He is promoter of press freedom -Buhari

Never an armchair editor, Lanre led me and a few others including the inimitable poet, Sam Omatseye, to conduct what turned out to be the last major interview for the winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election, Basorun MKO Abiola at the height of the debacle. Abiola openly hailed my boss, Activi-st! MKO later led only Lanre into a private room for an intimate discussion as a show of love and proper acknowledgement. Beyond being sheer reporters, our activism also attracted heavy patronage to Concord newspaper too. The very day soldiers came to seal up the premises following the proscription order by the military government of the tyrannical Abacha, late Didi Adodo and Olaitan Oyerinde, both of them Sec Gen and ASG of the Iron and Steel Assocaition of Nigeria respectively then, passed on to us a full page advert from their union. Following the forced closure same day, not only did it become impossible for us to run the ad, the cash for the advert was also trapped in there for several months.

Beyond the confines of his employers, Lanre was most sought after and subsequently emerged as the Chair of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, NUJ. Obviously still as strong spirited as he was for NANS leadership, Lanre’s tenure as NUJ leader in Lagos State has incontrovertibly remained the most politically accomplished and in particular, indomitably intellectually refreshing. Journalism in Nigeria: Issues and Perspectives edited by Olatunji Dare and Adidi Uyo, conceptualized and published by the Lanre administration has turned out to be globally well received. I got this confirmed in far away Harlem New York, specifically at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. While on a fellowship at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, SIPA, in 1998, I needed to do a presentation for which that book seemed indispensable. A librarian at Columbia University thus suggested the center for me. It was the most authoritative book there at that time on any aspect of Nigerian media history.  Though due for a revised edition, that publication remains an outstanding veritable Nigerian media history resource.

Relentless Lanre has soared even beyond the local level.  He has since cultivated and keeps nurturing and leading about the most good corporate governance compliant  media development organization in Nigeria today, the International Press Centre, IPC.

Coming next to Ladi Lawal’s regime bedeviled by the challenges of proscription of newspapers, Lanre not only braced up but rolled out a reassuring programme for colleagues who were faced with threat of uncertainty following the proscription of all titles on the stables of  Concord, Guardian and the Punch. In spite of the rancour unleashed by some timid and envious rivals, long time after leaving office, Lanre remains the central issue in NUJ politics in Lagos State till date.

Relentless Lanre has soared even beyond the local level.  He has since cultivated and keeps nurturing and leading about the most good corporate governance compliant  media development organization in Nigeria today, the International Press Centre, IPC. His invaluable presence in the media community now cannot be over-emphasised at a time digitech induced distruption’s effect on the finances of the media industry and professionals is most stifling. IPC provides assorted refuge for many in the media across the industry and the academia. Lanre is indeed only a little short of the last man standing in the sector, really. Sixty hearty cheers to the uncommon leader.

*Akanni, PhD, associate professor of journalism, doubles as the pioneer director of the Digital Media Research Centre, DMRC, of the Lagos State University. Follow him via:tundeakanni.com and @AkintundeAkanni(Twitter)

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Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello chose to boldly shock his adversaries shortly after her appointment as the VC of the nation’s best state university, LASU, was announced in 2021. She decided to assume her position on a date least expected.  It was earlier than expected by some persons for reasons best known to them. For her however, she simply kept faith with the date she was mandated to assume office. Interestingly, the new VC had a most rousing welcome with chants of victory and praise.

Work began immediately. The matriarch recognized the power of the tongue and launched a customized slogan  to turn on her fresh era: “We are LASU We are Great.”  Even as the change campaign has been rather devoid of what could be described as great speed in playing out, it has been impactful, betraying the consistent character of the new Sheriff of LASU.  Follow her trend:

It was the turn of another set of our HND-Conversion students to produce a fresh edition of the training newspaper of LASUSOC, LASUGONG in August 2022.  As they reeled out story ideas to work on, one female member of the class belched out with anger: “Ah, we must do a report on LASU’s indifference to the plight of female students and the urgent need for toilets.” As the course adviser, I retorted that that was her lot. “Editor Sunny Ade, (as I fondly call Sunday Oguntola, the team’s editor,) get her to do that story and it must be well written, possibly with convincing photographs.”

While appreciating the LASU Martriach’s good intention in re-invigorating research for instance by motivating academics with some support, the system needs to deepen the tradition of committee system on certain vitals so obvious to further reassure stakeholders.

Weeks later when I called for the list of all the stories submitted, the editor signaled to update me. “There is this rumour that many toilets have been built, Oga. But I’ve not seen them myself.” In my excitement, I ordered that they must work on the positive update.  The story has truly changed. Olatunji-Bello, as a good listener, had heard the yearnings of many students, teachers and poor parents on toilets.

Not only did she betray the concern, she did not waste time on rhetoric’s but reached for action immediately, mobilizing resources to correct the nagging narrative. All these done without noise. On the eve of the just concluded first anniversary commemoration, the information began making the rounds that the VC would deliver no fewer than 60 toilets! Forty toilets for the Ojo  main campus and 20 for the Epe campus.

But that is Bello’s way with life as she gets to willy-nilly change otherwise bad stories to pleasant ones.  Way back in 1991 as a feature writer for National Concord, I was working on a feature report on the then new phenomenon of female soccer.  How do you round off such a report without talking to physiologists so that the society won’t be disillusioned so much about the girls’ entry into the obviously strenuous soccer game? I decided to seek experts’ advice from LUTH’s Physiology Department. It was the only angle of the story left to be covered. At the Physiology Department on the said day, all doors were locked and I was getting agitated that my story would suffer unanticipated delay. Suddenly, an elegant young lady sauntered into the premises. I saw her open a door. One of the physiology lecturers?  It turned out to be Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello. “What can I do for you?” she queried, obviously reading my inquisitive face. “I’m a reporter from Concord newspaper and I need to speak with a physiologist ma; I guess you’re one.” Physiologist Olatunji-Bello welcomed me into her office most courteously.  Far from being expected, she handed out a bottle of Coke to me. “Concord? You’re about interviewing Tunji Bello’s wife, sure you know Tunji Bello.” It never occurred to me I could bump into Mrs Bello so fortuitously. Great interview, I eventually had, in addition to cutting short the likely long wait.  Fast forward to 2011: Prof Olatunji-bello had become Deputy VC and I needed to renew my training leave while on my doctoral programme. Such renewals, if delayed could lead to some other intractable bureaucratic complications including delay or outright loss of salaries. Mrs. Olatunji-Bello did mine under 24 hours, easily reinforcing the impression she registered with me since 1991 and also upholding the philosophy of her principal then, Prof Lateef Akanni Hussain, of the blessed memory.

READ ALSO: Community Relations agenda for the incoming LASU VC, By Tunde Akanni

But even after serving out her term as DVC, Prof didn’t abandon the ship of the progressives.  She remained constant on the genuine ASUU-LASU Whatsapp platform constantly sharing ideas and exchanging pleasantries with us all as a colleague. When the race for VCship opened therefore, her aspiration was heavily favoured by many of us in the progressive fold.

Interestingly, Mrs Bello didn’t take our support for granted. She readily betrayed her acute development background which probably peaked at the Directorship of LASU Directorate for Advancement, LASUDA.  At the height of her campaigns for VCship, she released a 24-page manifesto for the LASU community to savour, explicitly indicative of her core values and strategic Goals viz:

1. To ensure that academic and professional programmes are and remain accredited by the relevant bodies;
2. To make the University a research, innovation, and development hub for Lagos State and National development;
3. To ensure that infrastructural facilities are improved and readily available for seamless performance of administrative and academic duties;
4. To improve Internal Generation of Revenue with the aim of achieving financial sustainability of the University;
5. To promote the welfare of all staff and students in the University;
6. To promote participation in Sports and Recreational Activities.

Apparently realizing the fundamentality of money and transparency to all these, Prof Olatunji Bello most commendably innovated budget performance assessment exercise which has had a most impactful influence on the improved performance of all academic departments across all LASU campuses.

Prof Olatunji-Bello, I believe, has the capacity to raise the transparency stake significantly further having started with budget performance assessment.

While the first of the two goals listed above haven’t suffered any hitch, the third one has been conspicuously accelerated and intensified, manifesting in assorted new facilities including the celebrated “pain reliever” toilets.

But the well-loved mother and grandmother, in the words of Prof MOB Mohammed, the university’s latest inaugural lecturer, could do more to drive her self-set goals.

While appreciating the LASU Martriach’s good intention in re-invigorating research for instance by motivating academics with some support, the system needs to deepen the tradition of committee system on certain vitals so obvious to further reassure stakeholders. The all-important TETFUND, the equivalent of Ghana’s GETFund, which used to have representatives of all faculties on its committee, is indisputably one of such.   TETFUND committee is indispensable for optimal effect. But this is Mama’s first year, so I’m personally hopeful and looking forward to more goodies like the Coke offer at LUTH in 1991.  Like the current JAMB registrar and former  UNILORIN VC, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, has consistently conducted himself as a good listener to  us, even as his mentees (https://thenationonlineng.net/a-thank-you-note-to-jambs-oloyede) For the overall good of LASU for instance, Prof Olatunji-Bello, I believe, has the capacity to raise the transparency stake significantly further having started with budget performance assessment. Incidentally, this icon of integrity in Nigeria’s public service today, Oloyede, has been one of the early visitors to our VC in her first year.  Together, surely we can actualise the goal of being the foremost university in West Africa as envisioned by Madam VC.

My very best wishes now and always to the better half of my darling Oga, Tunji Bello.

*Tunde Akanni, PhD, Associate Professor and Acting Head of Journalism Dept doubles as pioneer Director of Digital Media Research Centre, DMRC, LASU.  Follow him via:@Akintunde Akanni(Twitter) and tundeakanni.com.

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