Celebrating Ladbone: A True Media Pioneer

This book, Ladbone: A Life in Print, edited by Dapo Olorunyomi, the publisher of Premium Times, is a collection of 85 essays honoring Oyinlade Bonuola, one of the original and creative minds in Nigerian media. Friends, co-workers, mentees, family, and academics remember one of the most accomplished Nigerian newspapermen, commonly known as Ladbone. They write about his life of relentless pursuit for excellence. They pay tribute to a man driven by a strong sense of duty who enjoyed the grace and glory of a long-distance runner. They honor Bonuola, who showed no signs of arrogance despite his impressive achievements in the media. They write about Ladbone, who always believed in the art of the possible. Many writers in this book respect him as they paint his profile with dignity and tenacity. In a chorus of voices, they celebrate the man they call Mr Thoroughness; the gold standard journalist; the conscience of Nigerian journalism; the tree that made a forest; a journalism role model and statesman; the legend; the great teacher; the standard bearer; the big lad of Nigerian journalism; a meticulous professional; the architect of truth; the editor of editors; the bone of our bones; the phenomenal Ladbone; the engine room of The Guardian; a strong bridge across generations of Nigerian journalists; a perfectionist; a dedicated workaholic; the media watchdog; an extraordinary talent spotter; a leader of the Joshua generation in the media; a master of simple prose; and a disciplinarian. Does this hero worship lessen the book? Not at all. I will touch on this later.

The book is inspiring and enlightening. It serves as a testament to visionary power and a celebration of important values. As a treasure trove of lessons in competence and commitment, Ladbone: A Life in Print is a guide for those who aim for excellent public service. In his tribute, Steve Osuji states that Mr Bonuola is a unique story waiting to be told. This book will surely be a valuable reference for anyone willing to write this unique history. As many writers share their interactions with Ladbone, they also tell stories from their own professional lives. In honoring him, they also honor themselves. The mix of stories here, the narratives within narratives, gives us glimpses into the history of Nigerian journalism itself. In the parable of the elephant and the wise blindmen, those who touch different parts of the large animal draw different conclusions. But in this book, all the different views agree: Ladbone is a remarkable figure. There are many engaging stories here about how he inspired many readers of his popular column in The Sunday Times, “Caught Out: A Critical Look at the Nigerian Press,” and his Abdul Rafiu column with the ram logo in The Guardian, the longest-running column in Nigerian journalism history. General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, former military president; Professor Yemi Osinbajo, former vice president; Chief Bisi Akande, former governor of Osun State; Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State; Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, former governor of Lagos State, and Oba Masoud Oyekola Aweda Lawal, the Iba of Kishi kingdom, attest to his courage and insights as a commentator on public affairs, and his private advice on public policies.

The writers present in clear prose Ladbone’s humble beginnings in Kishi, his hometown; his time at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School for his A/Levels, where he was an avid reader and passionate debater, winning the zonal John F Kennedy Essay competition; his work as an English Language and Literature teacher at Methodist High School, Arigbajo, in Ifo, and at Premier Grammar School, Abeokuta; and his 55 years in journalism. They describe how he was hired by Alhaji Babatunde Jose at The Daily Times as a sub-editor and how he climbed the ranks through hard work to become chief sub-editor, production editor, acting features editor, a member of the Editorial Board of Daily Times, and deputy editor of Spear magazine. It was here he met Prince Henry Odukomaiya, Alhaji Alade Odunewu, Dr Patrick Dele Cole, Mr Femi Kusa, Uncle Sam Amuka, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Mr Kunle Elegbede, Prince Tony Momoh, Mr Martin Iroabuchi, Chief Tola Adeniyi, Mr Gbolabo Ogunsanwo, Mr Dele Giwa, Chief Areoye Oyebola, and Mr Tunji Oseni, the editor of Sunday Times, who asked him to write the “Caught Out” column. It was also where he met his beautiful wife, Esther Iyabo Oladele, with whom he has raised six daughters: Abiodun, Bolatito, Bolupe, Lolade, Kemi, and Wemimo. He earned the certificate from the Thomson Foundation Editorial Study Centre, affiliated with the University of Cardiff in Wales, United Kingdom, while at The Daily Times in 1977. He then moved to The Guardian, where he worked for 22 years as a founding associate editor, editor, editor-in-chief, and managing director.

Memories of the founding of The Guardian highlight why it became an immediate success; how Mrs Maiden Ibru's support for his original dummy helped create the unique and attractive layout of The Guardian as a high-brow newspaper; how Dr Stanley Macebuh’s team complemented Ladbone’s; and of his catchy headlines as a sub-editor. We learn about his demanding work ethic; how he became a sports fan because sports reporting sold papers; how he spiked a well-written editorial at night just to satisfy the publisher, who rushed to Rutam House in his slippers to protect his business interest; Ladbone’s commitment to those without champions in the newsroom and beyond; stories of how he obeyed traffic lights at 2 a.m. while heading home after work; the ethics and aesthetics of his journalistic practice; his principled stand rooted in his upbringing and strengthened by his strong belief in God; his immediate reactions to the brutal deaths of Krees Imodibe and Tayo Awotusin in the Liberian civil war; his honesty and accountability; his efforts in building Liberty Text School in Kishi; his contributions to the Unique Frontline Club in Kishi; and the interesting tales of how he nearly snatched Mr Ray Ekpu from Dele Giwa but instead managed to recruit Ted Iwere at Murtala Muhammed International Airport for The Guardian before Dele Giwa could. The imprisonment of The Guardian’s senior diplomatic correspondent, Tunde Thompson, and assistant news editor, Nduka Irabor, under decree 4 by the harsh regime of Generals Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon; the closure of The Guardian by General Sani Abacha; the assassination attempt on its publisher, Mr Alex Ibru; and the departures of Dr Stanley Macebuh, Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, Dr Olatunji Dare, Mr Sully Abu, and eventually Ladbone and Mr Femi Kusa are also discussed. The writers reflect on Lade Bonuola’s refusal to back down when The Guardian, his cherished newspaper, faced oppressive regimes. Even during the terror of the Abacha rule, his faith in a better Nigeria remained strong, as he always believed that the future of his country held many possibilities. More importantly, he believed that a nation should share core values and agree on key issues affecting its well-being.

Stories also emerge about how, in his quiet manner, with pleasant conversations and loud laughter with his staff, Ladbone could be very tough in his constant, sometimes obsessive, quest for excellence. This was not limited to the newsroom. His children, while growing up, were not allowed to touch the walls of his house, which he painted every December. He washed and ironed his own clothes. He often shopped for groceries and was an excellent cook whenever his wife was away. No one was allowed to be idle at home. Because he woke up at 5 a.m. every day, the children had to wake up as well to do household chores before getting ready for school by 7 a.m. They were not allowed to stay out past 7 p.m. and had to dress modestly. Whenever he was home, there was a quietness in the house. He encouraged his daughters to read, a habit they have now passed on to his 11 grandchildren.

When Buhari and Idiagbon enforced austerity measures in the struggling nation, Lade Bonuola quickly introduced his own structural adjustment program at home. His first child, Abiodun, learned to measure rice and beans with milk tins for cooking. The children were limited to one piece of fried plantain. The girls learned to style each other's hair. Ladbone, who was a Sunday school teacher, never stopped reminding his children about their responsibilities. Wemimo, the youngest, now a lawyer, recalls: “As children, we were surrounded by animals: goats, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, 17 dogs, 15 cats, fish, snails, chickens, rams, sheep, and so on. These animals made us very responsible. We learned to feed them, bathe them, and clean their waste, and take those that could walk around the estate.”

Still, today, the children feel loved by him. Lolade, who holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, tells reporters and editors in The Guardian and beyond who still hold grudges against Ladbone for pushing them hard, for asking for stories even during their times of loss: We shared your pains. Please forgive him. He meant no harm. He truly believed, and still does, that achieving excellence often requires being tough. For him, tough love always pays off in the end. There are clear accounts of the failures of The Comet and The Compass newspapers during Ladbone's time. He is accused of being overly partial to his deputy and close friend, Mr Femi Kusa, who introduced him to The Grail Message and movement while he was a senior pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. This book is not a blind praise; the writers simply tell it as it is. The memories and accounts are clear versions of the same truth.

Milan Kundera, the French-Czechoslovakian writer, in his novel, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, says that “The first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its history. Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long that nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was…The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” The major project that the Living Archives Initiatives of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is undertaking, I believe, is based on this idea of the fight to remember against the risk of forgetting. It is fitting that the organization has started with Ladbone, who told Lasisi Olagunju, in an interview included in his tribute, that he does not like to boast.