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L-R: Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Sun Newspapers, Mr. Femi Adesina;
representative of Katsina State Governor, Head Civil Service, Muhammad Lawal
Aliyu; former Managing Director/CEO, Halmark Bank, Chief Mark Wabara; former
Governor of Abia State /Publisher of the Sun Newspapers, Chief Orji
Uzor Kalu; author of the book/member, Editorial Board Sun Newspaper, Mr. Ebere
Wabara; Leader Obigbo, Chief Charles Ahize; representative of Jigawa State
Governor, Commissioner for Education and Technology, Professor Haruna Wakili
and Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Olisa Egbunike, at
the presentation of book: ‘Media Gaffes and Essays’, held in Lagos...yesterday.
Photo: Abiodun Omotosho
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By ADA DIKE
Some dignitaries including
the former governor of Abia State and publisher of The Sun, His Excelency, Dr.
(Chief) Orji Uzor Kalu (MON); President-General of Obigbo, and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic
Auto in Abuja and Lagos, Charles Ahize;
the Governor of Katsina State, Barr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema and the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, have expressed profound delight over one of Nigeria’s
meticulous journalists, Ebere Wabara, for his immense contributions and giant
strides in the field of journalism in Nigeria.
They expressed their commendations during the
launch of his book ‘Media Gaffes and Essays’ at the Bolaji Akinyemi Hall,
Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, 13/15, Kofo Abayomi Road, Victoria
Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.
Speaking at the event, Dr.
Orji Uzor Kalu (MON), said he supposed to go to
Abuja the previous night before that day but was persuaded by The Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers, Mr. Femi Adesina to wait and attend the event.
“Because of our party
differences, Adeshina and I try to do things commonly so that we do not clash,”
he explained.
According to him, “Wabara is
somebody that is very strong and forthright with his peg, sometimes to the
extreme. I tried to hold him back most times, but his pen is sharp. I am happy
now he is going into book writing, so all those energies he spends on the pages
of newspapers to write can be spent writing for people to learn more,” Kalu
added.
In his remarks, the
chairman of the occasion, the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, represented by the State’s
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Haruna Wakili, said the governor understood
why his boss asked him to attend the book launch after listening to the review
of the book, ‘Media Gaffes and Essays.“
Commenting on the book,
the representative of the Governor of Katsina State, Barr.
Ibrahim Shehu Shema, the Head
of Service in the State, Alhaji Lawal Aliyu, said the governor would have loved to
attend the book presentation, but had to go to Abuja for the last Council of State meeting under President Goodluck Jonathan.
Aliyu said Governor Shema directed him to
read an address on his behalf in which he said his Excellency had chosen to speak
on those gaffes in the print and electronic media as well as made
recommendations and panaceas on those gaffes by saying that “Most of the
mistakes in the print and electronic media are manifestations of carelessness,
lewd thinking and ignorance. We must
therefore, be consistent in the use of either British or American English.
Mixing those variants in common lexical environment shows carelessness.”
Also
speaking, the chief launcher of the book, President-General of Obigbo, and
Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Auto in Abuja and Lagos, Charles Ahize, was of the opinion that what
Wabara is doing to help minimise blunders in the media was quite commendable.
In his brief address, the author of the book,
who strives for perfection in his career and works, Ebere Wabara, said the
first part of the book is the work he has been doing over the past three
decades. “The second part contains essays, some of the articles I have
published in different newspapers. The third aspect is my encounter with Governor
T. A. Orji of Abia State, my abduction last year. It was the direction of God,
if not, I would have been history by now.”
The book reviewer, Assistant
Editor-In-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria NAN, Olisa Egbunike, who reviewed
the book said Wabara’s interest in media errors and other issues led him to
write the book. “He divided the book into sections that deals with his journey
so far, as far as the media world is concerned and he ended up by telling us a
little bit of his experience as far as his interface with the political class
is concerned.
“It must be made clear that
in the first part of this compendium, ‘Media Gaffes and Essays’, he made it very clear to warn off, from the
beginning that please, this book is not a textbook of English Language but a
textbook that will help you in appreciating and understanding the English
Language structures,” Egbunike expatiated.
He recommended the book
not only to media practitioners but to everybody, and added that the essence of
the language section of the book was to point out blatant errors that stare at someone
in the day-to-day usage of the medium of communication which is the English
Language and especially in the mass media.
The compere of the event,
who happened to be Ebere’s close friend and former colleague, the Publisher
of Political Economist, Ken Ugbechie, recalled how he met Ebere over 30
years ago when they joined Daily Times Nigeria newspapers and Ebere spurred him to step up the game of
writing as well as mastering grammar and proof reading.
On his part, the author’s
cousin, the former Managing Director of Hallmark Bank Plc and
Chairman of Overt Energy Limited, Sir Marc Wabara, stresses, “It is
quite audacious for somebody to have the confidence to critique essays and what
other people have written. That shows a very high level of intellect and
intelligence. “And all these years I have been trying to read in the newspaper whatever
Ebere critiques, I have not seen a rejoinder claiming that what he said was not
correct. So, that means that he is so blessed,” says Wabara who was glad that
his cousin is meticulous in his career.
Other notable Nigerians who
attended the event, among them Anambra State Commissioner for
Special Duties, Vincent Ezenwajiaku represented former Governor
of Anambra State, Dr. Peter Obi; a representative of telecoms magnate Otunba Mike Adenuga, Mr. Bode
Opeseitan; Chairman of the Lagos State Nigeria
Union of Journalists, Mr. Deji Elumoye; Legan icon Chief Ziggy Azike; media
entrepreneur, publisher and Editor-In-Chief of Business World, Mr. Ray Echebiri and others.
On a lighter note, The Editor-in-Chief of The Sun newspapers, Mr. Femi Adesina, while
giving a vote of thanks shared how he and Dr. Kalu were writing in
opposite directions in their newspaper because they belong to two different
political parties. “Every week, I will write for change, then there would be
noise from presidency, secretary to the government and others calling Dr. Kalu
and complaining of what I had written,” said Adeshina who eulogized Kalu and
said he would have sacked him if he was like others. He also thanked other
dignitaries for attending the launch to support one of his staff.
Wabara is a
veteran journalist and associate editor with The Sun who started his journalism
career as a teenage rookie on March 14, 1983 in Daily Times Nigeria Limited. He
joined The Post Express after leaving the Daily Times as the Deputy Editor and
subsequently became the editor. From there, he moved briefly to New Age as a
member of the Editorial Board and columnist. From there, he moved to The Sun
newspapers as a member of the Editorial Board and back page columnist.
He later
joined the defunct Equitorial Trust Bank owned by Dr. Mike Adenuga jnr (GCON)
as the Head, Corporate affairs Manager. From there, he was transferred to
Globacom as a Public Relations Manager for a year before he resigned and
returned to journalism. He is presently on the Editorial Board of The Sun, columnist
and media advisor to The Sun publisher, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu.
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