In January 2000, THISDAY moved from a rented property in Ikeja, Lagos to its current corporate headquarters at 35 Creek Road, Apapa. The fully computerised newsroom was a first in the country at the time. We had hardly settled when our Chairman, Prince Nduka Professor (middle name on his birth certificate) Obaigbena, called for a meeting of editors, line editors and reporters. He handed each of us a very colourful Mac Book laptop and said “from today, nobody writes with longhand in THISDAY. Everybody must type or edit stories personally and send it straight to the planner.” Apart from Waziri Adio who had returned from his Master’s degree programme at Columbia University in the United States with a laptop and Eniola Bello (who had learnt how to type), the rest of us had no clue how to use a computer. So, the whole idea sounded ridiculous. And we made our views known.

Before then, we would pass our handwritten stories to a pool of typists or “computer operators.” Now that he was insisting everyone would type their own stories, he had effectively cut out that stage of the production process and rendered the typists redundant. Juliana Taiwo (now Mrs. Obanloye) was one of those ‘computer operators’ who took the opportunity to go back to school, became a reporter at THISDAY and is currently the State House Correspondent for the SUN Newspaper. But it was a tough decision back then. Considering that THISDAY was always late to the newsstand at that time and there were serious complaints from agents and vendors, we knew what had just been introduced would only compound the situation. The more we argued that we needed time to introduce the new practice, the more Obaigbena became adamant that implementation was immediate. When we told him that the decision could take our newspaper completely out of the market, he said, “THISDAY readers will wait for us”.

As THISDAY Newspapers celebrate its 30th anniversary, it is difficult to think of any other individual who has had as much impact on the practice of journalism in this country in the last few decades than Obaigbena. The anniversary therefore presents an opportunity to reflect on the ethos of a publisher who defies norms. While some of us prefer structure, long-term planning and certainty, he is a man who never bothers to calculate the probability of whether an idea would succeed or fail. And to him, whatever needs to be done must be done immediately regardless of the prevailing circumstances. I recall one of the editors once confronting Obaigbena, “Chairman, you are the kind of man who would impregnate a woman and ask her to deliver the baby immediately. Life doesn’t work that way.” Yet, I cannot count the number of times that he presented us with situations, which we argued were impossible and ended up proving us wrong.

In his column last Sunday, Simon Kolawole wrote about the ‘Hell Yes’ audacity of Obaigbena as a publisher. But part of it also stems from a disposition that believes “If I fail, it won’t define me; It only means that I tried”; afterall, THISDAY’s attempt to publish in South Africa did not work out and the enormous costs involved almost took our newspaper down in Nigeria. That unsuccessful experiment accounted for why when the idea of ARISE Television was broached, some of us were not enthusiastic, to put it mildly. I recall the first meeting with editors when Obaigbena conceived the idea almost two decades ago. “The future of journalism is in the electronic,” he said in what we believed to be a rationalisation for another fancy project. “The print will die.” Because some of us fought the idea at the time, we were labelled ‘enemies of ARISE’ but today we can see what he saw back then. So, here is also a toast to ARISE Television at 12.

Obaigbena is a man of relentless vision. He saw the disruptions that were coming to the journalism profession many years before they even appeared on the horizon here and he wanted to be ahead of the pack. Take the printing in full colour for example. THISDAY did not even have a printing press of its own at the time. And there were times the newspaper was produced from a business centre. But he did not think this was a problem. He simply put people on a plane to the heritage press in Abuja with the camera-ready pages and they returned to Lagos the next morning with copies of the newspaper. Our competitors thought it could not be sustained, until they realised that was the way to go and also began to print in colour. It was THISDAY that rebranded rejoinder to ‘right of reply,’ giving responses from readers prominence before it became the industry standard. THISDAY also introduced the idea of conversations with world leaders by bringing people like former American Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former German Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, the late General Colin Powell and several others. On the entertainment side, THISDAY has, at different times, brought Beyonce (who came along with Jay-Z), Snoop Dogg, Dionne Warwick, Toni Braxton, Lionel Richie and many others.

At THISDAY, what Obaigbena has done is to create a work environment that inspires innovation and creativity, especially at the editorial level. He has also helped to nurture a culture that is open to new ideas and flexibility even in the face of uncertainty. And what is perhaps most remarkable is that several of his enduring innovations have appeared dramatically – as if on the spur of the moment. Take for example the much-celebrated THISDAY backpage. It all started on a Sunday afternoon in mid 1999. Obaigbena called a meeting of the Board of Editors and said he had decided to assign the backpage to individual columnists. Without much elaboration, he simply asked for some sheets of paper and began writing. He would finish a page and hand it over to each one of us to read. “I am writing my backpage for tomorrow as I will be writing every Monday. Victor Ifijeh (current Managing Director of ‘The Nation’ newspapers) will be writing on Tuesday. Eniola Bello (current THISDAY Managing Director) will write on Wednesday. Segun, you will be writing on Thursday. Festus Eriye (current editor of ‘The Nation’ on Sunday) will write on Friday. And Waziri Adio (founder of Agora Policy and immediate past NEITI Executive Secretary) will write on Sunday. There will be no backpage columnist for the Saturday Newspaper.” That’s how the backpage journey started.

Meanwhile, it is not an accident that THISDAY has produced many people who have served government both at the federal and subnational levels in different capacities. Obaigbena encourages reporters and editors to have public sector experiences and exposure, and the usual refrain is always that there is a lot to learn and “if it doesn’t work out, you can always come back to THISDAY.” In many instances, he goes out of his way to negotiate such appointments as was the case with me. Two weeks after the election of Umaru Musa YarAdua as President in April 2007, Dr Aliyu Modibbo, then Minister of Commerce under President Olusegun Obasanjo (who would become Minister of FCT under Yar’Adua) called that he had been directed to sound me out on the appointment of presidential spokesman. Although I appreciated the consideration, I turned down the offer because, as I told him, I had no interest in working for the government. When I informed Obaigbena, his anger was that “Yar’Adua is trying to poach my editor behind my back” but he appreciated that I declined the offer – or so I thought.

On 30th May 2007, a day after Yar’Adua’s inauguration, when I had forgotten about the job offer, I got a call from Obaigbena who was in Abuja. “Look Segun, I am here at the Villa with the president. He insists that it’s you he wants to be his spokesman. I told him that the editor of THISDAY cannot take a public appointment that is not of cabinet level. He has elevated the office to Special Adviser because of you and I have accepted the job on your behalf. Now wait for Mr President.” He then handed his mobile phone to Yar’Adua. That was how I moved from the newsroom to Aso Rock. And on a personal note, I cannot thank Obaigbena enough for the support he gave me while on the job. I had three predecessors. Dr Doyin Okupe was a Special Assistant while Mr Tunji Oseni and Mrs Oluremi Oyo (both now of blessed memory) were Senior Special Assistants. The fact that from my period till now every presidential spokesman has been a Special Adviser is because of the way Obaigbena ranked (and still ranks) the editor of THISDAWith the liberal spirit of a publisher blessed with a trail-blazing management style, what makes Obaigbena particularly unique in a newspaper environment is that he likes building consensus even on issues he feels very strongly about. At THISDAY, there is hardly any decision that doesn’t involve the Board of Editors and that includes sidelines like awards, musical and fashion shows that have little to do with mainstream journalism and in which some of us were completely disinterested! THISDAY is also a place where you form life-long relationships. It is a bond that binds permanently and to which anyone who has passed through the newspaper is proud of.

I was at THISDAY/ARISE ceremony in Lagos on Monday night not because of the ceremony (which has never been my thing) but rather to see old faces. And there were many. Tony Onyima, Simon Kolawole, Shina Badaru, Ayo Aminu, Donald Andoor, Sunny Hughes, Iby Dakouru, my own ‘I-Jay baby’ (Ijeoma Nwogwugwu that is), ‘Ruthless Ruth’ (Osime), Constance Ikokwu and so many others: It was a time to celebrate and reflect on the friendships that have endured beyond the newsrooms at Ikeja and Apapa. On a lighter note, it was almost as if there was an award category for dancing between THISDAY and ARISE given the way Eni-B shuffled his feet during the performance by Flavour and Rufai Oseni moved his body in rhythm to the timeless tunes of Diana Ross.

The story of THISDAY is like one of its famous refrains, it never ends. Obaigbena is a lover of the ellipsis, which symbolises an unfinished idea or thought. Each time we get a breaking story that would elicit responses, Obaigbena would ask the editor to insert the famous line: “More to follow…” With all that THISDAY has accomplished in 30 short years, I have no doubt it remains an unfolding story. For sure, there is much more to follow…

The God of Politicians

Amid chants of “Speak for Lagos”, “Continue with your work”, “You are the Speaker”, Mojisola Meranda was escorted to into her new office at the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex on Monday by colleagues. But before the business of the day, there was an intense prayer session. With the former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa still laying claim to the office, it was no surprise that after the loaded Yoruba chorus of how God did what they thought was impossible, one of the members started a session of intense prayers, beginning with thanking God “for disgracing all the enemies around her” while also beseeching the Almighty against “every agent of darkness.” And for those that seek Meranda’s failure or for her to commit error, there was a thunderous declaration met with a fervent Amen: “They shall die!”

But it is not only in Lagos that our politicians are invoking the name of God into their affairs. At a thanksgiving church service penultimate Sunday in Kolokuma/Opokuma, Bayelsa State, Douye Diri told the congregation how he became “miracle governor”. That’s what he called himself but before I share his ‘testimony’ let me remind readers of what exactly happened. As one of the off-season elections, Bayelsa State gubernatorial election was held on 16 November 2019. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, David Lyon, secured a landslide victory with 352,552 votes, representing 70.59 percent of the total votes cast to defeat 44 other candidates including Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who came second with 143,172 votes representing 28.66 of total votes cast. But barely 24 hours to Lyon’s inauguration in February 2020, the Supreme Court nullified his election on grounds that his deputy, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo presented false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding real name and educational qualification. Because of this ‘guilt by association,’ the apex court ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Lyon, delete his votes and immediately declare candidate of the party with the highest number of lawful votes and geographical spread, winner. That was the ‘miracle’ that brought Diri to power in Bayelsa State.

Now to his Church testimony: “Let me reveal to you why it is important to thank God and have faith in Him. Sometime ago, a senior citizen of this country invited me to Abuja and asked me to perform certain sacrifices, but I declined. I told him my faith in God will not allow me to do it. He got angry and told me I would never become governor. He told me that he had spent $10,000 to bring the people for the sacrifice and asked for a refund, which I obliged. When the Supreme Court’s pronouncement came, the man was shocked and could not call me. Sadly, he passed on after some time. The story I have narrated was witnessed by my deputy and a friend in Abuja as both of them accompanied me to visit the senior citizen.”

While we thank God for making Diri Governor in Bayelsa five years ago, the case of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State is more prophetic. But nobody should be surprised when it comes to pass. “Some people have circumcised themselves to side talks saying it is a period of four years I will do and come back to them, but who told you that I am coming back to you?” Radda asked before answering his own question. “For me, I will return to the God who gave me this mandate in 2023 to seek for my re-election in 2027.”

I am aware that our politicians are so religious that they and God appear to have a pact when it comes to their aspirations. I just wish the same God who helps them to win elections will also help them to deliver on the public good. Is that too much to ask for?

•You can follow SegunAdeniyi on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, @Olusegunverdict and on www.olusegunadeniyi.com