STILL IN THE SPIRIT OF GOLDEN CELEBRATION

By Snr. Chief ‘Lekan Alabi

A popular school lunchbreak song in Great Britain in the 1930’s goes thus: “Hot cross burns (2ce)
Two a penny, four attupence
Hot cross burns.”

Whereas, the OYS Chapter of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) has kindly chosen to celebrate my 50th Anniversary as a journalist, with a Lecture/Luncheon on UNESCO WORLD RADIO DAY on Monday, February 13, 2023.

The celebration mood, which started with a worldwide live interview on TAP RADIO-TV INTERNATIONAL, based in Pretoria, South Africa, on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, is still pervading.

I clock 50 years in the noble profession of Journalism this year, having been employed by the now-defunct Sketch Publishing Company Limited (SPCL), Ibadan, in October 1973, as a Reporter/Writer/Reader Grade11.

The Management of the SPCL, Ibadan, in less than six months of my employment in 1973, gave me two weekly columns (Yoruba and English), “MO RI FI RI I” (Gboungboun) and “IT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING BY ‘LEKAN ALABI” (Sunday Sketch). It had never happened before in any newspaper company in Nigeria.

Now, I referred to the British old school lunchtime song in the 1930’s, because Biola Layoonu, a journalist and author, currently the OYS Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) about two hours ago, sent me a copy of my old page (see pic below) in the 1970’s, in the now-defunct Sunday Sketch, as a memento.

His father, our father, the late Papa Saka Layoonu, was a Minister in the Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola-led Western Nigeria Government.

Biola has kindly retrieved my page from the Layoonu Family Library. And I am glad to share the nostalgia it has brought with you, sir/ma.

*Snr. Chief’Lekan Alabi, the Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland writes from Ibadan, Oyo State capital.