But how did you find your way into journalism?
In 1958 I had already concluded plans to attend St. Andrew’s College, Oyo to train as a Grade II teacher. But I decided otherwise because I said if going to teachers’ college would not help me to read medicine, I had better go to secondary school and pursue my ambition.
When, in 1959, Ansar-ud-Deen High School, Ikole-Ekiti was established, I was one of the first set. Because of my age and experience as a teacher, I did well in the entrance examination. I was a prefect. The Anglican Church and other Christian missions did not want me and others to go to Muslim school. My father was persuaded not go support me. At the outset, he did not. But I was able to pay for my first year tuition and boarding fees of £60 from my savings as a teacher and support from my mother.
However, there was a serious setback to my educational career in 1962 when I was in form four. On the intervention of Chief Areola, my father agreed to sponsor my education when I was in form two. But in 1962, his cocoa farm was gutted by fire. As at that time, six of his children were in schools; I was the eldest. I personally offered to travel from Ekiti to Ibadan to look for a job while I read for my GCE to pursue my education.
In 1963, I joined Iroyin Yoruba, published by Nigerian Tribune in Ibadan, as a reporter. I was in their Lagos office at Elephant House, Broad Street, Lagos. The Late Chief Ade Olofin was my editor then. He was also an Ekiti man. I also contributed new stories for Nigerian Tribune while in the stable of African Newspapers Ltd.
I also worked with Gbohungbohun, the vernacular newspaper of Sketch Press Ltd., also based in Ibadan. I was also a reporter for both Sunday and Daily Sketch from 1963 to 1972.
Before I left Sketch Press, I had an issue with my city editor, the late Tunde Odole. He used the opportunity of a re-organisation to ease me out when there was a retrenchment. Chief Pearce, who was City Editor of New Nigerian, encouraged me to join the paper on freelance. I wrote good stories that were published on the front and back pages of New Nigerian and the money I made on lineage in two weeks was more than my monthly salary while I was with the Sketch.
New Nigerian later started printing in Lagos. New staff were needed and I became a full-time staff on 15 March 1973. I was with New Nigerian as Labour/Economy reporter from 1973 till 1978.
Could it be the enjoyment or perks of journalism that truncated your ambition to study medicine and qualify as a medical doctor?
No. When I entered journalism, I had thought the profession was going to be a stepping stone for me to study medicine. I had two important papers, Chemistry and Physics, to pass in my GCE.
And so every year I was writing GCE to pass them. I did not until one particular year; I think, 1975. My city editor said, ‘Jola, I don’t think I will henceforth excuse you from duty to write this your Chemistry/Physics papers. I wonder what else you need that you must write GCE every year.’ Then I stopped and gave up the ambition.
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