By Steve Otaloro
Some men merely write, and there are men whose pens shape public discourse, challenge power, preserve history and illuminate society. Sufuyan Ojeifo belongs firmly in the latter category. As he clocks 60 today, I join countless admirers, colleagues and friends in celebrating not just the passage of time, but a life devoted to truth, integrity, excellence and service.
Our friendship has stood the test of time. We both grew up in Owo, Ondo State, where dreams were born long before destiny revealed its full script. Through the years, our bond has endured life’s changing seasons, proving that genuine friendship is measured not by proximity but by loyalty, trust and mutual respect.
One cannot celebrate Sufuyan Ojeifo at sixty without returning to the streets that shaped our dreams. Long before Abuja’s corridors of power, newspaper editorials and national recognition, there was the vibrant town of Owo, where we spent our childhood around the Ijebu and Iyere axis. We were ordinary boys with boundless energy, running through dusty streets, playing endless games, laughing without restraint and embracing the innocence of youthful exuberance.
Yet, even in those formative years, Sufuyan was remarkably different. While many of us were occupied with childhood adventures and harmless pranks, he had already discovered the companionship of books. Shakespeare fascinated him. He immersed himself in the works of the immortal playwright, absorbing profound expressions and timeless quotations with such ease that one would think he had coined them himself. His vocabulary, depth of thought and command of language stood far above his age, quietly announcing the emergence of an extraordinary mind destined for greatness.
His passion extended beyond literature. At a time when international correspondence depended entirely on handwritten letters, Sufuyan devoted himself to writing to Christian missionary and charitable organisations abroad. Many of us joined him in sending letters, hoping to receive responses. More often than not, our letters disappeared into silence. His experience, however, was remarkably different. Those organisations not only replied but regularly commended the maturity and spirituality reflected in his correspondence. They sent him inspiring Christian novels, beautifully bound Holy Bibles, gospel tracts, study materials, and other gifts to support what they perceived as a young evangelist’s mission to spread the Christian faith in this part of the world.
Looking back today, it is hardly surprising. Even as a little boy, Sufuyan wrote with the clarity, persuasion and intellectual maturity of someone decades older than his years. His letters possessed the elegance, detail and structure one would ordinarily expect from a university graduate rather than a young teenager. While the rest of us still thought like children, he already reasoned like an adult.
I vividly remember one conversation that has remained permanently etched in my memory. Sufuyan once told me that his greatest ambition was to become one of Nigeria’s finest broadcasters. In those days, presenting the NTA Network News at 9:00 p.m. represented the pinnacle of broadcasting excellence. It was the dream of every aspiring broadcaster. What fascinated me was not merely the ambition itself but the fact that, at an age when most of us were planning our next prank or childhood escapade, he had already discovered purpose and charted a clear direction for his future.
Providence, however, had designed an even greater assignment for him. Though he never became the familiar face reading the Network News at nine o’clock, God placed in his hands something even more enduring, a pen more powerful than a microphone. Through journalism, he has defined and analysed fundamental issues affecting our nation, spoken truth to power with courage and conviction, enriched democratic discourse and mentored countless young journalists who today proudly carry forward the torch of ethical journalism.
To many, Sufuyan Ojeifo is a distinguished journalist. To others, he is a master columnist, an accomplished public affairs analyst and a powerful pen orator whose thoughts possess the rare ability to educate, provoke reflection and inspire action. To me, he is all these and much more, a dependable friend whose encouragement, wise counsel and unwavering support have contributed immensely to my own professional growth.
His journey in journalism has been nothing short of extraordinary. From the newsroom to the highest levels of national discourse, he has built a reputation founded on intellectual depth, fearless reporting and uncommon professionalism. Every article he writes bears the unmistakable imprint of rigorous scholarship, balanced judgment and moral courage. His words do not merely occupy newspaper columns; they shape conversations and leave lasting footprints on society’s conscience of society.
Today, as the General Secretary of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers of Nigeria (GOCOP), he continues to provide purposeful leadership in the rapidly evolving digital media ecosystem. Through his stewardship, he has remained a steadfast advocate of professionalism, ethical journalism and media credibility at a time when truth itself is increasingly contested.
One of the defining qualities that has distinguished Sufuyan throughout his illustrious career is his uncompromising integrity. In an age where principles are too frequently sacrificed on the altar of convenience, he has remained steadfast in his convictions. He understands that credibility takes decades to build but only moments to destroy. Consequently, he has guarded his name with the vigilance of a man who knows that honour is life’s most valuable possession.
His own reflections on life have always revealed the depth of his humanity. Even while celebrating previous birthdays, he chose introspection over extravagance, gratitude over vanity and wisdom over applause. Those reflections spoke volumes about a man who understands that life’s greatest victories are measured not by wealth accumulated or titles acquired, but by lives touched, values defended and legacies preserved.
Life, however, has not spared him its share of sorrow. Like refined gold purified in the furnace, Sufuyan has endured painful personal losses. He has mourned beloved siblings, treasured childhood companions and, more recently, his elder brother, Mayor, among other loved ones whose absence continues to leave an irreplaceable void. Yet adversity has never diminished his faith nor weakened his resolve. Instead, those painful seasons have deepened his dependence on God, strengthened his character and reinforced his commitment to keeping the family together. His Christian faith has remained both his compass and his anchor through every storm.
Sufuyan Ojeifo has remained a bridge-builder, a mentor to younger journalists, a loyal friend to many and a voice of reason in moments of national uncertainty. His humility has never diminished his greatness; rather, it has amplified it. He wears success with uncommon simplicity and carries influence without arrogance.
As you celebrate this diamond milestone, my prayer is that the Almighty God grants you many more years of sound health, renewed strength, divine favour and greater accomplishments. May your pen never lose its sharpness, your convictions never weaken, and your voice continue to enrich journalism, strengthen our democracy and inspire generations yet unborn.
My dear brother and lifelong friend, receive your flowers while the world can still celebrate you. Your greatest legacy will not merely be the stories you have written, but the countless lives you have inspired, the young journalists you have mentored, the principles you have defended and the hope you have quietly planted in hearts that may never fully repay your kindness.
At sixty, you have demonstrated that a meaningful life is never measured by the number of birthdays celebrated but by the number of destinies influenced. Buildings crumble, titles fade, applause grows silent, and even monuments surrender to time. But truth outlives generations, integrity survives every season, and character becomes the only inheritance death cannot confiscate. Those who dedicate their lives to truth never truly depart; they simply become part of the moral legacy that the noblest calling is not merely to live, but to leave the world wiser, better and more hopeful than we found it.
Happy 60th Birthday, my dear friend, brother and confidant. May your finest chapters still lie ahead.
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