By Abdulfatah Babatunde
Doyens in Nigeria’s media industry, on Monday, took turns to eulogise and recount sweet encounters with the first civilian governor of Lagos State, the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande.
They all gathered at the inaugural “Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture” organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the Lagos State Government.
TheNewsZenith reports that the theme of the lecture is “Lateef Jakande: The Man, His Journalism, His Politics”.
Former Foreign Affairs Minister and Senator, retired Maj.-Gen. Ike Nwachukwu, who chaired the occasion, said the day, “marks the beginning of honouring a man who has done so much for journalism in Nigeria”.
Nwachukwu recounted how Alhaji Jakande recruited him into the journalism profession and later left to join the Nigerian Army.
“Today, my recollection of the man; Jakande was a very quiet man. He led the Daily Service newspaper so well. He kept us, reporters, on the straight path of a journalism career.
“So, whatever I became in later years, as an officer of Nigeria Army, was because I worked under such persons as Lateef Jakande and Alade Odunewu, and Lateef Teniola who was my News Editor.
“I cannot but always refer them and please, whatever you do, remember this great man called Jakande and follow his path. He lit the light to our feet and we had not gone wrong ever since,’’ Nwachukwu said.
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The Keynote speaker, Chief Felix Adenaike, said speaking about Alhaji Lateef Jakande is “like trying to describe an elephant. You know an elephant when you see one but attempting to try to explain it, is an excellent task.
Prince Bayo Osiyemi, the Chief Press Secretary to the late Gov. Jakande, presented the keynote lecture for Chief Adenaike, who was away on an overseas trip.
Adenaike chronicled how Jakande began the process of his journalism career from that rudimentary beginning by writing for the “Quarterly Mirror”, a student publication at his Ilesha Grammar School in now Osun State.
“He migrated to full-blown print journalism, first at the Daily Express, Daily Service and later at the Nigerian Tribune Group on invitation of the founder, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“From Reporter, then Editor, he rose to the pinnacle of the profession to become the Managing Director and Chief of Staff of the Tribune Group until he quit in 1978 to contest to become the first elected civilian governor of Lagos State on Oct. 1, 1979.
“In four short years and three months, Gov. Jakande set unprecedented and phenomenal records in governance, to the admiration/envy of his peers.
“His brother governors including those from other parties visited Lagos to see for themselves what they had read, heard or watched on television.
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“Gov. Jakande blew the minds of fellow governors as he launched himself head-on and full blast into implementing his party programmes of free education, free health service, gainful employment and integrated rural development’’.
Former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba said Jakande was “a jack of all trades’’ who also excel in all.
Osoba recalled that the deceased was a grassroots politician who in his lifetime created a political clinic where he attends to his political lieutenants.
In journalism affairs, Osoba said that under Jakande’s management, “Nigerian Tribune was one of the best-selling newspapers because of the editorials, written by Jakande”.
While thanking his widow, Alhaja Abimbola Sikirat, who was also present at the event, Osoba said that the ex-Lagos Governor was the first African to become President of the International Press Institute (IPI).
“He also single-handedly brought IPI to Nigeria, as well as played a major role in the establishment of Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ).’’
Osoba said he was one of the first set of students of the Journalism College facilitated by Jakande, operating its academic activities first from the University of Lagos.
He commended Lagos State Government for giving the support to honour the iconic journalist cum politician of note.
Earlier, President of the Guild, Eze Anaba said the inaugural lecture was in honour of an icon who, “though is not with us, we are invariably influenced by his outstanding legacies in our daily professional life’’.
Anaba said the late Jakande (a.k.a Baba Kekere) lived an impactful life.
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“Many people who worked with him will testify that Baba-Kekere was an incredible talent, whether as journalist or as politician. He has a response to everything.
“Baba Kekere devoted his entire professional and political career to advancing values of liberty and social justice.
“He also exemplified the values of honesty, integrity, courage and fairness. He told the stories of the powerless and held the powerful to account.
“Jakande demonstrated commitment to journalistic freedom and long-term survival. He set up the NGE in 1961.
Talk about the impact, NGE President said: At the Guild, we think it is important to institutionalise a culture of appreciation, which will give us institutional memory to know how we got to where we are and how to build on the legacy and accomplishment of the past.
“We cannot talk about modern journalism without mentioning Alhaji Lateef Jakande. His footprint is everywhere for us to see. He was an incredible talent.”
A former President of NGE, Malam Garba Shehu, recalled that he served as a member of the Board of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism.
Shehu said he felt the aura of the good legacy that the late Alhaji Jakande implanted in the institute.
“LKJ is an unconventional person. We read his editorial writings in the Nigerian Tribune to learn good English grammar,” he said.
He doubles as the Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and publicity.
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State said the maiden memorial lecture came at a time when Nigeria is in dire need of a developmental drive and democratic culture of the first Civilian Governor of Lagos State and former Minister of Works and housing.
A Media consultant and former commissioner in Ondo Strate, Kayode Akinmade, represented Gov. Abiodun at the event.
“Baba Kekere’s penchant and uncompromised stance for professionalism and responsible journalism stood him out from his contemporaries.
“Today, we gather here to celebrate and honour the memory of an astute administrator, who combined media savvy with ideological perspectives of progressivism to build a foundation of responsive governance in Lagos State and Nigeria at large,’’ Abiodun said.
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