By Chukwuma Ajakah

In a rare collection of tributes titled, “On the Road to 50: A Collection of Inside Stories”, friends of media connoisseur Louis Odion, commemorate his 50th birthday with incisive essays, exploring his unique character.

The collection of stories published by Mediatent Nigeria Limited (2023) contains tributes from celebrated journalists, government functionaries and other professionals whose essays eulogize the media connoisseur. the book contains insightful tips about the persona’s inspiring lifestyle and work ethics. Moreover, the reader is exposed to fascinating writing styles, enriching ideas on journalism practice and intriguing commentaries on Nigeria’s politics.

In the foreword, erstwhile Secretary General of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere and former Principal of the persona’s alma mater, Victory College Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, describes the media icon as “gold at 50”, saying: “Louis, my dear boy, you are gold at 50! Within the short time being recounted you have scaled, like a stallion, life’s very difficult hurdles and earned gold in your chosen career as a man of letters and in your private life.”

The book features the contributions of media gurus such as Olusegun Adeniyi, a former presidential spokesman and current Chairman of ThisDay’s Editorial Board, Victor Ifijeh, MD/Editor-in-Chief, The Nation Newspaper, Azu Ishiekwene, MD, Leadership Newspaper and former Editor of The Punch Newspapers, Eric Osagie, a former Editor-in-Chief/MD, The Sun Newspaper and Kayode Komolafe, Group Executive Director of ThisDay Newspapers Ltd. The contributors include his contemporaries that have forayed into the political space such as Tunji Bello, a former Editor of Concord Newspaper and Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Nigeria’s Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

According to Festus Keyamo, “Louis is blessed with a sharp, analytical mind, and with the requisite vocabulary to express those thoughts, especially in his now famous weekly columns, over the years.” Keyamo describes him as “a special friend and a special brother; a man who has risen from humble beginnings to the dizzy heights of his career; a man with a gusto for writing beautiful prose and an uncommon journalistic prowess.”

The coordinating author, Azu Ishiekwene aptly captures the essence of the conversation thus: “I call him by the name that the closest circle of his friends has come to know and call him for nearly three decades: “Capacity!” He earned it from the odysseys of a life of sailing against the wind when many of his mates walked a road paved with comfort and relative safety. His struggles through early school life, his decision to set forth early to fend for himself and make his own luck by accepting and applying himself even in lowly jobs, and his abiding faith in a future that rewards hard work and diligence, all combined to toughen his resilience. These experiences have given him wisdom beyond his years and also strengthened his shoulder for many who would lean on him along life’s journey.”

Regarding his creative ingenuity, Ishiekwene pinpoints the persona’s performance at ThisDay Newspaper, saying: “Capacity started a weekly column, “Bottomline”, which soon became a national must read. Week after week, he brought to bear on his commentary a rare quality of insight and fearlessness which kept his growing fan base locked in and the political elite on edge. Capacity was a columnist that other columnists had to read, especially on politics and current affairs.”

Depicting “Mr Capacity” as a visionary with unbroken focus, some of the writers cite instances of him declining juicy political offers he considers not in tandem with his core calling and philosophy of life. The stories cover his abiding faith in the media practice, meritorious service delivery and the long-standing friendship he enjoys with his professional buddies.

In another glowing tribute, Kayode Komolafe, highlights the infectious positivist’s attitude of the persona thus: “For Louis Odion, passion has been a driver of activities in life. From whichever perspective you view his development as a human being, a stupendous amount of passion becomes conspicuous in the picture. You cannot claim to know Louis without noticing his passion in different situations.” Some of the essayists portray their subject as an enigmatic goal-getter who had joined the media industry as a clerical staff, but admirably worked from the low position of a stenographer to a cub reporter and went on to become the Editor and Chief Executive of a number of reputable national newspapers, rising through the rungs of the ladder to the zenith of his profession.

Besides serving at top editorial positions in high profile national newspapers such as ThisDay and The Sun, the Nigerian Media Merit Awards (NMMA) winner and a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (FNGE) had served-albeit with reluctance, as Commissioner for Information with the Edo State Government under Governor Adams Oshiomhole. He is presently Senior Technical Assistant on Media to the President. Group Executive Director of ThisDay Newspapers Ltd., Kayode Komolafe reveals that “Before joining ThisDay, he (Odion) has held editorial positions at The Guardian, News/Tempo and Concord. A former officer of the Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ), he was a member of the Governing Board of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).”

Giving a more critical appraisal of his interpersonal skills, Komolafe writes: “Even in very tense situations, Louis would exude so much warmth that would make you forget the adversity of your environment. From being professional colleagues, we have become family friends. As he attains the Golden Age, Louis, doubtless, deserves all the accolades as a bright professional and highly resourceful personality. Whenever I urge Louis to exercise restraint in understandably difficult moments, his refrain has usually been: “Comrade, I am not a diplomat like you and you know me.” And my response is often that, “I am a revolutionary diplomat and I know as a Marxist that even in fierce revolutionary situations, the tool of diplomacy could be useful.”