Founding Editor and former Managing Director of The Guardian, Mr Lade Bonuola (Ladbone), Left; with the newspaper’s former Parastatals Reporter, Mr Adelele Adeseri, at the conferment of Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence on Bonuola, by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ, in Lagos … on Wednesday, November 9, 2020
By Banji Ayoola
A flood of congratulatory and goodwill messages have kept pouring in on the founding Editor of the flagship of the Nigerian media, The Guardian, and later the Managing Director of the newspaper, Mr Lade Bonuola (Ladbone), who, on Wednesday December 9, in Lagos was conferred with a Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, WSCIJ.
He was honoured alongside with Lagos lawyer and human rights crusader, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, who received Human Rights Defender Award, among other journalists and media houses that bagged various awards at the 15th edition of the award.
Bonuola was honoured for his exemplary leadership and influence on generations of journalists whose paths crossed his in the past 50 years of his career spanning the celebrated Daily Times, The Guardian, The Comet and Nigerian Compass.
He was elated as he danced to the stage to receive his plaque. Expressing his appreciation, he said he was happy with the quality of the award and reporters. He commended Prof. Wole Soyinka for the gesture.
In his acceptance speech, he noted that the award crowned his 50-year career in Journalism. Recounting his days at The Guardian, he cited instances when colleagues were detained for publishing truth that embarrassed political office holders. “What does truth do, if not embarrass?”, he asked rhetorically.
On his own, Falana, represented by his daughter, Mrs Foladele Falana-Ngadi, and who was honoured for his consistent stance against human rights violations and his efforts to defend freedom of expression in Nigeria, assured that the identity of the people involved in the killing of #EndSARS protesters in Abuja, Ogbomoso, Lekki and other parts of the country would soon be revealed.
In her own speech at the event, WSCIJ’s Executive Director/CEO, Motunrayo Alaka, regretted that investigative journalism is under threat as truth is being constantly besieged by public office holders and agents of the state who frequently attack journalists and media houses for defending the truth.
Her words: “In this post-truth era, investigative journalism has become even more difficult. The truth is constantly besieged from all sides. Journalists and news media organisations are attacked daily by public office holders, organised peddlers of misinformation and citizens alike.
“Our predicament has been further complicated by the (COVID-19) pandemic, the #EndSARS protests and the vandalism that followed both incidents, with losses to many, including the death of a budding journalist, Pelumi Onifade of Gboah TV, who died while in the custody of officers attached to the Lagos State Task Force.”
However, she noted cheerfully: “Journalism has been masked by these issues. Yet, we are not silenced. Despite the many woes of the media, this has been a great year for reporters and news media organisations alike.”
Alaka had earlier said in a statement that Bonuola would be “presented the lifetime award for journalistic excellence for his contribution to independent journalism in Nigeria through his years of service at The Guardian Newspaper, in the publication’s heyday and his commitment to promoting positive values that link media reporting to good governance and social justice.”
The statement had added: “On his part, Falana was chosen for the human rights defender award for his consistent defence for the freedom of people who become targets because they voiced their opinion and those oppressed because they are not able to speak for themselves.”
At the forum, journalists, media proprietors and other stakeholders asserted that the Nigerian media cannot be silenced, nor its independence diminished by oppression from government, economic challenges or other trial, in line with the anniversary’s theme: “Masked not silenced.”
The three day event which climaxed with the award, provided a platform for media professionals and other stakeholders to reflect on the state of the media profession in Nigeria.
It was launched in October 2005 as WSCIJ’s flagship programme. The award presentation event, which is free for all to attend, is held annually on December 9, the International Anticorruption Day and eve of the Human Rights Day, to acknowledge best practices in investigative journalism and call attention to its significance for attaining good governance, accountability, and social justice.
It has produced 98 finalists, 9 investigative journalists of the year and 22 honorary awards recipients so far.
Numerous journalists whose paths had crossed Bonuola’s particularly at The Guardian, who have felicitated with their former boss in one of his finest hours on earth include Senator Ayogu Eze, Mr Niyi Obaremi, Mr Sina Ogunbambo, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Mr Jewell Dafinone, Prince Isah Momoh, Prince Uthman Shodipe-Dosunmu, Mrs Harriet Lawrence, Mrs Titilayo Modupe, Mrs Nse Okunlola, Mr Mike Asuquo, Mr Abdul Oroh, Mr Banji Adisa, Mr Bellie Tet, Mr Oghogho Obayuwana, Mr Emmanuel Sunny Ojeagbase, Mr Steve Abokede, Prof Mohammed Basheer (Al-Bishak, Mr Fred Ohwahwa, Prof Abiodun Adeniyi, Mr Aaron Ukodie, Mr Etim Etim, Bridget, Aisha, Mr Okoruwa Omohinmin, Mr Thomas Odemwingie, Mr Adeolu Durotoye, Mr Felix Oguejiofor, Mr Gideon Jarikre, Mr Akande, Mr Monday, Dapsy, Mr Kole Odutola, Mr Sunny K, Mr Pius Mordi, Mr Andy, Adenike, Mr Femi Jolaolu, Mr Ibe, Mr Ikeddy Isiguzo, Mr Dan Akpovwa, Mrs Toyin Willoughby-Muyi, Mr Akin Ogunrinde, Mr Koned, Mr Emeka, Mr Noel, Mr Aderemi, Mr Yinka Fabowale and Mr Banji Ayoola.
Following are some of the messages:
Mohammed Basheer (Al-Bishak): Congrats, sir. You have produced professors of English with your mastery of the English language. Well-deserved honour.
Aisha: Congratulations my mentor and my Oga forever. You are indeed a phenomenon. May God continue to bless you real good.
Akande: Big CONGRATULATIONS to a man of honour! It’s not just the recognition from the award to you. But also the honour your person has added to the award itself! We are so proud of you sir.
Monday: Thanks a million to the Supreme Intelligence, and CONGRATULATIONS to Oga Ladbone, a man of honour, for the Honour Well Deserved. More grease to your elbow, Sir.
Dapsy: Ladbone’s immense sense of grace was tellingly evident yesterday (December 9) as he paid homage to the bosses who made him, his teachers and his colleagues at every station of life, plus a recognition for all The Guardian team members he mentored at Rutam House. Truly a titan. Congratulations sir.
Kole Odutola: This front page report says it all and I second it. This is as good as going there myself (not a weakness account in any way.) This is a true witness account. Congrats sir.
Banji Adisa: Congratulations to a core professional, a man so passionate about his job and career. I feel fulfilled to have gone through his tutelage.
Thomas Odemwingie: LIFETIME AWARD FOR JOURNALISTIC EXCELLENCE – MR LADE BONUOLA
Lade Bonuola became popular in the newspaper industry while at Daily Times, during which he was a sub-editor. He later became features editor of the publication. He wrote a column ‘Caught Out’ under the penname Ladbone (coined from his first and last names) in which he spotted common grammatical errors across newspapers of the era; hence the nickname, Ladbone.
He was a part of the team that engineered the establishment of The Guardian in the early 80s which heralded an era of lofty heights for Nigerian journalism, with The Guardian emerging as the leading newspaper. He was the pioneer editor of the newspaper from 1982 to 1988 and assumed leadership of the group between 1989 and 1999 as its managing director.
Lade Bonuola co-founded and served as the managing director of The Comet newspaper and he was the publisher of the Nigerian Compass from 2009 to 2011. In a bio by a Guardian features editor, it was said that Mr Lade Bonuola is a consummate newspaper man. He reads most of the newspapers in circulation, and remains on top of the major social, economic and political developments.
But there was no doubt that judicial/legal issues were his favourite. He never joked with anything concerning Frederick Rotimi Alade (FRA) Williams, Abdul-Ganiyu “Gani” Oyesola Fawehinmi, Kehinde Sofola and other legal luminaries. He introduced “Cause List” in The Guardian, the first in any Nigerian newspaper; as well as “Flight Guardian”, under which the flight schedules of all national carriers were published.
He also had undisguised admiration for religion and religious personages. Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, first gained popularity for his column “Sunday Worship”, in The Guardian. Soon, he got a popular Muslim cleric to write “Friday Worship”, as he was always seeking balance. For the children’s page, Mr. Bonuola went all the way to get one of Nigeria’s pioneering women writers, Mabel Segun (Nee Imoukhuede), who turned 90 earlier in 2020.
He created “Motoring Guardian” for do-it-yourself (DIY) tips on car maintenance which led to scouting for automobile engineers around the neighbouring Ladipo area to sustain the page.
Lade Bonuola is the Chairman, VerityHeights Bureau Limited, and an online publication focused on the expansion of knowledge.
For his many accomplishments and outstanding contributions to journalistic excellence, leadership and influence on generations of journalists, Mr Lade Bonuola is awarded the 2020 Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Sina Ogunbambo: A gold fish has no hiding place. You are an asset forever. Congratulations for the beautiful feather added to your cap sir. It is a well deserved honour for the mentor of outstanding journalists.
Abiodun Adeniyi: Indeed a telling testimony of an outing for a towering achiever, who birthed the long lasting Ladbonian school, and is still riding high, with the blessings of a growing calendar. Hearty congratulations, Sir.
And thanks to Uncle Dapsy, for the vision for the reputable centre-one of few lights in the firmament-and more. More grease, Boss!
Prince Uthman Shodipe – Dosunmu: The Icon called Ladbone
Ladbone. What a name!
What a man! Here resides a legend whose fame is well preserved, whose iconic attributes are well affirmed.
Ladbone is a legend before his time. His renown is large, pivoted in observable giantism. He is a professional in the mythic original essence who is indifferent to tribal provenance or the convenience of faith.
He is a man of exuding merit and classical deliberative principle. He cannot, and he will not be dissuaded from the righteous path. His grip on his vision is certain. His discernment about his universe is obvious; sometimes stern, sometimes implacable, but always defined in giant truism.
Ladbone holds no malice. No grudge. No dispute that I know of.
He could be stirred in the exuberance of the youth. He could glow in sterling admiration of a worthy exemplar. But he does not need to know you to appreciate your excellence. He does not need to ascertain your tribal beginnings or sectarian leanings to rouse his intellectual affirmation.
Like Andy Akporugo, Amma Ogan, Ted Iwere, Okey Ndibe and General Muhammed Buba Marwa – all who gave me a place in the sun at different moments in my phases in The Guardian, Ladbone resides in some special signification for his fearlessness, for his forthright and sometimes defiant individuality. He remains to me genuine as a gem, fierce as a furnace, principled as principle could be.
In the dark days of old when I was orphaned, trampled and cheated, he stretched a healing hand even without knowing me, save for the singular attainments of my intellectual input. That was enough for him.
Now that I do not need him. Now that I am far beyond the slings and the arrows of the animadversion, now that I reside in an island of some calm resolution, now that I can pretend an indifference to his fame, I can pretend a distanciation from his fortune. Will that be fair and just? Will that be noble and glorious?
I am resolved. I am true. Congratulations to a great man.
Isah Momoh: Congrats Mr Caught Out!
Jewell Dafinone: Our Oga for life, congratulations sir ! God bless you abundantly.
Mike Asuquo: DOING GOOD NEVER GETS OUT OF FASHION! A TIME TO SOW…… AND A TIME TO REAP! CONGRATULATIONS!
Niyi Obaremi: An honour ‘long-earned.’ Congratulations sir.
Oghogho Obayuwana: One word for Lade Bonuola: Inimitable! Well, I can add a few strokes to what the writer already penned. When he referred to one of Ladbone’s publications focusing on the expansion of knowledge, let’s add also the column … where true knowledge, lofty spiritual knowledge (which in part he drew from In the Light of Truth: The Grail Message) was/is also being expanded in relation to world events.
And as an icing on the author’s beautiful article, permit me to go personal by stating that Ladbone is also unassuming. I recall once he was visiting Abuja and quartered at the Nicon Noga (now Transcorp) Hilton. And after pleasantries and an inquiry to how the Abuja Bureau was faring, he then elected to walk me from his floor down and onto the hotel’s car park despite my mild protest. I also remember then as we discussed the need to keep standards and his admiration of beautiful things including some that we caught sight of, he then remarked: “yes, I am a servant of beauty”. Humility has to be a virtue. It can open streams of knowledge to one not too burdened by self importance and knowing better
Bellie Tet: “Caught Out” by Ladbone was as enigmatic in content as it was obscurantist in ownership. It was not until 1983 that I had a face to the byline. I had gone to The Guardian to meet the “Associate Editor” of The Guardian and told my friend, Dele Olojede about meeting Mr. Lade Bonuola and he thundered “Ladbone.” I then made a connection between the man and the compelling column that we digested weekly in Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos. The column was as compelling as Dele Giwa’s “Page 7” in the same Daily Times. Both had dazzled with their mastery of the English Language – one as a critique, an Ombudsman of sorts and the other as a curator of linguistic elegance. Giwa was to later add Parralax Snaps to his repertoire of columns when he pioneered the Sunday Concord while Ladbone honed his trade by mentoring journalistic greenhorns in the stable of the newly formed The Guardian into reportorial gIadiators.
I always thank God, and continue to do so daily, for making my career path to cross that of Ladbone. Even though circumstances caused us to “separate” in joyous acrimony, he remains till today my Uncle and evergreen mentor. To say he deserves Lifetime Award for Journalistic Excellence” is merely stating the obvious. The history of Nigerian Journalism – ancient and modern – will always devote pages upon pages to the exploits of Ladbone – Lade Bonuola. Congratulations, Sir. Still awaiting that book that must be written for posterity.
Titilayo Modupe: I join others to congratulate our brilliant boss. You deserve it and many more to come.
Abiodun Adeniyi: Therapeutic prose, lucid and uncommon-typically ladbonian. I am learning.
Thanks Boss for you humility, and appreciation.”
In his response to the warm words of the messages, Bonuola wrote: “This deluge of felicitations and goodwill is coming again barely two months after my birthday! There have also been telephone calls and text messages. I am exceedingly overwhelmed. What could I have achieved without the collaborative efforts of all of you and the Grace of the Lord crowning it. As I have previously stated on this platform, my tenure was blessed with a good team, the best in the land. We worked collaboratively like fingers of a hand. It is always a thing of joy for me to remember those days and those times.
“As I did say at the occasion on Wednesday, much of the credit goes to our proprietors and bosses who believed in us and provided the platforms as well as gave us the freehand to unfold our talents and abilities. Alhaji Jose, Alex Ibru and Dr. Dele Cole were unique publishers. Jose, chairman/managing director of the Daily Times was locked up with his editors–Henry Odukomaiya and Segun Osoba during Gowon’s Administration for crusading against corruption. The policeman who was asked to lock them up was so embarrassed that he exempted Alhaji Jose from removing his clothes in the cell. When warned by Jose of the likelihood of his dismissal should his superiors learn of the special treatment, the policeman said he did not mind.
“Alex Ibru was harassed in Abacha’s government because of The Guardian stance on issues that he had to resign. Barely two months after the resignation, he was shot. He did not recover from the dastardly experience; he died 16 years later from the after effects.
“Dr. Cole stood by his editor, Tunji Oseni who refused to pull out a story on the Nigeria Airways. When Security could not persuade Oseni to pull out the story, Obasanjo, the Head of State took over the telephone, but Oseni remained adamant. Oseni said he reported only to his managing director. They got Dr. Cole; he stood by his editor. Brave men all. As our fathers say, a dog backed by its owner would face the lion any day. It is such an environment that makes talents to unfold and flourish.
“Then my bosses–Allah-De, Henry Odukomaiya, Sad Sam, Sola Oluwole, George Okoro and Stanley Macebuh all of whom believed in me. Step forward, Mr. Nworji, the lion of Kakawa, the production manager who forced me to learn to keep production timelines. Next were my colleagues who were ready to take the next available flight to the moon and fetch it–bold, fearless and daring, and capable.
“From the foregoing, we can all see that the award is not only for me but for all of us. I merely went as your representative to collect it.
“I thank you all for your love and goodwill. Many thanks, indeed. I am grateful.
“And of course, Segun Osoba. The whole world knew how he considered me special in his rating and he was prepared to go to any length to get me to the summit of the mountain. I am deeply and specially indebted to him. I thank everyone from deep my heart.
“Oh, of course Femi Kusa, he occupies a special place in my career and my heart. He was my pillar.”
