By Patrick Naagbanton
Alade Odunewu (20th November, 1927-25th July, 2013), generally called
“Allah De”, was one of the well-known journalists of the 1950s and beyond. Allah De (name of his satirical column in the Daily Times), died in a hospital in Lagos on Thursday, 25th July, 2013, of old age related sickness. My sincere condolence to those he left behind. Alade’s input to journalism in Nigeria is great, especially in the sub-genre of ethics. Allah De’s death like any central character has spurred a central argument like that of Chinua Achebe (16th November, 1930 – 21st March, 2013). The controversy was not caused by Achebe, but his “camp followers”, by reinforcing that Achebe is the “father of African literature”.
The contention was over the place of Achebe, the notable writer, poet, teacher and pan-Africanist in the Nigerian, African or world literature. This forced Wole Soyinka, one of the principal literary practitioners of all times, to explode in that exclusive, polemical, lengthy and expository interview on Achebe and others.
The Soyinka’s interview, entitled, ’Achebe, a celebrated storyteller, but not father of African literature” was published by Sahara reporters, the New York-based authoritative online news agency. Soyinka, still on the subject-matter, later wrote a personalized piece, “The Village Mourners Association”. Sahara reporters and several Nigeria’s papers, including the Nigeria’s Guardian on Saturday, June 22, 2013, page 43, published the Soyinka’s article.
The Nigerian media, especially, the print following the death of the veteran journalist were awash with dirges and epics on the deceased. In The Daily Sun, Friday, 26th July, 2013, page 8, declared, “Father of Nigerian Journalism, Alade Odunewu dies”. The Daily Sun went on to report thus, “A completely fulfilled” journalist, Alhayi Odunewu picked interest in the profession at an early age wanting to write like the great Nnamdi Azikiwe and Anthony Enahoro. As a journalist, he rose from reporter/sub-editor in the Daily Times in 1950 to Group publications controller in 1979”.
The Nation, Saturday, 27th July, 2013, quoting Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State where Alade Odunewu hailed from also, was generous in its panegyrics for Allah De. Tinubu said, “An icon and journalist per excellence, hardly can anyone in the journalism firmament of our country contest this position with him. He brought to journalism, finesse, intellectualism, humour and a rare sense of patriotism. If there was ever a Nigerian Journalism Hall of Fame, Odunewu’s banner must rise above all others because of his commitment to journalism and service to country”. Lots of leading Nigeria’s politicians praised either or mourned Allah De who died at the age of 85. They are President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State. Others are Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Sullivan of Enugu and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) amongst numerous others.
Who is the father of Nigerian journalism? This is not a rhetorical question. In tackling this puzzle, we need to look beyond 1859, which marks the beginning of journalism in Nigeria. This was the epoch when the Iwe lrohim of the Rev. Henry Townsend and that of Robert Campbell of the Anglo-African held sway. The post Townsendian–Campbellian age saw some Nigerians led the journalism trade and laid the groundwork for further practice in the country.
Isaac Frederick Akporuaro Omu, 75, history teacher at the University of Benin, Edo State, who died three years ago, still remained an expert on press history in Nigeria. “Journalism in Nigeria; A Historical Overview”, is a well-researched paper published in the book, “Journalism in Nigeria; Issues and Perspectives (1996). The 310 page book (a collection of other equally well-written papers) was edited by Olatunji Dare and Adidi Uyo. The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council under the leadership of Lanre Arogundale published the book.
According to Omu, “From 1880 when the African Newspaper Press was born to the outbreak of the Second World War which ushered in new journalistic influences, over 50 newspapers of varied frequently and duration were published. The leading newspapers of the period were the Lagos Times (1880), Lagos Observer (1882), Eagle and Lagos Critic (1883), Lagos Weekly Record (1891), Lagos Standard 1894, Nigerian Chronicle (1908), Nigerian Times (1910), Nigerian Pioneer (1914), African Messenger (1921), Nigerian Spectator-African Messenger (1921), Nigerian Spectator (1923), Nigerian Advocate (1923), Nigerian Daily Times (1926), Nigerian Daily Mail (1930), West African Nation Hood (1930), The Comet (1933) and the West African Pilot (1937)”, page 3.
“The period also saw the emergence of Yoruba-language newspapers like Eko Akete (1922), Eteli Ofe (1923), Iwe Irohim Osose (1925), and Akede Eko (1928). A Hausa language newspaper appeared in January 1939 with the establishment by the then Northern Nigerian Government of the Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo based in Zaria. It was also during this period that provincial newspapers emerged in Calabar, Onitsha, Aba, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode and Osogbo”. Page 3
“…Adeoye Deniga, owner/editor of the Lagos Astrological Mercury (1909) (also hit the newsstands) Since he could not pay the printer’s bills, Deniga decided to practice his profession by writing his newspapers by hand… he circulated among a small circle of people… Adeoye Deniga’s branch of journalism may be dismissed as a ludicrous experiment and his subsequent journalistic outlets were in fact a story of failure and poverty”.
“However, there were other more successful contemporaries who distinguished themselves as eminent journalists. The roll of honour should include George Alfred Williams Johnson, James Bright Davies, (Nnamdi Azikiwe later called him doyen of West African journalism in his autobigraphy) Ernest Sesei Ikoli, (First editor of Daily Times of Nigeria), Richard Akinwande Savage (of the Nigerian spectator), Herbert Macaulay and Duse Mohammed Ali (a radical Egyptian Pan-Africanist of the Comet newspaper)” Page 3 and 4.
“The list would not be complete without the mention of John Payne Jackson and his son Thomas Horatio Jackson whose careers most exemplify the militant and crusading zeal of the pioneer journalists. The Jackson family dominated Nigerian journalism for thirty-nine years precisely from 1891 to 1930, and their achievement epitomizes the pivotal plane of journalism in Nigerian history”-page 4.
Omu argued that the advent of Nnamdi Azikiwe, one of Nigeria’s famous journalists and politicians marked the decline in journalism, page 6. Omu’s statement is rather paradoxical, because the appearance of Azikiwe brought about a new brand of journalism to Nigeria. Azikiwe had spent thirty-two months (from November 1934 to July 1937) in Gold Coast (Ghana) and returned to Nigeria to start his journalism. Azikwe stated this at page 272 of his 452 page memoir, My Odyssey (1970).
Nnamdi Azikiwe wrote; “On the day before publication of the maiden issue (West African Pilot), I reminded my colleagues at our editorial conference that we were entering the field of competitive journalism to do two things; revolutionise journalism as it had been practiced from 1859 to 1937, and demonstrate that journalism can be a successful business enterprise, just as any other field of human endeavour” Page 291. Omu described the West African Pilot as “ Vivid format, dynamic and combative style and ideological salience anchored on a campaign against racial superiority and domination aimed at restoring the dignity and s
elf-confidence of the black man, served notice of the intervention of a new and formidable journalistic force”- page 6.
After sixteen-years of active journalism career and publishing, Nnamdi Azikiwe said, “I feel proud that during my sixteen years’ service as managing director of the Zik Group of Newspaper, I was able to give theoretical and practical training in journalism to over sixty of the most eminent journalists and leaders of our country” page 308, My Odyssey (1970). People like Anthony Enahoro, Babatunde Jose, Mobolaji Odunewu (Alhaji Alade Odunewu aka Allah De’s elder brother), A. Dokubo and many others, who turned out to be great Nigerian journalists, anti-colonial activists and leaders were trained by Azikiwe.
Even Nnamdi Azikiwe, despite of his contributions to the growth of journalism in Nigeria and beyond, in page 291 of his book, admitted, “I was guided by the ideas of the great journalists who had preceded me”.
The late Alade Odunewu aka Allah De started his journalism practice in the 50s. His efforts to the development of Nigerian journalism cannot be wished away through “that monotonous, hypocritical aura of deprivations lament, orchestrated by those who, as we say in my part of the world, “dye their mourning weeds a deeper indigo than those of the bereaved”. He deserves his peace.” Wole Soyinka has lamented in his interview above. It is also applicable in the case of Alade Odunewa. History has always been an impartial judge.
Naagbanton lives in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital