National Honours: Obasa Salutes Amuka-Pemu, Onanuga, Babarinsa, Other Journalism Icons

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa has applauded the national honours bestowed on some journalism greats like Sam Amuka-Pemu, publisher of the Vanguard newspapers; Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Dare Babarinsa, popular newspaper columnist; and Dapo Olorunyomi, founder/publisher of Premium Times.

Also on the list of recipients were Kunle Ajibade, executive editor at TheNews; Seye Kehinde, publisher of City People magazine; Nosa Igiebor, Editor-in-Chief of TELL, perhaps Nigeria’s most successful news magazine; and Bagauda Kaltho, a senior correspondent of TheNews magazine who was murdered in a bomb blast in 1996 in Kaduna State.

The media icons were part of 139 Nigerians honoured for their varied and invaluable contributions to Nigerian democracy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the June 12 Democracy Day celebration.

Speaker Obasa’s heartfelt salutation is contained in a statement signed by Adeshina Oyetayo, his Special Adviser on Research, Media, and Documentation.

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According to him, “It is heartwarming to see these journalism greats being honoured for their courage, resilience, and steadfastly using the power of their pen to fight the tyranny of military dictatorship, risking their lives and livelihood, braving the odds, the guns, and arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, to fight for the enthronement, growth, and survival of democracy in Nigeria. They are the true heroes of our democracy. They deserve all the honour bestowed on them.”

Obasa further thanked them for their labour of love and sacrifices for Nigeria and implored them to keep their passion for a better society aflame and alive. He implored them not be slowed down by age or any existential issue.

“The Nigeria you risked it all for is almost here. And we need you to continue to be the watchdog of our democracy,” Obasa stated.

Interestingly, Amuka-Pemu, whom President Tinubu described as ‘a legendary journalism icon and publisher that has remained true to his lifetime calling’ , could not have got a more fitting 90th birthday gift than the conferment of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) title on him. Amuka-Pemu, founder of The Vanguard newspaper, turns 90 on Friday, June 13.

Like Amuka-Pemu; Onanuga, founder of TheNews magazine, and Babarinsa, co-founder of TELL magazine, were also conferred with the CON title. Olorunyomi, Ajibade, Igiebor, and Kehinde got the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, title.

Conversely, Kaltho, who got a posthumous OON, was one of the journalists who paid the supreme price during the despotic regime of the late General Sani Abacha.