Femi Akintunde-Johnson
Yesterday, December 31…the last day of 2021, was his 71st birthday. He would have spent it with close family friends in sombre genuflection, and private introspection. Even if he was wont to celebrating the day in the lavish Nigerian style, as he grew deeper in his walk with God, and as he nudged others around him to follow the straight and narrow path, every year’s celebration would have dwindled in splendour, revelries and victuals…as more and more of his disciples would have found reasons to spend that day in close communion with their Maker, in close proximity of their immediate families. Rather than go cavorting with the genial man of delicate nuances but steely work ethics – even if he is the inimitable Dr. Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase. Yes, the founder of Sports Souvenir, Complete Sports, International Soccer Review, Complete Football International, Climax magazine, Success Digest weekly, SuccessDigest Marketplace, and more if we search deeper.
Now, this uniquely gifted man of letters and ideas has touched many lives – in journalism, sports, personal development, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, ministry, etc. Always in pursuits of new ideas and better ways of increasing knowledge, wealth and wisdom. Were he born in a more responsive and egalitarian society, SO (as we call him behind his back) would have flowered as a philosopher, philanthropist and global wealth disseminator. I believe so.
Today, I scoop from my latest memoir (FAME: Untold Stories of Its Rise & Fall), a chapter devoted to my contact, contract and connection with this former soldier turned journalist, turned publisher, turned pastor, turned business coach, turned author, turned digital marketing guru.
“The year nineteen ninety was an epochal year for me: on January 22, I got a letter from the organisers of the Nigerian Music Awards, NMA, indicating that I had been nominated for the “Entertainment Writer of the Year ‘89”. It was signed by my mentor, and a writing great, Mr. Ben Tomoloju as chairman of the awards committee. In February, I moved to my first apartment – a two-bedroom hideaway at No. 1, Ladoje Street, off Oko-Oba Road (Gengeto), Agege. On Friday, March 2, at the National Arts Theatre, in the presence of the most prestigious audience the Tony Okoroji-led PMAN could muster, I was announced as the winner of the Entertainment Writer award…
Still in the glorious 1990: Before the end of June, I had collected my first driving license (temporary) at the Ikorodu Local Government Area – though it was another one year before I had a car to drive on a regular basis. Without jumping to the end of a story at its introduction, it was in the same June that I resumed at the Plot 3, Alhaji Adenekan Street, Okota offices of Complete Communications Limited, the publishers of Climax magazine. As usual with me, I jumped into the fray, badgering through all sorts of impediments and resentments without any worries in the drive to fulfill the dictates of my ‘manifesto’.
Interestingly, I met some nice people on the ground: the lovely, ever-charming editor, Moji Danisa was not a stranger to me; her hulking smooth-talking deputy was Ehi Braimah. My entry point designation was as a deputy editor (entertainment and leisure – see bromide of my acceptance of appointment offer). I believe we all shared the same office, while reporters and line editors filled the large newsroom. Downstairs, the production room was well-manned, as the building also housed the sporting titles. Mumuni Alao, cheerful, calm and deliberate, was the editor of the major sports publication, Complete Football. He is now the Managing Director of the group, I believe.
Working at Climax was great, contrary to my misgivings…up close, you could hardly find a better boss than SO. He met all my requests, didn’t interfere unduly with my editorial and professional decisions – even some he couldn’t help hiding the chuckles in bemused astonishment, I presumed. I asked for and got a foldable camp bed – as it was virtually impossible to go home daily as a result of the enormity of the paradigm-shifting tasks I had set for myself. Working like a demented snake charmer, I criss-crossed nooks and crannies of Lagos, and tapped sources all over the world, shaking news ‘trees’ for juicy and exclusive information. My immediate target was to get the magazine mentioned in the next awards (NMA), if not snatch the ultimate prize from the perennial winners, The Punch. It didn’t bother me that we had only seven months to achieve that.
I met some hard-working, ready-to-rumble guys in Climax who made the transition easier for me: Al Humphrey Onyanabo was the main driver for society news… a couple of others were quietly buzzing with all sorts of stories (their faces fail me now). There was Yetunde Fosudo, wife of star actor and lecturer, Sola Fosudo, who was in charge of the women’s page. There were also younger chaps like the funky society reporter with the seemingly cheery bounce, Lanre Ijaola.
The outcome of our relentless and punishing regime of work, craft and audacity resulted in barely concealed rumours of organisational reshuffling by the beginning of 1991. From discussions with the Publisher, it became apparent that he wanted my involvement to spread further than what was obtainable. A promotion letter dated January 31, 1991 dropped on my table: Moji had been removed as editor, Ehi had been seconded to one of the sports magazines (International Soccer Review, ISR) as its editor, and I was made the editor of Climax.
And the hustles became more intense, and consuming. Some new folks had joined us: I remember one particularly – the ever resourceful investigative reporter with his incredible ‘world explosives’, Ben Charles Obi.” He died a few years ago, in 2014.
To Be Continued – Have a great and fulfilling New Year.
(Excerpts culled from the chapter three of FAME: Untold Stories – Nov. 2021)
