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It’s celebration galore as PUNCH Nigeria Restricted, publishers of essentially the most extensively learn The PUNCH, Saturday PUNCH, Sunday PUNCH and PUNCH On-line clocks 50.
The agency clocked 50 on March 18, 2023, however the celebration was moved to this 12 months as a result of 2023 was an election 12 months within the nation.
On Saturday, the celebration began with a vibrant novelty soccer match held on the Mobolaji Johnson Enviornment (previously Onikan Stadium), Onikan, Lagos Island. It was enjoyable as we turned out in PUNCH’s conventional purple and white to observe the match and cheer our crew, PUNCHERS FC.
Our opponent within the match was the Media Amalgamated FC which was populated by our colleagues from The Nation, ThisDay, Management, The Guardian, Telegraph, Enterprise Day, and Tribune.
The try by the Media Amalgamated FC to spoil our present with their slim 2-1 win didn’t succeed. We took the end result of the match in its stride, and we moved on.
As you learn this, a three-day photograph exhibition would have kicked off on the Alliance Francaise de Lagos/Mike Adenuga Centre, Osborne Highway, Ikoyi, Lagos, to afford our readers and different Nigerians alternatives to view one of the best pictures from our intensive pictorial archive of the most important information occasions within the nation’s historical past.
On Thursday, a distinguished public lecture might be held on the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Highway, Victoria Island, Lagos. The lecture, to be delivered by the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, might be graced by leaders from the private and non-private sectors.
On Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Eko Motels and Suites in Lagos, PUNCH will host a black-tie dinner to acknowledge the contributions of its stakeholders to its success.
The anniversary’s grand finale is a workers social gathering on March 9 at which present and former workers might be feted for his or her contributions to PUNCH’s successes.
I’m a type of trying ahead to this social gathering, having contributed 23 years out of the 50 years of the agency’s existence. I joined the corporate in February 2001. It’s value celebrating and we’re going to social gathering exhausting simply as we have now been working exhausting.
I began my journalism profession in PUNCH from scratch. I began from what was identified then because the communication desk the place one was saddled with taking tales from reporters outdoors the pinnacle workplace by way of fax machine. That have was totally different from what’s obtainable now that tales are despatched by way of e-mail and even WhatsApp because the case could also be. It was an period when reporters, having written their tales in lengthy palms, would go and queue probably on the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Restricted workplace closest to them to ship their tales to the pinnacle workplace. They might name in by the workplace landline and demand a fax tone. Let me cease right here earlier than I start to sound like an previous man that I’m not.
From the communication desk, I moved to the sector. I lined totally different beats akin to crime/police, basic beat, and faith, amongst others, earlier than I used to be transferred outdoors the pinnacle workplace. That missionary journey began with me turning into the Oyo State correspondent from the place I used to be transferred to Abuja to cowl the Presidential Villa. After the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari expelled me from the Presidential Villa for doing my job (a narrative for an additional day), I’ve since returned to the pinnacle workplace.
Final 12 months, former workers members of PUNCH Newspapers unveiled a e-book titled “OUR PUNCH YEARS,” mentioned to be the “reminiscences and insider accounts by former editors and workers of Nigeria’s most generally learn newspaper at 50.” The over 400-page e-book was written by 38 ex-PUNCHERS who gave accounts of their memorable experiences whereas working at The PUNCH. I’ve a replica of the e-book. I labored with or below lots of those that contributed to that e-book, so, I may relate effectively with a few of their accounts.
I even have numerous fond reminiscences of my over 20 years keep at PUNCH the place many consider that there isn’t a job safety.
There was a case that occurred after I was nonetheless PUNCH’s Oyo State correspondent that I maintain remembering. It was an encounter I had with the then-chairman of the corporate, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola.
I used to be on my technique to the headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command in Eleyele, Ibadan for a press convention when my cellphone rang and the caller launched himself as “Chief Ogunshola, PUNCH chairman.” Earlier than then, I had by no means had any private encounter with Chief Ogunshola past seeing him now and again within the workplace. The very first thing that got here to my thoughts after his self-introduction was that one in every of my colleagues should have made the decision to prank me. So, my first intuition was to show to the person who I didn’t fall for his prank.
I had the chance to make this level when Chief Ogunshola mentioned he known as as a result of he had an project for me. It was at that time that I responded with confidence, “However you mentioned you’re PUNCH’s chairman. In that case, you’ll be able to cross the project you may have for me by my editor.”
I suppose Chief Ogunshola realised that I genuinely was not satisfied that he was the one on the phone with me. He took his time to clarify the steps he had taken to achieve my editor and the way he bought my phone quantity. At that time, I realised that the extremely revered Chief Ogunshola was the one speaking to me really. I felt sweat throughout me like someone simply popping out from a swimming pool. I apologised to him. Surprisingly, he was not indignant. His response in his delicate voice was “No, you haven’t executed something unsuitable.” He mentioned anyone may have known as to assert he was Chief Ogunshola.
Chief Ogunshola was meant to ship a lecture in Ibadan then and he wanted to substantiate explicit data that he needed to incorporate in his speech. He gave me the duty of confirming the data. He dictated his e-mail deal with to me and gave me a three-day deadline to ship the message to him. I ensured that I carried out that project that very same day!
On the finish of our dialog, I known as my bosses within the head workplace to report myself. All of them laughed at me, however all concluded that I had nothing to fret about.
The day Chief Ogunshola got here to ship the lecture in Ibadan, one of many PUNCH’s administrators then, the late Dr Lalekan Are, held my hand, took me to the place Chief Ogunshola was seated and launched me (a reporter) to him as “PUNCH editor in Ibadan.”
Dr Are was like that. He launched me in that very same technique to many influential individuals together with the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the then governor of Oyo State. I had a improbable relationship with him. Might his soul proceed to relaxation in peace.
So, for PUNCH, it’s celebration time. This can be a toast to a different 50 years!
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