To My Editor and Brother @ 60

By Olusegun Adeniyi

Until I became the editor of THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper in 2010, I had worked for a decade as Staff Reporter, Senior Staff Writer, Abuja Bureau Chief, Assistant Editor and Deputy Editor under six different editors. I learnt a lot from each of these men. But my most memorable experience was with Mr Tunji Bello who is 60 today. He invited me to Sunday Concord in 1995, after the late General Sani Abacha had lifted the proscription order placed on some national newspapers and magazines at the time. I started as assistant editor before I became his deputy. In the process, he taught me the rudiments of editing. I learnt how to cut what didn’t fit into a story and how to watch out for possible libel. But much more importantly, Tunji Bello ran a newsroom that was like a family, and he related to reporters as equals. Ever playful, he would hail me as ‘Kwara man’ and had a nickname for everyone.

Tunji Bello brought a culture of spontaneity to the newsroom in which impassioned arguments were often translated into story lines. I remember a particularly interesting experience. Following the 28th June 1997 WBA Heavyweight Championship contest between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, which ended on a disgraceful note after the latter bit off part of the former’s ear, my friend and colleague, Louis Odion and I held different views on the outcome of that most bizarre fight. Louis is not only a boxing enthusiast, having been an amateur boxer in secondary school, but also a fanatical supporter of Tyson. So, he was naturally defensive of his idol. On the other hand, I was disgusted with what Tyson did, even while not much of a boxing fan. Overhearing the conversation that lasted several minutes between Louis and I, Tunji Bello challenged us to go and put our conflicting arguments in writing. At the end, Louis and I were featured in the next edition of Sunday Concord under a special section named ‘Crossfire’. I remember the title of my piece which responded to Louis’ canonization of ‘Iron Mike Tyson’ as he was then described by the media: ‘Holyfield, The Iron Bender’!

In addition to being a good leader, Tunji Bello is also a very good person who cares deeply about others. Back in the days at Sunday Concord, I enjoyed his introduction of what I will describe as ‘Nkwobi Journalism’. Not only did he teach some of us how to eat that delicacy, he funded the indulgence. The only aspect I refused to be inducted into was the ‘prospecting for OPEC crude’ (drinking of Stout!) which always accompanied the session, despite the ‘pressure’ from Louis and others.

That Tunji Bello ran a newsroom whose personnel related like one big family is reflected in the fact that most of us remain friends till today. The clan includes Jill Okeke, Yomi Idowu, Waheed Odusile and many others. It was also under his supervision that my wedding was planned right in the newsroom. Louis was my ‘best man’ and the wedding suit I wore was made by a tailor recommended by Tunji Bello. He also helped us to raise the money, in a remarkable story fitting only for my memoir if I live long enough to write one.

As it would happen, I resigned my appointment as his deputy shortly after my wedding in December 1998 to join THISDAY. Our paths would later cross again at THISDAY when he became Chair of the editorial board at a period I edited the Saturday title.

Tunji Bello left the newsroom 18 years ago to become a commissioner in Lagos State but his transition to the political/public arena was smooth for two reasons. One, as Group Politics Editor of Concord Press before he edited the Sunday (and later the daily) title, he understood the field. Much more importantly, as a close relation of the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, Tunji Bello played a crucial role in the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the agitations that followed its annulment. It could also not have been an accident that Tunji Bello was given the Environment Ministry in Lagos State where he has operated for the past two decades. As editor, Tunji Bello would never tolerate any form of dirt or filth within his vicinity and in his office every single item was always in its rightful place. And he loves nature. Despite the huge population that inhabits a small space called Lagos, it is perhaps to the credit of Tunji Bello that there has been no environmental disaster in that city state.

As I have shared in the past, whatever credit I now gain for writing a weekly column, it was all because Tunji Bello created my first platform. And perhaps to boost my confidence when I started, he expressed more faith in me than I had in myself. After nominating me as his deputy to replace Mr Sam Omatseye, FNAL (current chair of The Nation editorial board) who had left for the United States, he also asked me to take up the column Omatseye was writing in the Sunday paper. “You cannot write like Sam, so don’t even try. But you have your strengths. You are a reporter with a nose for gist. You are a good storyteller. And you have humour. Play to those strengths,” he told me that day. Incidentally, it was Louis who suggested that the column be called ‘The Verdict according to Olusegun Adeniyi’.

When I reflect on my professional life, I have many people to thank for the little I have accomplished. But today, I pay homage to Mr Olatunji Bello. At a critical period, he inspired me, pushed me, supported me, and helped me to develop my talent and thrive. As he therefore joins the sexagenarian club, I can only wish him the very best that the future holds.