*Vanguard taught me humility

 By Declan Emelumba 

The decision to join Vanguard from The Guardian was made for me by Comrade Uche Chukwumereije of blessed memory. Like all his interventions in my life, this particular decision actually shaped my perception of not just life itself but also the journalism profession, which has brought me to where I am today.  The late Information Minister had taken me to Uncle Sam (I don’t know whether many people who passed through Vanguard ever bothered to address him by his surname of Amuka) and just asked him to employ me. As an afterthought, perhaps knowing what the Vanguard publisher was looking for, he added that I was a talent who would add value to the newspaper. 

Uncle Sam described Comrade Chukwumereije’s request as a directive that must be obeyed.  That was how my eventful journey to the ‘Canal’ began. Yes, that’s how we all addressed Vanguard because, looking back now, I know we felt an attachment to the establishment and the environment which, with its refreshing coolness, not only provided us the much needed peace to carry out our jobs, but also provided the ambience to  relax and feel at home in our work place. 

Humility

Vanguard taught me humility.  Perhaps deriving from the personality of the publisher,  the working environment was devoid of layers of protocol.  Although everyone knew his limits and respected the order of seniority and reporting lines, there was a communal and convivial atmosphere that encouraged beginners to feel free to unleash their talents. Naturally, people blended,  working together to achieve set goals by meeting production deadlines.  It was a different atmosphere from where I was coming. Because we all had access to Uncle Sam – the man revered outside, but who related with us as an  ordinary man – I became humbled. 

Catering to all

Another thing that struck me about Vanguard was the editorial policy, which again reflected the simple life of the publisher. Vanguard evolved as a newspaper that appeals to all segments of society.  It is as serious as it is liberal.  While we have some newspapers that appeal exclusively to the elites and some that tilt towards the middle class and the proletariat (so to speak), Vanguard caters to the interest of all. The women find it refreshing.  The business community is comfortable with the paper. The politicians and state actors rely on Vanguard for an unbiased reportage of events and insightful analysis, while the diplomatic community relishes how foreign materials are carefully treated by the newspaper. In other words,  the liberal editorial policy of the Vanguard has won for it massive followership across diverse groups.  That also has largely insulated it from what can be described as the politics of the media in that it has never leaned towards a particular political party since its inception forty years ago.

‘Go and prepare for a two-week vacation”

There is no doubt that the personality of Uncle Sam has attracted so many talented media people to Vanguard.  His personal relationship with each staff member has engendered a kind of brotherhood in the system.  I remember that my first ever foreign trip was made possible by Uncle Sam.  I never applied  to travel.  It was not even job related, though a journalist is always working wherever he  finds himself.  He just called me one day and, after commending me for my industry, casually asked if I had ever travelled abroad.  When I replied in the negative, he asked whether I had an international passport.  When I said yes, he asked me to prepare for a two-week vacation in London.  That was it. I was actually overwhelmed by emotion. I  was later to learn that any hardworking staff of Vanguard was always encouraged one way or the other by Uncle Sam. 

Saving me from military action

Another unforgettable experience of a truly caring father that I had with Uncle Sam was when I was detained by the Department of Military Intelligence(DMI), then under the command of the famous Col. Halilu Akilu. I wrote an opinion article titled “Feeding our generals “, in which I argued that it was wrong to pay retired Military generals life salaries because they contributed no more than retired headmasters, professors or permanent secretaries, to the development of the country. The military hierarchy was aghast with my audacious impunity. So Akilu arrested me and accused me of coup plotting and treason. He was serious and was pressing ahead with his charges. Uncle Sam swung into action and made all the contacts there were to make, including reaching out to the Adjutant General of the army then, Major General Ike Nwachukwu. To cut a long story short, I was eventually released. Before releasing me, Col. Akilu expressed his anger and disappointment that I was able to move that fast for my release and added; “Thank your stars, thank whoever did the magic for you because if not you would not have left here… “. It was much later that I knew that the person to thank was Uncle Sam. 

One other remarkable feature of Uncle Sam’s unobtrusive influence in Vanguard is his capacity to identify talented people in the industry.  He has this uncanny way of seeing things  (talents/ potentials) in people that they themselves don’t even see in themselves.  That reminded me of why Comrade Chukwumereije wanted me to work under Uncle Sam in the first instance.  “He is an accomplished journalist, and under him, you will learn a lot,” the versatile Comrade told me.  Of course, as a man who himself knew Uncle Sam too well,  Chukwumereije was right. 

If you check out the list of those who passed through Vanguard and their career progression and even their trajectory of life after Vanguard,  you will also agree with the former Information Minister that he was right on point.  I believe that this is what has made it impossible for people to just leave Vanguard without feeling a sense of loss.

Again, unlike other media houses where the editor’s chair has been competing with the barber’s chair, that of Vanguard has been stable.  In the forty years of its existence,  the number of editors of the major titles can be counted on the fingers. This is a result of the quality of leadership and the insulation of the paper from mundane politics.

Therefore, I am not really surprised that Vanguard has clocked forty years and still remains stable and prosperous.  The Vanguard of 1984 is still the Vanguard of 2024 in terms of acceptability to all strata of the society, including being a darling of advertisers.  The newspaper has greatly improved in quality.  The offices are no longer make-shifts in the canal.  But the soul remains what it was forty years ago.

A sense of loss

Like I mentioned earlier, many people left Vanguard with a sense of deep loss. It happened to me. When I had the pull out to be on my own as the Igbo man that I am, I felt this sense of personal loss. Given my relationship with Uncle Sam, a relationship that he forged with all staff who distinguished themselves,  I knew it would be disrespectful of me to just resign without informing him first.  So, to his house at Anthony Village, I headed.  The moment I walked through his door, he asked me, ‘Are you leaving us?’  He asked me if I was sure of the decision I was taking.  When I said yes, he said something that I will never forget.  He said he knew I would leave because talented people are always restless.  That was vintage Uncle Sam. 

Today, as the Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation, and Strategy in Imo state,  I still feel nostalgic about my years in Vanguard.  I still feel indebted to Uncle Sam, who treated me like a son. But I am happy that my “practical tutorials” in Vanguard have helped me in the discharge of my current duties.  Most importantly,  I always feel the touch of the Vanguard family when I pick up my phone and relate with all the staff who worked with me and they accord me the assistance as would a brother to a brother.  Happy 40th anniversary to Vanguard!

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