It was a harvest of honour for the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers Mr. Sam Amuka, on Thursday, when leading media personalities and other dignitaries gathered in Lagos to celebrate him.
Those who eulogised the virtues of the accomplished journalist and media entrepreneur, highlighting his contributions to the development of the media industry, included a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba; a former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh; and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh.
Elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebajo, also commended Amuka for his exploits in the profession. The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, was represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Gbenga Makanjuola.
The occasion was marked with a public lecture and presentation of a collection of essays — Voices from Within: Essay on Nigerian Journalism — in honour of Amuka, who turned 80 in June.
Seasoned journalists, including a former Editor of The Guardian, Mr. Debo Adesina, contributed to the book, which was published by media award organiser, DAME.
The Senate President, who presented the book to the public, said Amuka’s virtues were worthy of emulation.
According to him, younger journalists should draw inspiration from his wisdom and professional conduct.
Osoba noted that Amuka was not given to frivolities.
According to him, “He (Amuka) is not one of those people who lavish their time on partying.”
Osoba noted that when the Vaguard publisher clocked 70, he (Osoba) wanted to organise a party in his honour, but he (Amuka) turned it down.
Osoba was, however, happy that everyone had an opportunity to celebrate Amuka on Thursday.
Recalling his time with him at the old Daily Times, Osoba described the celebrator as a friend, a colleague and “a father figure of the Osoba family.”
Amuka, he said, deserved the honour bestowed on him through the book presentation.
“Amuka’s columns were witty and thought-provoking. I still remember a particular edition of his column in The PUNCH. Its title was ‘Thank God’. So, I want to thank God for Amuka’s life. Since his mother died at 109 last year, I know he will live to see 110 years,” Osoba said.
According to the former governor, people unfairly associate Amuka only with The PUNCH and Vanguard, denying him credit for several other initiatives he pioneered in the media industry.
Amuka’s simplicity, gentility and generosity, Osoba said, contributed to his success both as a journalist and as a businessman.
“The secrets of Amuka’s longevity are that he is a gentle man, he is not envious of others and materials things do not mean anything to him. If you come to his house and say, ‘I like this artwork’, he will give it to you. All his art collections are with friends,” Osoba said.
Tony Momoh, who also worked with Amuka at Daily Times, said Amuka represented everything noble in journalism.
Recalling their relationship during their early days in the sector, he said Amuka had contributed immensely to the growth of the profession.
Momoh recalled, “Amuka has always been my boss. When I joined the Daily Times, I was an assistant editor while he was the deputy editor. As the deputy editor, he used his position to contribute to the development of the profession.”
On his part, the Channels Television Chairman described Amuka as a mentor in several ways.
He said he had learnt a lot from Amuka’s professional and personal lives.
In his tribute, Adebanjo said Amuka was ethical in his media practice.
Adebanjo observed, “Amuka mirrored the society with his column without compromise. He impacted on the society positively because he was fair and honest. Unlike many columnists we have today, who you can easily predict their positions, Amuka’s column was educative, honest and it did not pander to any interest.”
He recalled that the ‘birthday boy’ was among the media team that made a success of the National Democratic Coalition during the June 12 struggle.
In his lecture, the Managing Director of Independent Newspapers Limited, Mr. Ted Iwere, said the Nigerian print media must reinvent itself to survive threats from the social media.
Iwere called on media managers to urgently restructure the newsroom and reporting in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital technology.
According to him, the Internet is both a threat and a blessing to traditional media.
He said media organisations that failed to embrace the changing methods of handling news contents could be consumed by the onslaught from the social media.
According to him, the role of a reporter has changed from traditional reporting to news analysis.
Editors and reporters, he said, must retrain in digital methods and tools to remain relevant to modern news demands.
The old coinage “print first, digital second,” should be reversed if traditional media must remain relevant, Iwere said.
He argued that media organisations cannot continue to treat their websites as alternative platforms.
The question, he said, was whether traditional media could make sufficient money from online media.
He said it was possible for media organisations to remain commercially viable if they separated “commodity news” from “premium news.”
While online “commodity news” could remain free, he suggested, “premium” content should be monetised.
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Dr. Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, who reviewed the book, said there could not have been a better way to honour the media icon.
Also at the event were a former member of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Abike Dabiri; and the Publisher of The Source, Comfort Obi.
