October 19, 1986 is just like yesterday, Thirty seven years ago you remain the strong live wire that’s still activated, the candle light that never quench . You fired my inspiration, you’re my mentor, my hero, you’re my destiny in this stream river, you gave me the living water, the one that never dry.
I am a fucking teenage village boy in Ondo State, a village hero who read your beautiful works.
The nightmare months leading to your death, a young articulated class two student wrote something that fascinated you. “If I know God’s Address…” You read the article and you sent a scribbling note …”if you find yourself on the axis of Lagos, see me”. you signed it. On my school snail box and address it thus, “Osuya Benjamin,
OCHS, Box 10, Ore, Ondo State” .
I was elated when I read the message, as soon as the holiday set , motivated by my father…the King. I took the luxury bus ” The Young Shall Grow” , boarded at the bus station and a waiting Uncle at the Ojota park was stationed for my arrival.
That’s Nigeria of old… No kidnapper’s, No Fulani Herdsmen, only handful armed robbers that are daily confronted with eagle eyes security men. The Nigeria Police Force were capable.
The journey to Lagos was smooth. Uncle Gabriel was waiting, he finds me within the ever busy Ojota park, located me without much ado , Festac Town was our destination. Every minutes count, I saw the beautiful high rocket sky building, sea of people hustling and bustling on the evening, the devilish go slow… I enjoyed it thou, never seen such automobiles on the road at same time before. They are delightful sight to watch.
Two things facilitated my trip to Lagos. The letter, and a Robby Starch Competition, I won. On the Monday, we found our ways to Oregun Ikeja the Newswatch Office. Observed all official protocol and finally, a man with a bushy long o’ school hair, round face walked pass with a man on coat tie who I later known to be Ray Ekpo . The bushy hairdo man beckoned on me. He looked away from my Uncle , stared his beautiful set of teeth and sexy eyes at me, young man, what’s your name? smiling infectiously, Osuya Benjamin oh…. from Ondo State, immediately he recollected . He’s so encouraged with my boldness and smart response. Come with me… holding me by his hand to his office like the Lagos couple I read about in Lagos Weekend Newspaper!
The conversation; what do you want to become in future?. I told him , “I want to be like you”…he laughed harder this time. A journalist? He asked again! Yes, I answered. He told me, go and become it. He gave me his words, a copy of the Newswatch Magazine he handed it to me. A note of #20 which was a huge amount of money as at then. And told me he will continue to write me from time to time.
Schools resume in September, I was expecting his letter when I read it on Monday, National Daily Concord Newspaper of 20th October,1986 Dele Giwa is Dead…!
It is now 37 years since Nigeria lost Dele Giwa, One of the finest Journalist in the history of Nigeria, one of the founders of Newswatch magazine. Giwa lost his life as a result of injuries he sustained through a letter bomb delivered to him in his home at 25 Talabi Street, off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos on October 19, 1986. He died at 12.27.pm in First Foundation Hospital, Opebi, Ikeja. Who killed Dele Giwa remain the slogan of most Nigeria Newspapers. Till date , answer is not in sight .
Today, the killers remain mysterious, it’s agreed that it’s a state orchestrated shenanigans move by military gangsters that snuff life out of my hero. A poor man cannot be in possession of a parcel bomb. Too sophisticated to the ordinary Nigerians.
The rest is history…!
That boy of yesterday toll the line, he keeps fulfilling your prophecy that he’s called Ben de Great, connote Tunde Aiyekooto, still rolling it. How he wish you are alive to continue the mentoring and reading your beautiful prose.
They were afraid to pull their professional trigger , but they device a queer method of elimination but I find solace in Egbon Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine, “It was impossible not to be attracted to the writings of Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed, the powerful quartet that founded Newswatch magazine around 1984, shortly after their dramatic exit from Concord newspapers”. That consolation among others ginger me that the legend lives forever in the heart of Nigerians.
The consolation remain in one of your beautiful quotes, ‘It’s probably a good thing to die , after all, what does man need to do in this hellish Earth that man really hang around for? Nothing, all we have here is bribery, corruption, nepotism, religious bigotry, man against man, and other sort of humanitarian hatred” . What a prophetic quote…!
Today is the 37 years you transited to the great beyond. The gravely termites were needless because your great works supercede the agenda of darkness. The history of Nigerian journalism has never been mentioned without YOU .you’re among the FOUR musketeers but you’re the GREATEST of the FOUR.
They thought they are best, at (39years)Thirty Nine years they murdered sleep themselves but you’re awake. The work speaks, I do not mourn you anymore because you’re a living Legend. That legendary consolation made nonsense of my tears and termites threat on the 6th feet below.
Adieu My Hero, My Mentor..
Dele Giwa
Prince OB Omotunde
Editor Aiyekooto Reporters/ VOAR Magazine
