‘When a foundation is solid’

(Being the address of of the Chairman/Publisher of The Guardian Newspaper, Dame Maiden Alex-Ibru at the launch of ‘The Making of Nigeria’s Flagship: A story of The Guardian’ on April 8, 2021 at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.)

I WOULD like to thank the God of all grace for making this day to be a reality. This is indeed the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. I am happy I am alive to witness an honour done to the memory of my late husband. My late husband, Mr. Alexander Uruemu Ibru had laurels bestowed on him even from the Universities. He received so many accolades for his business acumen and support for democracy and good governance (I hope people would remember that he quietly supported the pioneer campaign-for-democracy groups/civil liberty organisations in the country in the 1990’s, among other development and philanthropic organisations). But I am persuaded that this monument, a solid book, unsolicited in honour of his memory is considered invaluable to the family. Reason: The place of Alex Ibru as one of the foremost makers of the Nigerian print media has not been properly documented. Thank God, at last, here we are!

That is why I would like to pay tribute to the two former associates (reporters) of The Guardian, Messrs Seun Ogunseitan and Aaron Ukodie who looked into the seeds of the times and came up with the idea that we are launching today. It is an idea whose time has come. I know it is the Lord’s doing and so it is marvelous in our eyes.

Specifically, on behalf of all the members of the Great Ibru Family, I would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to the two significant former reporters who had assembled all the great makers of The Guardian, Nigeria, completed the manuscript before sending a copy to us for launch protocol. In other words, let me state in all modesty that we did not commission the book. It is an independent project by these two great thinkers. But as Apostles Peter and Paul once prayed, Gold and silver we do not have enough to compensate the great work of Seunand Aaron but what I have is this prayer: Oluwaseun and Aaron, my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. As you have honoured the memory of my late husband, the God of all creation will honour you by His great powers too!

In the same vein, I want to use this rare opportunity (of the book presentation) to acknowledge some of the great friends of my late husband who assisted him in no small measure to lay a very solid foundation for the building of this great newspaper, The Guardian, in Nigeria. Two of them are here, Dr. Patrick Dele Cole and Aremo Olusegun Osoba. Aremo Osoba, a former Governor of Ogun state would have been the pioneer managing director of The Guardian, but for the political actors who outsmarted us then by recruiting him to be the chief executive of another newspaper.

I would like young Nigerians and indeed journalists to note that Dr. Cole, a former managing director of Daily Times actually attracted the late Dr. Stanley Macebuh and the late Mr. Dele Giwa back to the country – first to the Daily Times where Dr. Cole set up the first ever Editorial Board in the Nigerian print media. The pioneer Chairman of the Editorial Board of Daily Times then was Dr. Macebuh who was to later become first Executive Editor of The Guardian, in 1983, thanks to the effort of Dr. Cole.

That was how Mr. Lade Bonuola, (Ladbone) of the then Daily Times as Chief Quality Control Officer, (Chief Sub-Editor) was also brought in as first Associate Editor of The Guardian. He (Bonuola) was later sworn in as the first Editor of The Guardian daily. All of these great destiny shapers who were with my late husband are still with me today. I want to pay glowing tribute to them: Aremo Osoba, Dr. Cole and Bonuola (who is still writing a shadowy weekly column for The Guardian).

Dr. Cole, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Brazil, is still a visiting consultant to the Editorial Board of The Guardian chaired by a former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Professor Wale Omole, another great friend of my late husband. Professor Omole, too has been a strong pillar on the Board of the newspaper. Note that I am already leading us into inner circle of ‘The Guardian’ ‘’intellectual cabal’ responsible for the quality of the editorials you have been reading every day: Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, a good friend of my late husband, is also a visiting consultant to the Editorial Board. Same for retired Lt. General Chris Ali, a former Chief of Army Staff, Nigeria, author of a classic, ‘Federal Republic of the Nigerian Army’ who is also a visiting consultant to the Editorial Board. It is incredible that these great friends of my Darling, come physically to the Editorial Board meeting every Wednesday. One of the great friends of my husband, Ambassador Ahmadu Amzat too was visiting even from Sokoto until he died a few years ago: May his soul rest in Perfect Peace!

There are other young professors who are visiting members of the Editorial Board including Professor Sylvester Akhaine, former Head of Department of Political Science, Lagos State University, Professor Ndubisi Nwokoma, Director Centre for Economic Policy, Analysis and Research, University of Lagos, Professor Abigail Ogwezzi-Ndisika, former Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Professor Jide Jimoh, of the School of Communications, Lagos State University.

There are directors of the company who are also members including Dr. Alex Thomopulos, a U.S trained technocrat and environmental scientist; Mr. Toke Alex-Ibru, London and U.S trained business executive and executive director leading the multimedia company. Other significant members are Dr. Tony Okeregbe, former associate of The Guardian now of Philosophy Department, University of Lagos: He is also our chief special essayist. There is also Dr. Uju Ogubunka, former Executive Secretary, Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB).

Other strong intellectuals and technocrats on the Editorial Board include Mr. Adaighofua Ojomaikre, an economist who retired as a senior civil servant. He is our Adam Smith in the house. There is also Alagba Francis Onaiyekan, a senior journalist, management consultant, motivational speaker and life coach. His problem is that he has too many classical books. In the house too we have Dr. Luke Onyekakeyah, a widely travelled scholar on Geography, Urban and Regional Planning. Mr. Kunle Sanyaolu, a former Editor of The Guardian on Sunday, who is also a lawyer is now our Editorial Page Editor; Dr. Wole Oyabade, who in 2019 was honoured by the University of Lagos for writing the best Doctoral Thesis in the Faculty of Arts, is one of our in-house special essayists. Mr Efeturi Ojonah, a lawyer is the General Manager, Corporate, Advisory and Legal Services and Mr. Martins Oloja, former Editor of The Guardian, a resourceful and award-winning reporter, writer, editorialist and columnist, now our Editor-in-Chief are members of the Board. These are the powers behind the Editorial Board of The Guardian.

The Vice President is here with us. We are very grateful for your presence despite the fact you are busy at this time that the President is not in the country. I would like to reiterate a few points we have repeatedly made in some of our editorials. First, we would like the President and his men and women to note that restructuring of the federation in the context of federalism is an idea whose time has come and no politics can repel that idea. That is why we have been committed to a weekly commentary on the front page of The Guardian on the issue. We do this every Thursday. As you may have seen, today is the 24th edition of our ‘Federalism is the answer, after all’ serial. We would like our President to note that a return to true federalism will solve most our security and economic challenges. It is not new. The issue of restructuring is one of the promises that the administration of President Buhari hasn’t kept.

It is part of the APC manifesto and there is a report of the el-Rufai committee that the party received since 2018. There have been many more reports on this including a 2014 report on restructuring from the political conference the Jonathan administration handed over to President Buhari. We are also aware of other challenges including rampaging corruption at all levels. We know about the debt burden and ticklish but controversial fuel subsidy that have always made nonsense of our budget expectations. There are many more including health-care infrastructure challenges but the most urgent issue our leader should address at this time is ‘Nation Building.

We didn’t know the implications of what iconic Chinua Achebe, a professor was saying when he wrote his last classic, ‘There Was A Country’. Most people are quite fearful now that Nigeria is too divided to survive as a country. Only very few people believe in one Nigeria at this moment. We have ‘Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria, far Northern Nigeria, North Central Nigeria, Middle Beltan Nigeria, Niger Deltan Nigeria, etc. There is therefore a “Crisis of Coherence”at the moment as the late Dr. Macebuh once wrote.

What is worse, there have been serious allegations of ‘northernisation’ and ‘Islamisation’ as a fundamental objective and directive principle of state policy. These are signs of a sinking state. I believe the leader of the most populous black nation on earth should at this time demonstrate to all of us that he indeed belongs to nobody. He had a covenant with us when he told us on May 29, 2015, “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody….”

Today, not many people believe that our leader has fought a good fight for national cohesion. His appointments including another one he made on Tuesday in the security sector hasn’t shown us that he indeed belongs to everybody. Our leader should therefore be the father of the nation at this time.

Finally, on behalf of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, (NPAN) I would like to appeal that there should be a stimulus package for us in form of tax holidays and duty-free package for newsprint we import for our publications. It hasn’t been easy for all of us. Newsprint, the most expensive raw material for printing newspapers is imported from Europe. The implication is fast killing the newspaper industry. We appeal for relief package in this area.

I want to announce to you too that The Guardian, our Guardian, is also restructuring into a multimedia company. Sooner or later you will read the details of the new deal, which will make the newspaper and other subsidiaries very competitive. You would have noticed our improvements under three new title Editors, Messrs Alabi Williams, (daily) Chuks Nwanne, Saturday and Kabir Alabi Garba (Sunday). You already know our Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Martins Oloja who leads them.

I want to welcome thank everyone, in the main for honouring the memory of my late husband. Thanks for coming. Enjoy the rest of the presentation. God bless you all.