By Muyiwa Adetiba

His voice was strong, assured and cultured on air; the voice of a veteran. And he is a veteran, having cut his tooth—and his voice— in the old days when FRCN was still NBC, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, fashioned after, and nurtured by the BBC. In the days when voices were trained and diction was important; when there was a strong awareness that whatever was said on air had implications beyond the moment. His wary, ambivalent answers to certain explosive questions on the state of the nation, betrayed this training. It also betrayed his disposition which is usually deliberate, logical and rarely judgemental.

His name is Dele Adetiba, erstwhile newscaster on Radio and TV, sports caster again on Radio and TV, DJ on Radio and in private parties, master of ceremony to friends and select corporate organisations, advertising and marketing practitioner. He is also my brother, friend and mentor. The radio programme I am referring to was the discourse by Jimi Disu of last Sunday.

I have never felt the need or the urge to write about him in all the years I interviewed and wrote about people in public places despite the strides he made in broadcasting, marketing and advertising. But then he turned 70 a couple of weeks ago and a beautiful reception was held for him at the Civic Centre, Lagos which was aired on the Bisi Olatilo show; and then he appeared on Jimi Disu’s radio show. Even then, I might still not have thought of this article if Bunmi Sofola who was sitting near me at the reception when the tributes were pouring in had not said ‘somebody should write a book on your brother.’ I joked in reply and said ‘ well, that somebody will not be me’. But it set me thinking that this might be my only chance of getting away with an article on him.

Most of the tributes came from those who had known him from way back. Mike Enahoro and Stella Awani talked about their broadcasting days. Biodun Shobanjo took it a step further. He talked about their broadcasting days, their advertising days and their days as young men in town. But the tribute that resonated was the one by Mac Ovbiagele who started from the pre-broadcasting days of the early 60s. He then proceeded to tell us how his friend made deep impressions in every field he found himself.

Dele Adetiba left radio as head of ‘Outside broadcast’, a vital unit that handled live broadcast for the station having become a major voice on air. He became one of four or five people that read news regularly on the then NBC-TV. He crowned it all by becoming the 2nd Nigerian CEO of the then largest advertising agency in Nigeria.

In all of this, it is instructive that he never had to apply for any job. He started as a freelance artiste in NBC—which was how many started— and was employed when his contributions as well as income had become very noticeable. He was later head hunted to join Lintas advertising, head hunted to join Phillip Morris as Brands Manager and head hunted back to Lintas as Associate Director. This is a lesson in self application and passion to all the young people out there. Despite all that is wrong with Nigeria, if you do your job—whatever it is—very well, someone, somewhere will notice. The world even now, is looking for competent and passionate workers who are dedicated to their trade.

He has been an inspiration to me in many ways. While growing up, I felt proud whenever his face lit up the black and white TV screens and people asked if he was my brother. Today, I still feel proud when people defer to him at the club and at social gatherings even when he is not the richest or oldest man in the room. His first son summed it all up when he said in his tribute that ‘he makes us feel proud to be an Adetiba’.

I still can’t get it into my head though that he is 70. A couple of weeks ago, I could say we were both in the 60s generation. Now he is a septuagenarian, which means I am also advancing in years; a fact he reluctantly accepted when he said he once saw my contemporary at a function looking quite advanced in years. That was when it hit him that ‘his kid brother is not such a kid any more’. One advantage of this is that I am now more regularly consulted, and my views taken seriously on pressing issues.

Now back to Jimi Disu’s talk show. At interval, he was asked for his choice of music. When my brother chose ‘The Gambler by Kenny Rogers’, my jaw dropped. This man’s make-up, his DNA, is the antithesis of gambling. In fact, if there is any criticism I have, it is that he is too risk averse. He is in my view, too worried with how things can go wrong to venture into untested waters forgetting that for some, the misses make the hits more exciting.

I was to learn later that he chose the song because of its lessons on life. Some of them are; knowing when to push for something, when to hold on and when to walk away; knowing that every card is a winner or a loser depending on how you play it; and learning not to show off in public when success comes your way.

These are traits I know he has. I have seen him deal with both success and failure with a poker face. I have seen a body language that says every thing and yet nothing on occasions. I have seen him handle a few regrets in his life with stoic fortitude. I realise that in some ways, he has some of the attributes of Kenny Roger’s ‘the gambler’.

Happy birthday big brother!!