Toast To THISDAY At 30

Guest columnist By Gboyega Amoboye

“The Duke as Prince Nduka Obaigbena is fondly called is unequivocally, one of the seven wonders of modern journalism. Wishing him the very best in the next 30years”.

Congratulations to THISDAY family on its milestone of 30 years anniversary. But I’m afraid, the story of THISDAY cannot be complete without the mention of Ide Eguabor who if I’m still right, was the first Editor of the Newspaper.

Beyond that, Ide deserves a special acknowledgement because he was a co planner of the birth of the paper from the drawing board. The Maternity home of THISDAY was a duplex at Normal Williams street off Ribadu Rd or Keffi Street, SW, Ikoyi.

I was always visiting them, The Duke and Ide. Ide even suggested that I should be the Abuja Bureau Chief but I had just taken up an appointment with the SGBN and would not like to hurt Senator Sola Saraki and Dr. Bukola Saraki who had offered me the job to strengthen the bank’s Corporate Affairs Department. I could recollect Ide was the pioneer Editor though he left in a controversial circumstances to launch National Interest with a lot of take aways from THISDAY.

With that observation, I salute the resourcefulness and entrepreneurship of The Duke who I often call, driver of prosperity journalism as it used to be with the old Daily Times, NNN and NAN. The era of leg men in journalism largely came to an end at a time only to resurface.

New Nigerian Reporters including my humble self were riding in brand new cars and living comfortably in company furnished apartments in low density areas of Lagos.

THISDAY brought back this golden era to Reporters and even getting them top flight political and quasi- political appointments, courtesy the The Duke as analysed by Segun.

The Duke as Prince Nduka Obaigbena is fondly called is unequivocally, one of the seven wonders of modern journalism. Wishing him the very best in the next 30 years.

•Gboyega Amoboye