At Memorial Lecture, Sanwo-Olu, Abiodun, Nwachukwu, Osoba, Amuka, Others Eulogise Jakande

•Rename LASU after our late dad, Jakande’s son tells Lagos governor

Obinna Chima

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Ogun State counterpart Dapo Abiodun; former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba; former military governor of Imo State, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (retd); the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka, were among eminent personalities that showered praises on the founder of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and former Lagos State Governor, late Lateef Jakande.

Some others that attended the inaugural Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture 2023, organised by the NGE in Lagos, with the theme: “Lateef Jakande: The Man, His Journalism, His Politics,” were veterans in the journalism profession such as Femi Ogunsanwo, Dr. Dayo Duyile, Lade Bonuola, Lanre Idowu, Richard Akinnola, Gbenga Adefaye, Chief Adeniji, Bayo Osiyemi (who represented Chief Felix Adenaike); Kayode Komolafe, the Ombusman of THISDAY/ARISE MEDIA, Shaka Momodu, Editor, THISDAY, among others.

Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Deputy Governor of Lagos, Dr. Femi Hamzat, described Jakande’s life as one of substance and impacts to his environment.

He said: Life is not determined by how long one lived but by the number of lives one was able to impact positively, Though the passing of Alhaji Jakande was somewhat painful to us as a State and to individuals who knew him personally because he was, indeed, a man of lovable personality who we wished could live forever, we must give unreserved appreciation to God for blessing us with him and for also giving him the grace to live a life that touched and impacted lives.”

The governor stated that it was in a bid to immortalise Jakande, that his administration established the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy to unleash the potentials of the next generation leaders.

He added: “The Academy was established to immortalise the name of the first civilian governor of our State, whose impact on the generality of our people was outstanding.

“It will provide an avenue for the younger generation to imbibe the ideals and essence of responsive, responsible and selfless leadership which were the hallmarks of Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande both in his private and public lives.

“This leadership programme will offer life changing, nonpartisan and meritocratic opportunities to young Nigerians who desire to impact their generation through public service”, he stressed. .

Abiodun, represented by a consultant, Kayode Akinmade, a former Commissioner in Ondo State, acknowledged that Jakande’s penchant and uncompromised stance for professionalism and responsible journalism, coupled with his selfless disposition to serve humanity clearly stood him out of his contemporaries and obviously created a larger than life image for him in the political space and Nigeria’s media industry.

He advised that  Jankande’s conception of democratic deliverables should ordinarily serves as a manual for policy makers in Africa in the quest for urbanisation and human capital development.

Abiodun recalled that Jakande laid the foundation for modern Lagos, after he had made remarkable landmarks in journalism, details on which would require an entire address on his own.

“Alhaji Jankande’s conception of democratic deliverables should ordinarily serves as a manual for policy makers in Africa in the quest for urbanisation and human capital development. It is then a thing of joy for me that the NGE has chosen to honour the legendary memory of a man who represented, and still represents even in death, the very best of Nigerian journalism and statesmanship.

“An ardent apostle of the late sage of Africa, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, pioneer premier of the defunct Western Region and the best president Nigeria never had, Jakande was an ideological and ethically replica of his political leader and mentor.

“It is, therefore, incontrovertibly correct to say that as the first democratically elected governor of Lagos State, Chief Jakande laid the foundation for modern Lagos, after he had made remarkable landmarks in journalism, details on which would require an entire address on his own.

“For another, and as you all know, the story of Ogun, the state over which I preside under Almighty God as the fifth democratically elected Governor, is intrinsically linked to the story of journalism/media in Nigeria,” Ogun Governor added.

Earlier, the President of the NGE and Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Eze Anaba, in his welcome address, pointed out that Jakande, who was also known as Baba Kekere, lived an impactful live, “such that we cannot talk about the drivers of modern journalism in Nigeria, without talking about him.”

“His footprints are everywhere. His shadow looms large over our industry.  Many people who knew him closely would gladly testify that Baba Kekere was an incredible talent, whether as a journalist, or as a politician. He had a response to everything. Baba Kekere devoted his entire professional and political career to advancing values of liberty and social justice. He was also a symbol of honesty, integrity and fairness.

“He told the stories of the powerless and held the powerful to account. He demonstrated commitment to our journalistic freedom and long-time survival. He set up the Guild of Editors in 1961; he founded the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and the Nigerian Union of Journalists. The legendary Baba Kekere also brought the International Press Institute to this country.

“This inaugural lecture is to honour the great man and to recognise his outstanding achievements. At the Guild, we think it is important to institutionalise a culture of appreciation, which at same time would give us the institutional memory to know how we got to where we are and how to build on the legacies and accomplishments of the past.”

Osoba, who went down memory lane about the commitment of Jakande to the media profession, described him as, “a Jack of all trade. At Tribune then, there was nothing like an editorial board. He was the writer of all the editorial in Tribune then.”

In his remarks, Nwachukwu said: “This is a man who did so much for journalism in Nigeria. Today, my recollection of the then Jakande, was a very quiet and resolute man. He encouraged to be forthright and fearless. Whatever I became later as an officer in the Nigerian Army, was because I worked with such persons as Lateef Jakande and Lateef Teniola, who was my News Editor. I am pleading to you journalists, that whatever you do, remember this great man called Jakande and follow his path.”

Also, Adenaike, noted that as governor of Lagos State, under Jakande, more classrooms were built and children enrolment more than doubled.

“Under Jakande, school results improved considerably across the educational system. He established the Lagos State University. On healthcare, he built primary health centres and more General Hospitals to bring healthcare closer to Lagosians. Alhaji Jakande undertook massive low cost housing schemes in the state, to address housing deficiency, particularly in Lagos City, which at the time doubled as Nigeria’s capital.

“He built many water works located strategically across the state, to make water available to residents. He and accomplishments live in the hearts of those he was privileged to serve through hard work. Jakande reached the height of his chosen profession of journalism and demanded hard work from his staff as he worked round the clock.”

In his comment, Jakande’s son, Seyi Jakande, urged Sanwo-Olu to rename the Lagos State University, Ojoo, after his father.

He said: “I want Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to revisit the discussion of renaming LASU after Jakande.”