Nigerians, especially media practitioners are currently mourning, following the demise of one of the founding fathers of the country’s Journalism, Alade Odunewu, who passed on, Thursday, July 25, at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos. He was aged 85.
Since the departure of the media guru, popularly known as Allah Dey, avalanche of glowing tributes have continued to pour in for the hugely respected media doyen described by many as a colossus on the Nigerian media scene.
Describing him as one of the finest columnists in Nigeria, the Associate Publisher of Entertainment/Sunday Express, Dimgba Igwe stated thus: “Odunewu was one of the icons of our profession. He was highly principled. He was in journalism for the sake of the truth and he distinguished himself as a columnist. He was one of the finest columnists that Nigeria ever produced. Nowadays, almost everybody is a columnist, commenting on things they either know little or nothing about. At the end, Odunewu didn’t amass wealth. He never bothered much about material things. He was a professional to the core and a hero to look up to. He was a journalist that served the society with integrity. If he had sold out, he would have been very wealthy.” Dimgba’s twin brother in journalism and the publisher of Entertainment Express and Sunday Express, Mr. Mike Awoyinfa, who was shocked and short of words simply described the deceased thus: “He was a great journalist and very humble. We will always miss him.”
Also reacting, Henry Odukomaiya, who took over from Odunewu as the Editor of the Daily Times said: “I am shocked, saddened to learn about the sudden departure of my great boss, Alade Odunewu whose pseudonym was Allah Dey, which was the name of the column he gave birth to when he was Editor-in-chief of the Daily Times.
“The Allah Dey that I knew was one of the most accommodating bosses that anybody could have-I mean every word of what I am saying. He never offended anybody, he did his job to the best of his ability and his ability was quite high. He was very jocular and that reflected in every of his writing. He was elegant too. He didn’t take life too seriously.” On his part, Sam Amuka Pemu, Publisher of The Vanguard Newspaper also eulogized the late Allah Dey: “He was a fine fellow; we will miss him,” while Femi Kusa, former Editor of the Guardian, described him as a great columnist who was very careful and diplomatic in his writings.
Similarly, the Former Editor of The Sunday Times, Gbolabo Ogunsanwo believes the profession had lost one of its heroes. “Alade Odunewu was the uncrowned dean of newspaper columnists.” Adenaike remembered the late Odunewu as a great mentor to the younger generation of journalists and a great craftsman. “He was the father of journalism. Nigerian journalism has lost one of its founding fathers, and he was a great mentor to the younger ones. He was a great humorist and satirist. He was a great craftsman. He lived journalism; he published two books – Winner Takes All, which was the compilation of his columns into two volumes.”
“Satire is the stuff of his work, master of the well-placed innuendo. Odunewu called attention to the follies and foibles of his era without wounding the vanities of men and women of the moment,” Journalism teacher and The Nation Editorial Adviser Olatunji Dare once wrote about the sage.
According to so many other media icons, few can be said to have matched the passion and talents of the late Odunewu. “He talked about proper practices of journalism and was always willing to advise the NUJ. We will miss him,” the chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists ,NUJ, Lagos State Council, Deji Elumoye said. Elumoye further noted that the late Odunewu was a foremost journalist who never did anything else but journalism.
Perhaps, one of the lasting legacies of the departed veteran journalist was his “Allah Dey” column, which has been described by many as one of the best satires ever penned by a Nigerian journalist. The late Nnamdi Azikwe had earlier described him as the “dean of Nigerian satirical writing.”
The man Alade Odunewu
Hugely respected and celebrated, within and outside the media, Odunewu’s devotion to journalism would be a model that the profession may find hard to fill. He began his journalism career at the Daily Times as a reporter after his secondary education at the New Bethel College, Onitsha, Anambra State and later secured a Federal Government scholarship to study Journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic, London- now University of Westminster.
Between 1950-56, the Journalism guru worked at the Daily Times as a reporter and sub-editor. He left to become the Managing Editor of the African Press Limited Ibadan, publishers of the Nigerian Tribune Newspaper. He later spent four years, between 1960 and 1964, as the Editor-in-Chief of the Allied Newspapers of Nigeria before he left to become the Editor, Sunday Times, in 1964.
Passionate about the profession, Odunewu rose through the ranks at the Daily Times. He was later appointed editor of the paper, coming after Peter Enahoro who was initially known as “George Sharp” and later as Peter Pan.
He was the chairman of the Nigeria Press Council, NPC, and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Nigeria Media Merit Award, NMMA. His Allah Dey column was for many years the delight of readers for its wit, simplicity and humour.
Survived by three children, his remains were on Friday, July 26 interred at the prestigious Vaults and Garden cementary, Ikoyi.
Read more tributes HERE.
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