Remi, that was a short, long life. So much done in such a short time. And just when you thought that it was time to decelerate, the inescapable happened.
From the early 80s we began a friendship that was birthed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in its first home at Iganmu, Lagos. Long before you became NAN’s Managing Director you were a writer, editor and foremost journalist right there. In the days of newsmen, you were one of the “boys”. You could sniff news, write news, edit news, make news out of unseeming events.
At a time when journalists from the premier news agency in Africa had to live up to the highest professional standards in competence and ethics, you stood shoulder to shoulder with the brightest and the best. You were one of the core group – the glowing pride of irreproachable Victor Olufemi Adefela, first Editor-in-Chief of NAN and a towering, unbending stickler for excellence.
You ascended in journalism to the peak of the profession. As manager in various organizations you went the limit. As President of Nigeria Guild of Editors, voice of the President and Presidency, your stance was admirable, dignified. When you became Managing Director of NAN you sought collaboration across the world to revive a fallen iroko. Often you asked: what can we do together to make NAN strong, modern and credible? In the last two years you started to speak of using our experience for perhaps small wins. You, like older professionals do at some stage, reflected out loud whether it has been worth it, the commitment and hard work. What are really the important things in this life? What is our role, mission here? Should one concentrate on family and home, less of some things to get more of others…?
In your short life you prolonged the years, or did you just pack so much into so few days. How else could one person defy female-hood and break such rugged barriers to set new standards. Still, it was in you to set the pace. You moved mountains and doggedly persisted in going for gold.
We miss you already. Rest in peace.
Bunmi Makinwa and Yinka Adeyemi,
New York, United States
