Many things you don’t know about Uncle Sam — A silent crusader for press freedom

 “I did not have the benefit of working under the tutelage of Uncle Sam, but yet from afar, I strove to be him in more ways than one, and what a mess I made in the effort of which I have him to blame. Learnt in the process, there just cannot be two Sam Amukas” —Tunde Fagbenle, Nigerian Newspaper Columnist (2015).

I am sure there will be no objection that Prince Samson Oruru Amuka Pemu, otherwise cherished as Uncle Sam Amuka or who his numerous admirers lovingly call Uncle Sam, the publisher of Vanguard newspapers and co-founder of the Punch, is a respectable father of journalism. He is certainly the oldest Nigerian still plying his trade as a journalist.

Media entrepreneur, Nduka Obaigbena, describes him as an icon and leading light in Nigerian journalism. Ten years ago, ex-President Mohammadu Buhari described him as a “Gentleman of the Press” because of his simplicity, humility, modesty, generosity and friendliness on his 80th birthday.

But make no mistake about his professional standing. He is a stickler for principles and unbendingly passionate about ethical conduct, discipline, decency and hard work.

As a journalist, Uncle Sam has bestrode the Nigerian media and emerged admirably as an outstanding reporter, gifted features writer, first-rate features editor, consummate title editor and exceptional manager of men, women, materials and resources, media entrepreneur and most importantly as a star columnist.

There are many engagements in the print media. One of the most tasking and really creative endeavours is column writing. Not all editors or journalists dare to venture into it. Don’t blame them. Column writing is usually missing in the “intellectual menu” lists in journalism schools.

Uncle Sam courageously dared into column writing. He is comparable to William Connor who wrote a regular column under the pen name, Cassandra, for 32 uninterrupted years between 1935 and 1967 in the London Daily Mirror. Uncle Sam wrote dazzling columns, sometimes twice weekly, under different pen names (pseudo) Sad Sam and Off Beat Sam bursting with satire, wit and humour depicting him as an informed people’s writer who unpretentiously exhibited nationalistic passion during his years at the old Daily Times.

I do not intend to write on Uncle Sam’s journalistic odyssey. My goal is less hard driving. This is purely a piece on what many may not know about this inimitable and versatile journalist as he joins the nonagenarian club. He was born on June 13, 1935.

The date was Sunday, April 22, 1990. Dawn broke with the bewildering news of a bloody coup attempt in Nigeria. It was led by Gideon Orkar, a Major in the Nigerian Army. It was an abortive coup to overthrow the administration of Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, who himself took power after a coup d’etat on August 27, 1985.

The identified 42 coupists who killed  Babangida’s aide-de-camp, Lt. Colonel U.K. Bello, were apprehended. In one fell swoop, 13 Journalists and media workers were similarly arrested and detained. The detained journalists’ family members, professional colleagues and sympathizers were in the throes of agony, pain, apprehension, anxiety and outright anger. The veiled threat to try them along with the coupists was hair-raising and mind-boggling. How can Professional Journalists who do not usually carry arms be thrown into the gulag, presumably for coup plotting?

For days, there was great apprehension. This was informed by the unpredictability of dictatorship under military juntas. Over fourteen years earlier, February 13, 1976, to be precise, a media worker, Abdulkarim Zakari of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Radio Nigeria, was convicted of treason and executed by firing squad along with 36 soldiers and two policemen for a similar abortive coup which claimed the lives of the then Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, his aide de-camp, Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa and the then Kwara state Governor, Colonel Ibrahim Taiwo.

In the instance of the 1990 coup, the great apprehension in the Media Community was not wearing the alluring garments of guiltlessness. The feeling of uneasiness that they could be put on trial was not taken lightly. The umbrella organisation of all practicing Nigerian Journalists, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), not only raised an alarm but equally demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

The effort by the NUJ leaders received a boost when the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, collaborated with the journalists’ body to demand and succeeded in holding a meeting with top security operatives. It was unpublicised. It was hosted by Uncle Sam. The venue was the Great Canal Canteen at Vanguard headquarters at Kirikiri Canal, Apapa, Lagos.

The meeting yielded fruits immediately. The initial figure of nineteen detainees was reduced to four. They were the Deputy General Manager of News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Willie Bozimo, who was accused of having a close link with the financier of the failed coup, Great Ogboru, the late Deputy President of NUJ, Bassey Ekpo Bassey alleged to be sympathetic to the coup plotters, the former Deputy Editor of The PUNCH, Chris Mammah who was accused of writing the coup speech and a reporter with the defunct National Concord, Onoise Osunbor accused of attending meetings with the coup plotters.

Negotiations with the top security operatives drawn from State Security Service, SSS, Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI and allied agencies led by the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Babangida regime, General Haliru Akilu did not end with the first meeting. The heartwarming outcome of the negotiations by the NUJ team was that all the allegations have no basis.In fact, all the allegations turned out to be falsehood dressed in inelegant robes as truth. The detained Journalists emerged from the shadows of incarceration or was it death,into the war membrace of freedom. If they had not regained freedom, perhaps, they would have been tried along with the leader of the coup, Gideon Orkar and 41 others who were executed on July 27 1990, in what has been described as the bloodiest coup d’etat in Nigeria’s history.

Perhaps, the role played by Uncle Sam in securing peaceful resolution of the issue and eventual freedom of the 4 journalists is one of the several things yet unsaid about him. The NUJ President Mohammed Sani Zorro, during the coup crisis said in an interview that unknown to many, Uncle Samisa strong voice and one of the distinguished figures in the profession of journalism in Nigeria. In his words and I quote:

“Uncle Sam is an iconic professional journalist who always stands out as a unique breed, enamoured of strong conviction that the media should not be in chains. He pushes for dialogue as away of finding less rancorous way to settle disputes or ward off hiatus relationship between the media and government. He is hardly loud. He pushes his stance on professional issues but strays away from the usual notice me that characterises attention-seeking individuals. Yet his contributions in promoting unimpeded Professional practice are asunhiddenas 9 months pregnancy”. end of quote.

It is in contestable that on several occasions, Uncle Sam waded into feuds between media houses and government. For instance, in June 2019, when it mattered most, Uncle Sam with support from two other publishers, the late Isa Funtua and Nduka Obaigbena resolved the “face-off” between the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC and Daar Communications Plc when the regulator withdrew the operating license of the latter.

His efficacious intervention with the attractive scent of sweetness attracts not bees but commendations from several quarters. The willingness and predisposition for bailing media outlets and journalists during difficult moments, clearly depict Uncle Sam as an exemplary force for common good.

At its infancy, Uncle Sam superintended the Editorial Department of The Punch. I joined Punch from Radio Nigeria after its fifth anniversary in 1978. I was posted to Kano. But it was not until a year later that I had my first physical contact with Uncle Sam. Except for Lagos and Kaduna states where a City Editor and a District Editor respectively oversaw editorial operations, the remaining seventeen states were then supervised by state editors. We were invited to the then Onipetesi, Ikeja, Lagos headquarters for a meeting with Nduka Onum, the then Punch political editor. Nduka Onum, an inimitable political editor and a master crafter with an analytical mind in political reporting was head-hunted by Uncle Sam.

General Olusegun Obasanjoas Military Head of State unveiled in 1978, the political programme for returning the nation to civilrule. The meeting we were invited to in Lagos was aimed at exposing us to basic rules of political coverage in the highly delicate and fresh era of partisan politics. While the then government controlled electronic media set-out codes, Punch came out with unwritten guides which emphasises fairness, accuracy, impartiality, balance and objectivity in reporting political matters.

The speech of Uncle Sam at the meeting was brief but loaded with a lot of takeaways. Like most people of my generation at that time, I became conscious of the fact that journalism abhors half-heartedness. It demands total commitment with passion flowing ceaselessly in the adrenaline if one is to enjoy an eventful career. Secondly, you cannot be a successful political reporter if you celebrate biases, untruthfulness, inequitableness and unethical behaviours. You will not fail to emerge as a fastidious reporter if you are lucky to be mentored by Uncle Sam.

Aside from all these and more importantly Uncle Sam is absolutely disinterested in partisan politics. In simple language, he is a political or antipathy towards all political affiliations. But make no mistake about it, Uncle Sam remains on top of political scheming, plotting and maneuverings in the political arena. He is also not detached from unfolding events, happenings and political issues being thrown up. He is however obsessed with bold dreams and passion for unblemished journalistic practice.

Perhaps only a few people can match his flawless and faultless institutionalised culture first at the old Daily Times, then Punch and now Vangaurd where he pushes for decency, deep thinking as well as journalistic integrity and excellence which turned the newspapers into vigorous and influential voices on the altar of non-partisanship in the era of fractious politics.

I make bold to say as a one-time Correspondent with the Vangaurd, that it is a heinous professional sin to gather and disseminate untruths, falsehood, misinformation, errors and illicit deductions which do not celebrate an eye for details, balance and fairness. Infact, plying one’s trade at the Vanguard is shaped by rigid consideration for the canons of journalism. Anything to the contrary is instinctively offensive and repugnant to institutionalized rules. Vanguard is not beholden to any political party nor panders to any interest group.

Unquestionably, a publisher of a widely read tabloid in any society wields enormous influence. Uncle Sam could not be unaware of such prestige, weight or high status. But the savours such influence with simplicity, humility and unobtrusive carriage. Every staff testifies to his virtues of simplicity, unpretentious humility, easy going mien and generosity which makes them to see him not only as a boss but to equally have great affection for him either as a loving father or cherished Uncle, coined from one of his several pseudonyms, Uncle Sam, in his days when his foot prints straddled several publications in the old Daily Times group as a celebrated columnist.

Doubtless, Uncle Sam is very personal. He relates with staff one-on-one. No protocols. No airs. He champions high standards as a team player. He excites, motivates, reciprocates and instills confidence in the workforce. But one thing is certain. He is a task master.

One of Uncle Sam’s hidden strength is the fact that he is a considerate person. In the last quarter of 1992, the national leadership of the NUJ approached Uncle Sam to release me on sabbatical to join in the efforts to restructure the Union’s secretariat in Abuja. The request was granted. Two months later the Union had an issue with Vangaurd. Eleven reporters including some union officials at its chapel level were retrenched. I led a delegation of the union which included the NUJ Lagos State Council Secretary then, Funke Fadugba and the Vice Chairman, Late Dele Odebiyi to meet with Uncle Sam. To our amazement, the meeting lasted ten minutes. He granted the request of NUJ and ordered that all the staff be reinstated. All of them except one who had concluded plans to “Japa” (a euphemism for relocation) to U.S. resumed their reportorial duties without any strings attached.

Two things emerged from Uncle Sam’s action. He respects and demonstrates co-operation and engagement with organised groups within the media industry. Two, he strongly believes in constructive dialogue and not war of industrial attrition.

It is a fact many staff who were employed over four decades ago are no longer around. Some have either passed on or gone into retirement. Some left to pursue other ambitions. But, several of those who left to seek greener pastures elsewhere sometimes return to Vangaurd when their expertise and services are still needed or when their expedition turned out to be sour dreams, an indication that Uncle Sam recognises hard-working staff interested in Vangaurd as a media outlet for professional fulfilment.

Every passing year, since 1994, May 3, is celebrated globally to appreciate the important work of journalists and to highlight the basic principles of press freedom. It’s World Press Freedom Day.

Adebayo Bodunrin is an Abuja-based Journalist with Africa Independent Television and Ray Power FM.

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