Rilwan Balogun
My meeting with my boss, father, brother, friend and mentor, Sulaiman Aledeh, was a special one. It was a meeting that’d birth a relationship I’ve come to nurture, love and cherish.
I remember watching Sulai on TV when he was at Channels TV. I’d never have imagined that the man I watched and admired would become my friend, advisor and mentor. What began as a working relationship soon rose to friendship and brotherhood. To honestly know Sulai is to love him, as he loves everyone and always desires the best for people. His desire for the best makes him a thorough, kind and thoughtful person. He’s ever demanding, as he usually sees in you, what nobody else does. Sulai is a special breed, a thoroughbred man by every ramification.
He’s a man who loves the people he calls his own and protects them with every fibre of his being. To those who watch him on television, he’s an astute broadcaster, a refined public speaker and a brilliant interviewer. Watching Sulai is a class for me. He trained, taught and tailored me to refinement. His admiration for excellence is second to none, and he never forgets a good deed.
For those who see him do his job, he’s just another professional, a man of discipline and integrity. Sulai gives value, and he shows and showers respect without recourse to age. I have seen him, honour kings, respect elders, hoist people experiencing poverty to luck and fulfilment and treat his staff like family. To Sulai, everyone is human, regardless of where you’re placed in life. His goodwill knows no measure, and he uses his rich, invaluable contact only for good cause. When Sulai calls, you answer because he will answer when you call him, too. That’s a Golden man.
A University of Benin graduate of Philosophy, Sulai has worked across the media stratosphere. He has left his image and voice in hearts on TV through his excellent handling of political shows and election broadcasting. On radio, his voice has stayed rooted to the ears of those who listen to him and remember the smoothness of his vocals. In online media, he’s leading a fast-growing media organisation and training future heroes. An international journalist, Editor-at-Large and Strategic Media Consultant with strings with reputable organisations like Al Jazeera, SABC and GB News UK, Sulai’s keen eye for research was an important tool I picked from him.
Currently back at Arise News, where he anchors news and programmes, the Golden Man is also heard on Classic FM. His immense experience and impact were also felt beyond the media world as he also served as the Assistant General Manager and Head of Media and Communications of Nigeria’s leading electricity distribution company, Eko DisCo.
A chat with Sulai is a classroom of key life details. Beyond his beautiful diction and friendly and funny nature, his understanding and application of knowledge are incredible. A Fellow of the Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management and an Associate of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, he’s also the founder of Aledeh Media Network, publisher of Gatekeepers News, an integrated online media platform.
With over two decades in broadcast journalism, Sulai holds a Master’s Degree in Humanitarian and Refugee Studies from the University of Lagos. His career has seen him work with some of Nigeria and Africa’s biggest brands, including MTN, Glo, DSTV and many more. A certified voice expert in Hudson Voice Technique from Voice Master International, UK, Sulai has used his voice to promote people and places.
He has hosted great events and has spearheaded many charitable causes, which he never shares with the general public. He’s a 2010 alumnus of the U.S State Department International Visitors’ Leadership Programme (Religious Freedom and Dialogue) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Challenges of Leadership in Teams).
A day with Sulai shows his apparent love for his religion, Islam and immense spirituality, yet he has friends across faiths and age groups. He helps people regardless of their social or spiritual stance, and he’s rich in his understanding of self and people. Calculated, cultured, creative and competent, the days I’ve spent with Sulai, his teachings and hospitality ring true always.
His love for music and his passion for people are difficult to ignore. It’s why he is who he is – a great man. I almost never remember how old he is, as he’s youthful in his spirit and cheerfulness. He has the springs of youth and the curiosity of a child. His desire to never stop growing has seen him author academic publications of societal value.
The man you see on your screen is not an ordinary man; he’s an OG – to use lingo from the streets and ‘OG no be ordinary person’. Sulai is an extraordinary person, of integrity, great courage, charisma, colour and character.
He is fashionable, adaptable to times and change, and astute in his reasoning; a man of immense wisdom and courage.
Happy Golden Jubilee boss, mentor, friend and family. I wish you many more years on earth in good health and great spirit.
*Rilwan Balogun, a Public Health Practitioner, writes from Nottingham, United Kingdom
