A joyful jottings on Eddy Ochigbo at 60!

By OCHE AGWUCHI

Mr. Eddy Ochigbo is the gentleman beside me in this pix. At the time, he was Editor of then famous but now rested Hotline Magazine in Kaduna. Permit me to tell you a short story so you may appreciate why I truly appreciate this man.

I had gone to Hotline to drop an application for employment as a reporter and was told to wait for the Editor to be interviewed. For all the times I was asked to come, I did but Mr. Ochigbo was never on seat.

The day I finally met him, he apologised and told me he had to do a number of trips out of town. We were about settling down for the interview when the publisher, Alhaji Hassan Sani Kontagora (Magajin Rafin Kontagora) walked in. Straight at me he came: "What are you doing here?" he thundered. I told him I was looking for a job. "My friend there is no job here," he replied. "Come," he commanded and I followed him out of the Editor's office. Pointing at another office, he told me, "Go there and introduce yourself to them. If you can write, you have a job but if you can't, I don't ever want to see you here again."

That was the beginning and end of the interview. Now if you know the Magajin Rafi, you would have pictured what happened between us. I must admit it was quite a scary moment. To think that I had no journalism training, not even a day of trying to write for journalistic purposes, I almost made up my mind not to return to that office again but for Eddy Ochigbo.

After the publisher left, I went back to the Editor's office. He asked if I had ever practiced and I answered in the negative. He asked again if I believed I could write and this time my answer was in the positive. He said that was the first thing I needed. He asked me to write on any issue and bring it to him the next day.

The next day, he read my piece and told me I could write. What a boost! From thence, Mr. Ochigbo took to training and personally guiding me. I was given tasks that I completed satisfactorily. Before long, I became the favourite of the publisher. He gave me a room in his house, made sure I ate each time he ate. From a job seeker, I became family. It was all thanks to the tutelage of Mr. Ochigbo.

When I later went to journalism school, I found things rather easy. Mr. Ochigbo prepared me to be the best and for the two different programmes that I undertook, I came out the best each time.

Today is Mr. Ochigbo's birthday. How else do I celebrate such a man than bore you with such lengthy write-up? A very humble fellow he is. He makes writing easy and exciting. Anything he cracks turns out a masterpiece. Lest I forget, he is a table tennis champion.

May God favour you all the days of your long and healthy life. May the riches of heaven be your lot. May the good seeds you have sown grow to become fruits you shall joyfully reap. Happy birthday sir. My Jottings are joyfull, not Joyless sir.

Oche Agwuchi, is an Abuja-based journalist

Comments

'Terrorists are all over, not only Southern Kaduna'

-Governor Nasir el-Rufai el-Rufai addressing Journalists in Hausa after a security meeting on Southern Kaduna By DANGWA DANJUMA G overnor Ahmed Nasir el-Rufai has admitted that terrorists are everywhere in Kaduna state, not only in the troubled Southern Kaduna, disclosing that miscreants have taken to the social media space to promote what he called disturbing and further aggravating the worsening situation situation with religious and ethnic colouration. Speaking to newsmen in Hausa, after a meeting with security officials, el-Rufai said that miscreants from Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and outside Nigeria are trying to insinuate that the Southern Kaduna killings is ethnic and religious even going as far as asking people to take the law into their hands. While maintaining that these people would be brought to book, he tasked traditional leaders, religious leaders and political office holders in the state to speak the truth about the happenings as failing to do so wo...

Expert advocates for prudence and and accountability in Treasury Management

By EDDY OCHIGBO L ack of efficient and prudent treasury management in the country have been identified as the source of fraud and sharp practices in nation's public and private sector. Dropping the hint during a breakfast meeting with Correspondents in Kaduna during the week, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Treasury Management of Nigeria, Mr Adedoyin Olumide, reiterated that poor treasury management remains the bane of public and private finance utilization in the country, calling for greater synergy among all professionals in accounting, banking and finance. He disclosed tha...

Coalition urges COP-27 to fast track advocacy against Climate Change

Participants in a group photograph after the event in Kaduna By EDDY OCHIGBO, A coalition of environmental organizations in Kaduna, under the aegis Extinction Rebellion (XR) - a global movement which seeks to persuade governments to act justly on climate change and ecological emergency - has hosted a pre-COP27, in partnership with Bridge-that-Gap Initiative, to galvanize the campaign against climate change, as the the 27th Conference of Parties slated for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt kicks off. In an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ACCORD, one the coordinators of the event in Kaduna metropolis, Mr Zinta Akpoko, revealed that COP27, Egypt could become a turning point of the campaign, given that forerunners of the conference have since pledged to relentlessly push to prioritize climate financing for developing nations. "The effect of climate change is very evident and we need to be very frank by telling the truth about the inherent dangers tha...

Kaduna's Lord of Flies and his Fraudulent Style of Governance

A classroom for pupils in Kaduna State ' Pick a leader who will keep jobs in your country by offering companies incentives to hire only within their borders, not one who allows corporations to outsource jobs for cheaper labor when there is a national employment crisis. Choose a leader who will invest in building bridges, not walls. Books, not weapons. Morality, not corruption. Intellectualism and wisdom, not ignorance. Stability, not fear and terror. Peace, not chaos. Love, not hate. Convergence, not segregation. Tolerance, not discrimination. Fairness, not hypocrisy. Substance, not superficiality. Character, not immaturity. Transparency, not secrecy. Justice, not lawlessness. Environmental improvement and preservation, not destruction. Truth, not lies.' -Suzy Kassem By NASIRU JAGABA: jagabanasiru@gmail.com It is over three years now that citizens in Kaduna State fell in love with the slogan ‘Make Kaduna Great Again’. How time flies! Again, the...

Kaduna online Publishers move to tackle fake news

T he maiden Public Lecture and Award Presentation by the Arewa Online Publishers Association is underway in Kaduna to address fake news and promote ethical standards for overall good of the society. With the theme: 'The Role of New Media in Nation Building', the lecture will be delivered by renowned Professor Umaru Pate of Bayero University Kano (BUK) at Arewa House Banquet Hall, Kaduna tomorrow being Wednesday, November 27, 2019. Some distinguished great Nigerians and Corporate Organizations who have made outstanding contributions to nation building would be honoured at the epoch-making occasion. The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman is the Royal Father of the Day while the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufa'i is the Chief Host. The Association with its headquarters in Kaduna , is a cream of seasoned Journalists who operate Online Media platforms across the 19 Northern States and Federal Capital Territ...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog