Continued from yesterday
Soon after General Gusau completed his call and came out, I took leave of my host. He asked me what I planned to do, I told him I planned to go back to Lagos. I actually went back to Lagos that same day but not the way I imagined, for after whiling away time, I forced myself to go home. But before I could open my mouth to explain why I was home so early, I was told that my office had been calling me. I was told that I was required that evening in Lagos by Dodan Barracks, but I should first see the Honourable Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh. I packed an overnight bag and with Mohammed Haruna went to Lagos. In Lagos, there was a pleasant surprise. We took the 5pm Kabo flight to Lagos. We got to Lagos after 6pm, got into Lagos traffic and got to the Minister’s home a few minutes to the NTA 9pm network news. Our appointment as Managing Director and editor respectively was the lead story and the reason we were summoned to Lagos. I was told by Mr. Yusuf Mamman, an IBB confidant and press secretary to Commodore Ukiwe, that Gusau’s phone call made General Babangida aware that his directive had not been carried out. He had long approved our appointment but unpatriotic public and civil servants wanted to subvert it. He directed that it must be announced that day. Thanks to Generals Babangida, Wushishi and Gusau, the day my name was to disappear on the imprint as Ag. Editor, was the day the qualifier was removed and I became substantive Editor. They were willing tools of God’s will and grace.
This is the first reason for thanking General Babangida.
Additionally, on at least three occasions high-level conspiracies were hatched to nail me. I was abroad in 1986 when Commodore Ukiwe was booted out of office. When I returned, I left Kaduna for Lagos to pay him a courtesy visit. There was nothing clandestine about this. I went in an official car, gave my complimentary card to the secret service personnel at the gate and also signed the visitor’s register. This was conveyed to General Babangida as proof of my loyalty to Commodore Ukiwe and by inference, disloyalty to him. He asked the then Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar, to look into the allegations. The governor dutifully invited me and after hearing me out went to Dodan Barracks to report back.
What was my defence? I owned up to visiting Ukiwe. And I asked the general what kind of friend he would consider me if as soldiers are wont to do, he is removed and out of fear for my job, I refuse to visit him to cheer him up. I am told he understood that impulse to stand by a friend or mentor in distress.
On another occasion, the Marafan Sokoto, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi accused Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, then General Secretary of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of running a one man show and issuing self-serving orders in the name of an ailing Sultan. The New Nigerian ran the story, the subject of a press conference and the editor earned the wrath of the man, who later became Sultan in controversial circumstances, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki. He asked General Babangida to remove me because I was putting a wedge among northerners. The General reportedly told him to do some soul searching because an outsider can only put a wedge, where there is a crack.
After the Kafanchan riots and the crisis it generated, when for one month I couldn’t sleep in my quarters and had to send my family down south, because the then Police Commissioner considered me an infidel who didn’t deserve police protection, General Babangida, through his press secretary, Duro Onabule, facilitated a holiday abroad. Unfortunately, it seemed I paid him back with ingratitude when the paper I edited accused the wife of going on Hajj with an entourage of 100. That was one set-up I couldn’t “cleverly side-step” to quote the publisher of a northern publication, who said that when I cleverly sidestepped all previous traps, including people offering me financial assistance with the plain clothes police ready to pounce, they hit on a plan that was foolproof.
The Hajj story was covered by our Kano editor, who always covered Hajj. So one is bound to believe the story. Two, not being a Muslim, it would not occur to me to query why the First Lady was travelling with such a large entourage and without her husband. Three, they were in luck. I was attending a book launch in Lagos. I left Kaduna with first flight meaning to return with the last. In effect, I did not edit the paper that day. I was picked up at 10.30pm at the Kaduna airport, kept overnight in Kaduna secret police office and returned to Lagos and detention under Decree 2, the next day.
When shown the offending news and denial by Dodan Barracks, I smuggled out an apology, which I signed as editor. Unfortunately, the man in charge of our Lagos office into whose hands, the apology was entrusted sat on it and instead published an annoying, “we stand by our story, editor.”
I am told that when the First Lady saw the piece, she cried out and said what did I do to this young man. That heartfelt cry still haunts me, especially as I had no opportunity to explain to her what transpired, before she transited.
Part of that conspiracy was to keep me in detention for a specific period, after which, according to the New Nigerian editorial policy, another editor will be appointed. They underrated my wife, Lady Esther Oparadike. She flew to Lagos, went to The Guardian and saw Nduka Irabor, who interviewed her for his hot-selling paper Guardian Express. “Editor Missing” was the screaming headline that got the world media, principally the BBC, to ask questions that embarrassed and woke up the Federal Government. Admiral Augustus Aikhomu denied signing the order. It seems somebody cloned his signature or used a proforma copy. From 15 Awolowo Road, I was taken to house arrest on Victoria Island to buy time. There again, my wife got the media to know that contrary to the information that I had been released, I was yet to return home.
I was finally released, went back to work, on borrowed time, offered my resignation to Admiral Aikhomu, which was turned down. A month later, I was redeployed to the Federal Ministry of Information, which had no room for me. I was then given a choice, of government parastatals. I settled for MAMSER.
Gratitude is a dish better served cold, all of 31 years. Get well, Sir. I have been dreaming of how I would storm your hilltop mansion in Minna, with dance troupes, traditional rulers from my area and friends for you frankly did something that pleasantly surprised me and amazed many. You wanted to build a bridge, by first appointing Commodore Ukiwe as your deputy and with his support, giving me one in a lifetime chance to help you unite our people.
I wish that courageous experiment had succeeded. The odds were great. Preconceptions and misconceptions were too hard to clear.
Let me now publicly say thank you Generals Babangida, Wushishi, Gusau and Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe. Thank you Prof. George Obiozor, for coming to take me out on bail on one of the occasions I was a guest of the NSO at 15 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. Posthumous thanks to Ochiagba Dikenafi, Chief Collins Obih, who alerted Prof Obiozor to my plight.
Thanks to all the beautiful souls that were my colleagues in the New Nigerian, especially my erstwhile Deputy, Mallam Adamu Adamu, Minister for Education.
And without mincing words, thank you to my amazing wife and mother of my wonderful children. Your strength and persistence made all the difference to my perceived plight.
•Concluded
• Oparadike wrote in from Lagos.