Ojudu

By Ademola Adegbamigbe

Senator Babafemi Ojudu, President Muhammadu Buhari’s new Special Adviser on Political Matters, is seen by many as a politician. However, there are other aspects to him. His achievements as a journalist and human rights crusader are as massive as his hefty physiognomy.

Ojudu was born on 27 March, 1961 in Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State to the late Alhaji Afolabi Ojudu and Madam Raliat Boluwade Ojudu. Ojudu was, according the information he provides on his ojudubabafemi.com, educated at Emmanuel Primary School Ado-Ekiti. In 1973, he was admitted into Ado Grammar School also in Ado-Ekiti for his secondary school education. After acquiring his West Africa School Certificate in 1977, he worked briefly as a Clerical Officer in the then Ondo State Ministry of Education. From there, he proceeded to work as a Personnel Clerk at the Federal Mortgage Bank in Lagos.

In 1980, Ojudu was admitted to read English Studies at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, where he graduated in 1984. He did his Youth Service at the Publication Unit of the Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan in 1985. At the completion of his National Youth Service Corps Scheme, he was employed as a staff reporter in the Guardian. This was the formal beginning of his career as a journalist.

Ojudu after his release from detention in 1998

His interest in Journalism could actually be traced back to his days as a secondary school student. Noticing that he was fond of drawing caricatures of his school mates on the classroom board with some critical prose by it, the school principal, Chief Adejuwon, decided to re-channel his energy by buying a shortwave radio for him with the instruction that he should every morning tune to both BBC and VOA. Every morning he would listen to the news on both channels and would write them out and paste on the school’s notice board for the benefit of both students and staff.

On graduating from secondary school, his dad insisted on his going to read law but his love and interest was for journalism. When he was admitted to study English at the then University of Ife, it was a first step in his effort at realizing this ambition.

The first and only club he joined as a student was the Association of Campus Journalists. He enlisted as a reporter with COBRA, a stinging Campus Journal. After one year with COBRA, he had a better idea of what a campus Journal should be and thereafter teamed up with two other friends to start another Journal known as The Parrot. From his second year to final, he was the Editor of Parrot.

While on campus, he started writing opinion pieces and letters to the Editors of national publications such as The Tribune, The Sketch, National Accord and the Guardian. This went on up to his service year at the University of Ibadan. This perhaps explains his employment on The Guardian barely one month after the completion of his service year.

Ojudu worked as a reporter for The Guardian and also found time to do a Masters degree in Political Science at the University of Lagos 1985 and 1986.

Ojudu a man with a high sense of humour and good dress sense

In 1987, he moved from The Guardian to African Concord Magazine as a Staff Writer. Between 1987 and 1992, he was variously promoted as Senior Staff Writer and Assistant Editor. His job as a writer for the African magazine took him all around the entire country and many countries of African to cover major events from natural disasters to wars, conferences and inauguration of presidents.

His interest in Journalism could actually be traced back to his days as a secondary school student. Noticing that he was fond of drawing caricatures of his school mates on the classroom board with some critical prose by it, the school principal, Chief Adejuwon, decided to re-channel his energy by buying a shortwave radio for him with the instruction that he should every morning tune to both BBC and VOA. Every morning he would listen to the news on both channels and would write them out and paste on the school’s notice board for the benefit of both students and staff.

In 1992, Ojudu quit his job in African Concord in protest of the request by his publisher, late M.K.O Abiola, to apologise to the then President Ibrahim Babangida over a critical story done on the military regime.

After this experience, Ojudu thought he was finished with journalism. He had a stint trading in frozen fish but the profession of journalism kept calling. After about six months as a fish merchant, he realized he was not finding fulfilment.

He joined his other colleagues who had stormed out of African Concord to dream out a publication. In 1993, the group came out with TheNEWs Magazine basically to ‘define the present and shape the  future’. Ojudu was appointed its first Managing Editor.

TheNEWs was three months in the market when Babangida came calling again with armoured tanks and wielding guns to seal up its premises and disrupt its operation.

Determined that this will not stand, they continued to publish until the General could stand it no more and he declared the entire leadership of the publication including Ojudu wanted on national television and radio and a ban formally placed on the publication of the magazine. When it later became difficult in the circumstance of publishing, distributing and marketing the magazine, Ojudu and his colleagues decided to suspend TheNEWs magazine and came out with Tempo. In the words of Ojudu: “All of you I believe know the history of Tempo. It was a thorn in the flesh of the worst dictators that have bedevilled this country.”

Ojudu was the pioneer editor of that creative, daring, kamikaze publication that has passed into legend in the political history of Nigeria.

After about six months of editing Tempo, Ojudu’s colleagues called on him again to put together a team to produce an afternoon newspaper for Lagos and its environs. His effort gave birth to P.M. News which last year celebrated  its 21st anniversary.

Having successfully edited P.M. News, Ojudu was called upon again to put together an idea for a national daily to fill the vacuum created by the ban placed on three national dailies, The Guardian, National Concord and The Punch. Again he succeeded at this with the publication of AM News which became so dreaded in Government circles that the Information Minister, Dr. Walter Ofonagero had to issue a memo to all government agencies directing them not to patronize it either by buying to read or buying its advert space.

Between 1993 and 1998, Ojudu was arrested, tortured and detained for not less than 15 times. His stint in detention ranges from one week to several months, the longest of which was nine months in a secret cell within Ikoyi Cemetery. He was arrested on returning from a trip to Kenya where he was invited to speak to journalists and publishers from across the world on the state of media in Nigeria under the Abacha jackboot regime. It was a harrowing experience for him. He would not be released until one month after the death of General Sani Abacha in 1998.

No wonder, Mr Dare Babarinsa, a distinguished journalist too and one of the brains behind Tell magazine, called him a reporter on the beat. In the words of Babarinsa: “Femi Ojudu was a member of an incredible team that founded the radical magazine, TheNEWS, under the leadership of Bayo Onanuga, a fearless and competent journalist. Femi went to prison and into exile in our fight to establish democracy in our land. When Abacha died suddenly in 1998, Femi came into the sunshine with a bushy beard. He is now back in the power loop as the Special Adviser on political affairs to President Buhari. Congratulations to a hero of democracy!”

When he came out of Abacha’s gulag with this Old Testament Prophet beard, Ojudu’s son could not recognise him!

In 1996, Ojudu took time off from the stress and rigor of editing for a six months fellowship in United States of America. Ojudu was attached to a School of Communications, Howard University, Washington DC where he was able to share his ideas of reporting Africa and dictatorial regimes with both students and faculty. He returned in June 1997 to be appointed Group Managing Editor of Independent Communications Network Limited, publishers of TheNEWs, P.M. News and Tempo.

Well travelled, his journalistic duties had taken him to several parts of the world from Asia to Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Canada, United States, name it. He has also in the process of his career garnered prestigious awards both locally and internationally. Among which are, Medal of Service, International Freedom of Expression Exchange, Canada, DAME Award for Best Political Writer of the Year 1995, UAC Award  for Best Journalism in the 1990.

Well regarded in his profession, he was once chairman, Human Rights Committee of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Lagos Branch; Secretary, Ethics Committee; Chairman Concord Chapel of NUJ. In 1999, he was appointed Member Board of Trustees of International Freedom of Expression Exchange [IFEX], a conglomeration of Freedom of Expression Organisations across the world with headquarters in Canada.

Inspite of his busy schedule as a journalist, Ojudu still finds time to give expression to his political beliefs. In 1990, he served as founding Administrative Secretary to Campaign for Democracy (CD). In conjunction with Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti and Mr. Alao Aka – Bashorun, he worked assiduously to organize the 1990 National Conference that was aborted by the Babangida regime.

He was also the secretary to Gani Fawehinmi Solidarity Association, an organization set up by some progressive professionals in late 1980’s and early 90’s to provide support for the embattled crusader under the regime of Ibrahim Babangida. With Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, Mr. Femi Falana, Lanre Arogundade and others, Ojudu founded the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and equally served as a member of the editorial board of its quarterly and occasional publications.

Ojudu

He is the convener of Ekiti Progressives, the convener of E-11, a Forum of Ekiti Stakeholders and was its two terms Chairman. He joined others in convening the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG)

He was Chairman of Progressive Action Movement (PAM) a Pan Nigeria Movement of young professionals with their eyes on the re-birth of the nation.

He is the Vice-Chairman of Friendship Network International, another group of middle-aged professionals with representatives from across the world. He is Patron, June 22 Club, Ado Ekiti, member, Ado-Ekiti Development Organisation (ADO), and member, Ado- Ekiti Progressive Union (APU). Ojudu is a member of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Raliat Boluwade Ojudu Memorial Public Library, an on-going project in memory of his late mother.

Ojudu is a director in Special Event Limited, an event management company, Global Polls Consult, Prime Sight and Sound Limited, FBM resources Limited, Bismon Limited, Independent Network Communications Limited (ICNL) and 24 Hours Limited, a Printing Company.

Ojudu is married to Omotola and they are blessed with Children (ojudubabfemi.com)..