I had intended to let the world know that it was Dr. Christopher Olusola Kolade, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), who facilitated my entry into journalism in 1969, when I write about my 48 years in the profession later in the year or 49 years, if it next year I do so. But I have had to change my plan because of the need to complement the tribute paid to him in the last four weeks by Sir. Amos Ofoneme, a Knight of the Anglican Communion, not of the Catholic Church as I made it to be last week.
I am doing a follow-up to Ofoneme’s articles to highlight the attribute of Dr. Kolade as a true professional and courageous man of exceptional integrity which I witnessed, but which he does not know about. For the reason that he is not a journalist and therefore could not have been present at the editorial meeting where the incident took place in 1977.Ofoneme was also not around in 1969 to see the wonderful efforts made by Dr. Kolade, who was then the Director of Programmes and whom I had never met, to ensure that the NBC/TV Director of News and Current Affairs (DNCA), the late Mr. Horato Agedah, employed me because of the journalism potentials he saw in me from the discussion we had. The two stories are being told for those who are now bosses in government – owned media houses to learn lessons from if they want to be true and respected professionals like Dr. Kolade. It is also to enable them learn from him that a leader must know how to identify talents that can be nurtured to ensure the smooth and progressive running of an organization.
Up to April 1968, about two months to my degree examination and graduation at the University of Ibadan, it was the infantry division of the Nigerian Army I planned to join, because of my interest in a military career. But I changed my mind, or I should say destiny altered my plan, when I attended a lecture delivered by Mr. C.G.A. Okoh, the Director of Administration, NBC/TV at the university’s Trenchard Hall on career opportunities in his organization.
This is where divinity came into my becoming a journalist and my rise and achievements in the profession. I did not hear of Mr. Okoh’s lecture until about 20 minutes to the event, when I met my course – mate, Walter Jibunoh, at the gate of Kuti Hall where we both resided. I asked him where he was going and when he told me I decided to accompany him there. Ironically, he who wanted to be a media man ended up in the army where he retired as a Lieutenant – Colonel, while I who planned to be a soldier became a journalist.
After Mr. Okoh’s lecture, Walter and I and about ten others went on the podium to make further enquiries from him about the NBC/TV. I was the last person to ask him a question and to my surprise he ended his reply with: “You have a microphone voice, see me in Lagos after your graduation.” I was the only one of the lot he gave such an invitation. Thus, fulfilling the prediction of a prophet who came to pray for my dad in 1953 at this house in Osogbo, that he saw me working in a radio station after leaving the university and through me our family’s name will become known in the country and abroad.
I was at Mr. Okoh’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos in July, but did not make the audition (voice test) organized for me. I therefore went to Akure where I became a teacher at the Aquinas College, Akure. I returned to Lagos in the June of the following year (1969) and took up a teaching appointment at the Aunty Ayo Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Keffi Street, Ikoyi, not too far from NBC/TV station in Ikoyi. By August 1969, I revived my interest in working for the NBC/TV, but this time as a writer, not a newscaster or presenter of programmes. I mentioned this to the husband of a maternal auntie of mine, the late Mr. Olufemi Akindahunsi, an Estate Manager and Head of the Estate Department of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Marina, Lagos. He said Dr. Kolade who was a Director there was his friend and he have me a note for him.
After reading it, he said apart from being a B.A. (Hon) History degree holder what else could I tell him about myself. I informed him I had political science and French as my subsidiary subjects and was the Editor of a campus publication at the University of Ibadan called The Telescope. Dr. Kolade said fine, from this curriculum vitae the Current Affairs Unit where I would be writing news analysis and commentary scripts, organizing and taking part or moderating discussion programmes was the best place for me.
So, he phoned Mr. Agedah and said he was coming to see him with a promising young man he wanted him to conduct a test for and if found suitable engage as an artist, or a staff if he had a vacancy. To be continued next week Wednesday.
WONDER – WOMAN WHO CURES PROSTATE CANCER WITH HERBS (7)
The elites especially the very important personalities (VIPs) think as Christians or Muslims that it is shameful for them to acknowledge in public that they patronize herbal doctors because most people see alternative medicine practitioners as idol worshippers. True, most of the herbalists up to the 1980s or 90s were illiterates or people educated up to primary school level.
And whether Christians or Muslims they mostly engaged in fetishism. They invoked the spirits of their deities, father wizards and mother witches and chanted incantations when preparing their medicines. Some of them even prepared amulets or incised the bodies of their patients and rubbed black – powdered stuff into them as part of their treatment for the curing of diseases. These are the herbalists Christians and Muslims should not go to.
But the situation has changed since the 1990s as believers with secondary school education or degrees from tertiary institutions including Reverend Fathers and Pastors have emerged as herbal doctors. They only use herbs to treat and cure people. They do not invoke spirits to prepare their medicines and have no magical power to fight or subdue evil forces as the herbalists of yore.
Mrs. Folarin, the subject of this series is a member of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), while Dr. Adeola Odeyemi, who has a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and whom I wrote about two years ago, is of the Anglican Communion. It was when a friend of his was cured of prostate enlargement with herbs that he went to the doctor who performed the feat to learn alternative medicine from him. After this he went to the College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to learn how to prepare herbal medicines scientifically.
To be continued next week Wednesday.
Wonder –Woman who cures Prostate Cancer with herbs (7)
The elites especially the very important personalities (VIPs) think as Christians or Muslims that it is shameful for them to acknowledge in public that they patronize herbal doctors because most people see alternative medicine practitioners as idol worshippers. True, most of the herbalists up to the 1980s or 90s were illiterates or people educated up to primary school level.
And whether Christians or Muslims they mostly engaged in fetishism. They invoked the spirits of their deities, father wizards and mother witches and chanted incantations when preparing their medicines. Some of them even prepared amulets or incised the bodies of their patients and rubbed black – powdered stuff into them as part of their treatment for the curing of diseases. These are the herbalists Christians and Muslims should not go to.
But the situation has changed since the 1990s as believers with secondary school education or degrees from tertiary institutions including Reverend Fathers and Pastors have emerged as herbal doctors. They only use herbs to treat and cure people. They do not invoke spirits to prepare their medicines and have no magical power to fight or subdue evil forces as the herbalists of yore.
Mrs. Folarin, the subject of this series is a member of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), while Dr. Adeola Odeyemi, who has a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and whom I wrote about two years ago, is of the Anglican Communion. It was when a friend of his was cured of prostate enlargement with herbs that he went to the doctor who performed the feat to learn alternative medicine from him. After this he went to the College of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to learn how to prepare herbal medicines scientifically.
To be continued next week Wednesday.