By McPhilips Nwachukwu & Prisca Sam-Duru

Godwin Usidamen ,one of the pioneer photographers of Vanguard Newspapers in the early eighties is a man with an interesting story to tell. Born in September, 1959 in Uokha of Owan East Local Government Council of Edo State, Usdamen’s story captures with the tapestry of its narrative strands the alluring energy of a struggle to become; and above all, lays bare the intricate plot of the journey in media professionalism. Presently, a grand father of three, the seasoned photo-journalist proved his mettle by working in many cutting age newspaper organisations including; NBC/TV, The Guardian, Punch, Daily Times and Sentinel Magazine. He now runs his own Industrial and advertising Photography company called, Papa Gee Digital Productions.

Journey to Photography My name is Godwin Usidamen,I was born in September 1950 in a town called Uokha Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State. I attended St Brenden Catholic primary school Uokha and Anglican primary school Obiaruku all in Delta state between 1956 and 1962 . In 1963, I was enrolled as an apprentice typist at Obiaruku in Ndokwa LGA because there was no money to go to secondary school .

Godwin Usidamen

I left Obiaruku in 1964 for Auchi with my senior brother , whom I was staying with then . We trekked from Auchi to my home town Uokha because there was no money. We later came back to Auchi. He was into painting and towards the end of that year, my mother sent for me and when I got home, she took me to one of his younger brothers who was working with Central Bank of Nigeria in Ibadan. So the man took me from home because he was on leave then and brought me to Ibadan. Getting to Ibadan the man took me to one of his friends who was working with UCH Ibadan as an Electrical Engineer to be an apprentice. I was into electrical installation and plumbing. I was in Ibadan, in January 1966 when the first coup took place and also in July when the second coup in which Aguiyi Ironsi was killed took place. Towards the end of that year, we were transferred from Ibadan to Benin and while in Benin, I could not continue with my apprenticeship as an electrician. I was just there being used as an house boy before the war broke out . While the war was on, I decided to leave Benin to come to Lagos in August, without notifying anyone. I simply left home without anything and trekked from home to Iyaro opposite Edo college waiting for a vehicle that will convey me to Lagos. I saw a Volkswagen car coming and I flagged it down and the man brought me to my senior brother’s house in Lagos. On seeing me, my brother was surprised because I didn’t know that Benin has been declared the Republic of Biafra and that Biafran soldiers had entered the Midwest .

Because of the way I left home I later learnt that I was declared missing. From 1967 till 1970. I went into another apprenticeship and this time, it was Air conditioner and Refrigeration installation. I was paid one pound a week. I did that for about four months and discovered that the Air conditioners were too heavy. I told my senior brother Augustine Usidamen that I did not want to continue in that job, therefore, decided to join him as an artist. He painted in the night and we hawked the art works during the day. We hawked from Palmgroove to Iddo, Cater bridge and to Marina. At a point, I got tired of the whole business of hawking art works and later told my brother that I want to learn photography. He did not object but got me connected to our uncle, Pa Johnson Ojeikere who was working with Lintel Advertising West Africa.

Pa Ojeikere

Yes he is my Uncle and he taught me photography. Actually, I began learning under him in 1968 his Studio was in Yaba and I was with him till 1970s. One day I told him I was tired of learning and in short that I had learnt enough that I wanted to start something on my own. I went back to Augustine’s place and on hearing that I had left Pa Ojeikere’s company, another brother of mine whom I had narrated the whole story of what happened between Uncle Ojekere and I bought me work tools. Within three months of independence, I bought a sports bicycle and wrote my Studio’s name, Goddy International Photos on it. Later in 1972, I co-founded a company called, More Sell Photo Works with a former colleague called, Raphael Ikaro. We started working for Agencies as advertising and modeling photographers . We even got jobs from Linters, that is the same company, where Pa Ojeikere worked.

Stint in Vanguard

The same year that Muritala Mohammade was killed, I went to NBCTV in Victoria Island as a freelance photographer. It was while I was in the dark room working on some films, not knowing that the coup plotters would be killed that day, that soldiers came in a terrifying manner, took me and my camera to Kirikiri. I was so frightened and thought that they were going to kill me. Then a black maria brought Dimka in handcuffs. So, while he was talking, pressmen were recording and I was asked to take pictures as the only still photographer present. Another black maria brought in Gomwalk and some other personalities who were tied to stakes along with Dimka before they were shot to death. That was my first major assignment and most unforgettable experience. It happened in 1976 and in 1977 I left Lagos for Benin. Before then, in 1974, I bought a car and while I was washing it one day, I met Usman Abudah who encouraged me to go into photo journalism instead of limiting myself as an advertising photographer . He gave me a letter to Vanguard Publisher, Sam Amuka who was in Punch Newspaper at the time as the Managing Editor. So, I started working for Punch in Benin and between 1977 to 1980 I covered the whole of Bendel state.

In 1980, I resigned from Punch, joined another company and was there till 1984. Then I came back to Lagos and met Uncle Sam who was excited on seeing me and when he found out that I was not working for any company, he asked me to come to Vanguard here in Kirikiri Canal. That was how I started working for Vanguard. In 1984, I did a photograph of the building you are seeing now, I was also one of the first photographers that worked here and Muyiwa Adetiba was the founding Editor. I was not attached to any beat instead, I roved and that gave me an edge on the job because I always got first hand photographs.

I resigned honourably from Vanguard in 1985 because of lack of corporation from co-workers and was immediately employed in The Guardian with the assistance of Sunmi Smart Cole ,whom I knew while I was an apprentice. He became photo editor of The Guardian Newspapers. I was absorbed as social photographer in Guardian till 1990 before I was sacked by Maiden Ibru, the wife of the Publisher. She accused me of engaging in private practice while on duty which was false but she never gave me a chance to explain. I left for Daily Times, from there to Sentinel Magazine and finally, went to work with Sunmi Smart Cole’s Gallery of Photography Yaba . Now I do jobs for UBA, art exhibitors and some stage crafts.

Challenges

The challenges I had then were those associated with the job. Severally, I was either beaten or manhandled especially during the coup that ushered in Babangida ,and other periods for breaking protocols while trying to get photo news. The job was so strenuous in those days and I was always sent out to the toughest areas because of my outstanding performances. Also, while I worked with Punch in Benin, we had a column called the, Page Three Girls and I was publishing photographs of half dressed girls and after publication, they were happy because we paid them but their parents made so much trouble for exposing their children like that . I actually enjoyed that aspect of photography.