Deacon Ovie Edomi is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The South-South Magazine. In a chat with journalists in Lagos, he opens up on what attracted him to journalism and his experience as a journalist. He also speaks on his experience as a publisher in a saturated market; saying that the number of people buying newspapers and magazines is less than 15 per cent of the entire population. Emmanuel Edom was there Excepts:
What attracted you to journalism?
When l was growing up in the 1960s, my father used to tell me stories about the great Nnamdi Azikiwe, Herbert Macaulay and how his cousin, the late Dr Clarkson Majomi interviewed several presidents and kings, including the Queen of England and as l grew up, l wanted to become somebody like Azikiwe and Majomi, who through journalism contributed immensely to shape nation’s history. I saw journalism as a career through which l can contribute my voice to make our society a better place so that when we are gone those coming after us will look at my work and say he tried to mould a good society in his time.
Interestingly in my secondary school days, I was good in both art and sciences. So, I wanted to read architecture, law, mass communications or engineering. My first admission was into a science course but l got home and told myself that l could not contribute to governance and nation building through the course l was offered; so l abandoned it and took up a course in Journalism.
When did you start journalism practice?
My first job was a public relations job in an engineering firm that does big construction jobs for Shell, NNPC and so on but after one year, I told myself I wanted to be in main stream journalism and that was how I left Warri in 1990 for Lagos. My first job in Lagos was with Kantata Entertainers. Most of the old actors and actresses you see on screen worked with us doing stage /live performance at National Theatre, University of Ibadan and so on. I still see some of those old faces on screen. I was the public relations manager of the outfit. After some months I went to The Mail and began to write for them on a freelance basis. Later I joined The Punch and moved on to TELL. I was in TELL for about a decade before l took the bold step to establish my own magazine in 2006
Who are your mentors in journalism?
Jesus Christ is my first mentor because without Him, I could have ended up a farmer. I remember a boy who was equally good and was always competing for first position with me, today he is in Warri wasting away. Anyhow in the journalism profession my mentors are Nosa lgiebor, Onome Osifo-Whiskey, president and vice president of TELL respectively, Professor Olatunji Dare and my teachers.
How has it been since you began your own magazine?
Interestingly, I did not go into journalism because of the money and the glamour but because I wanted to contribute to nation building and I am glad I have been able to do so in my articles, agenda setting stories and commentaries.
You may say that as a publisher of a magazine I am a businessman. I agree but at all times I see myself as a reporter. If I look at it from the angle of business certainly I would have gone into something more profitable but journalism is my calling and it’s what I know how to do best
Looking back what would you say is your most horrifying experience?
They are several but I will perhaps state five. After I interviewed a high profile politician in Sheraton in 1989, I took a taxi to another hotel in Ikeja GRA to book a room only to get there and the all rooms were occupied and this was about 2am. I pleaded with the receptionist to allow me stay in their reception till morning he refused. I came out no taxi so I ended up sitting by the flowers outside until the next morning. If I knew I could have slept in Sheraton and unfortunately for me I drove in the politician’s car hoping to conduct the interview in the car but he later said we should do it in the hotel by which time I had asked the boy driving me to go home
My second terrible experience has to do with our story on a $1.6billion contract awarded without the consent of President Yar’Adua. People went after me when the story was published but in the end President Yar’Adua saw the publication and he revoked the contract and sacked an executive director of NAPIMS. I was doing a story on how arms get into the country via the border and I sent questionnaires to a Customs’ Comptroller. He asked me to come for interview. On getting there I was ushered into a conference hall with over 500 customs clearing agents and I was asked to explain in public from one question to the other. It was God’s intervention that saved me. A clearing agent, who use to visit a veterinary doctor staying with me when he was doing his NYSC was the one God used to deliver me. He told the crowd comprising Customs officers and clearing agents that he knew me and that I am an experienced journalist who could not have been paid to destroy the customs. I was later asked to go after my tape recorder had been seized. Three weeks later l was asked to come for the interview again. This time I decided to go with other journalists including NUJ executives considering my earlier experience and true to my suspicion they had arranged all the heads of security agencies in the command.
Unfortunately, my arrival with the other journalists disarmed them but then the Comptroller said ‘This is the man who is doing a story on how arms pass the border and the DPO took it up from there and said ‘ We will like you to give us the names of those involved because Abuja is interested, I stood up and told them that a journalist is not an informant but someone who gathers information and put them together for the public consumption even then I insisted that journalists are not expected to disclose their sources of information and I turned to Sunday Bada of blessed memory and I said’ You have travelled round the world have you seen where journalists disclose their sources of information’. Before Bada could respond the DSSS man who was among the security chiefs said comptroller is this why we are here?’ Apparently, unknown to us the command had invited a journalist from AIT and another from NAN and kept them in a room and lied to the security chiefs that they were inviting someone who is working on arms across the border. I am sure the security chiefs did not know that they only wanted to rope a journalist in and portray him on national television as someone who knew arms importers but my response and the team of journalists that accompanied me shattered the plan of the customs comptroller. As is to be expected, I left without an interview. When l got home later in the night the PRO of the command called to say ‘Oga you are a strong man. Till date when the Customs Comptroller who is now one of the present leaders of the Customs in the Customs headquarters calls me he says ‘Baba’ Ovie. There was also the story on the Maritime Academy that was under construction at Badagry by NIMASA under Ade Dosumu’s régime. I got to the site took pictures and published it. The agency had been hiding the information from the public but immediately our magazine hit the newsstands, the agency called a world press conference on a Sunday to talk about the second maritime academy and lastly my recent story on Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission’s Executive Secretary, which made me to be in DSSS detention for three days
Have ever you killed a story as an editor?
Yes and it is with reasons
What were the reasons?
First any story that has to do with national security must be dropped because you should not be seen exposing national secrets.
Second anything that is libelous for which I do not have proof and the reporter cannot also give me any evidence is thrown away or you could say killed until it can be substantiated.
The perception of journalists is that they love women, drink and so on. How would you describe yourself?
One thing I know is that every journalist cannot be the same. As for me, I am a good mixer but I choose my friends very carefully because even the Bible, which is our guide as Christians says our friends must be few and good. Besides l am moderate in everything l do. I am an avid reader and I like quiet and extremely clean environment. I like meeting people with very high intelligent quotient, but when I meet dull people I take them for who they are and I think I am an introvert but a good mixer. I equally try to be a good example of my master – Jesus Christ.
Would you say that there has been threat to your life?
I do not know of any but then as the son of the lion of the tribe of Judah. I am therefore a lion besides l am an Urhoboman. My great grandfather worked with the colonial masters. In those days it was great men who can work or relate with the Whiteman. You can see that l come from the lineage of lions and not cowards. Ask Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa or go and find out yourself from Eku and Oginibo.
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