My foray into journalism has seen me traverse critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. I had a very short but rewarding stint on the judicial beat, and I remember my madam then; Josephine Uzuagie (pray the surname has changed by now), cerebral, beautiful and energetic and no-nonsense disciplinarian.
That I was supervised by her was certainly the best any young media person could crave for. My madam Josephine, who was then the head of the judicial desk of the then-almighty king of Nigerian tabloids, the Daily Times, planned for every court coverage with critical intel and strategic covert review, particularly cases involving top political (then military officers) and business men. My takes were to gather all loose ends and research into the background of the case(s) if it is not fresh on the case list and trust her to pick your plans on what and how the case will pan out. We prepared to cover every case in court with military precision, background of litigants and their lawyers and I recall as a rookie, sharing the front cover headlines with my pretty female boss.
Life after work was fun as she would gladly invite me over to her Surulere home for chops and trust her judicial mind, prepare me for the next assignment.
I recall through her mentorship to have met great iconic judicial reporters such as Edetem Ojo of then Guardian newspapers and many others. I still follow Ojo on his civil society organisation works till today.
Richard Akinola, whom I later joined in the Vanguard newspapers, not on the judicial desk, though, is also one of the notable judicial reportage gurus and a budding lawyer today.
From the judicial desk, I moved into the maritime sector, and it was one of my finest moments. Asu Beks, Emeka Okoroanyanwu, Friday Odemena, late Ubong Akpan, Pius Mordi, Alban Opara, (now a pastor), late Philip Omoni; Olushola Fadeyi, Remi Itie, Timothy Okorocha were the first 11 in the emerging maritime industry reportage.
Alban Opara took me under his mentorship in the Vanguard newspapers, and I flourished because we all then under the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) lived by the ethics and rules of the best journalism practice.
We worked hard and looked out for each other. As the founding Public Relations Officer of MARAN after we ousted our oga and friend, Asu Beks out of office in a friendly coup, and Ubon Akpan elected president, we ensured that there were no cracks in MARAN and to sustain that dream, we pushed for the best welfare ecosystem for our members.
We were persuasive and not combative about it. We first sought approval from our parent body NUJ and got all necessary papers to operate within extant journalism regulations.
In fact, I recalled that NUJ leadership commended us for taking such appropriate action and they supported us each time we needed a covering letter to our operational efforts.
I was at the heart of MARAN transformation and received plaudits from our members, particularly our president then; Ubon Akpan, a friendship turned into brotherhood. Indeed, we lived and operated like brothers.
The Nigerian Customs Service were good and reliable friends and partners. The Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, and National Maritime Authority (now NIMASA). It was a win-win situation and looking back, the Public Relations departments of these critical maritime agencies were manned by officers who respected and were intentional to the growth of maritime journalism and indeed the welfare on the ‘boys’ on the beat.
I can’t recall all the feats and support we got from these institutions, and my NPA media identity card exclusively given to only MARAN members reminds me of how great institutions could empower the discipline and growth of journalism practice.
The NPA identity card emboldened our professionalism and became a death nail on quackery. Since NPA is our landlord, gifting us an office in the heart of Apapa port, it is instructive that the ID Card gave us access to traverse the entire port complex without restrictions and to learn first-hand how the community of port operators do their business and that includes the Customs and the licensed agents.
The Association Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents was a critical helpline to the growth of MARAN and maritime journalism. Alhaji Sanni Lamba, Lucky Amiwero, and Prince Olayiwola Shittu came to mind. Nnamdi Ozobia of then-flourishing Nigerdock gave us at MARAN a first- class developmental support. He opened our eyes to the huge tapestry of maritime world and its reportage. He hid nothing from us.
MARAN was a cult for the good of maritime journalism. When I left and moved to the higher grounds of Nigeria cultural tourism reportage, of which maritime tourism is a key enabler, and under reported to date, I noticed cracks in the organised maritime reportage family with all shades and manners of associations.
Asu Beks is indeed the godfather of this community and has led and is still leading from the front and back, the quest for the welfare of the boys.
When we lost Ubong Akpan; the MARAN iconic president, it was Asu Beks that mobilized the funding and new MARAN team to bury him in Akwa Ibom state. Remi Itie moved like a wounded lion from one institution to another, many with new leaders who could not remember Ubon Akpan, to join in giving him a befitting passage from this sinful world.
When Innocent Orok, one of most patriotic industry unifiers ran into trouble with one the agency heads in the sector, it took some of us who had “retired” from the field to muscle support for his release from his oppressor.
I put on hold a budding relationship with a former Minister of Transportation because of his failed intervention to free Innocent Orok, and again, Asu Beks didn’t disappoint and many other journalists too.
I took to this brief recap to align myself to the nuggets of welfare opportunities for maritime journalists shared by the irrepressible and industry iconic award winner, the Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi who took the floor in a post-award speech to canvas for the best of the industry reporters.
The Comptroller General’s fear and anxieties also resonated with me, particularly the very extreme and bitter desire by industry reporters to cleave into cells and subgroups. When people fail to unite under a common front, they not only lose their voices, but also lose their welfare, which encourages divisiveness and mortgage their future.
Adeniyi touched my heart when he noted the disparity in the support and welfare mechanism to maritime journalism as against the growth, promotion, and advancement of operators and players in the sector who were indeed beneficiaries of the support of maritime press.
” I started-off as a two-star staff in the Customs service and head of Public Relations Department but today, I am the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, so it is expected and the right thing to do that my media friends should also climb the ladder in their welfare ethos. If the industry players are prospering, with good houses and cars, our friends too in the media should also prosper, “the unassuming and humble General gentleman of the customs disclosed.
However, it is important that persons like Adewale Adeniyi can not support a divide and extremely negative opinionated media field men whose stock in trade is to run others down and pull walls down.
I understand that the CG accepted the coalition of the maritime journalist associations award on condition that all must be seen to be working together and from the same platform. I salute the CG intervention, courage and pray that his words of wisdom Thursday night in Lagos is strictly taken to heart by all my friends and brothers in the maritime reportage space.
We need good and caring souls like Bashir Adewale Adeniyi in our midst. Men who believe that the press deserves to look good and not beggarly, men and women who moves up, prospering and are willing to share prosperity space with their media friends.
CG Adeniyi will no doubt walk the welfare nuggets he shared publicly with the maritime press on Thursday, it however behoves on the elders, leaders and members of the various associations to come together and embrace this angel sent by God to speak prosperity and unity into their future aspirations.
There are so many poverty, use and dump evil men and women in the Nigerian socio-economic and political environment who hates to see the Nigerian press hold their heads in prosperity and unity. CG Adeniyi is not one of them.
Thank you Bashir Adewale Adeniyi for leading from the front, for not being an advocate of those who see the media as not deserving of even a crumb from the plenty before those whom same media supported to make their jobs easy. When we sow good into the lives of others, particularly journalists, we are sowing peace, harmony and prosperity among Nigerians. Another great industry leader on our watch list is the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Mr Bola Oyebamiji. He will flourish the growth and welfare of the maritime press. I know it!
He who has ears, let him or her hear. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, you shall live long and your tenure shall help restore hope and peace to our nation.
