Only a lucky man will have the support and the friendship of almost all the persons, who have governed this great state so far and their administrations.
Of the nine governors in Lagos State since the inception of Oriwu Sun in 1985, only one, Sir Michael Otedola’s regime could not support our newspaper project; the other eight did so appreciably. Aren’t we lucky?
I have said it for the umpteenth time that I have not done any other business in my life but newspaper publishing, and that I never thought or knew that Oriwu Sun, which I pioneered, will be the most successful community newspaper in Nigeria, lasting thirty one (31) years of unbroken publication.
Since it is a known fact globally that it is difficult for a newspaper to get advertisement support continually, I was conscious of running out of this life support of every paper. But unknown to me that God, in His infinite mercy and benevolent way, decided to be behind me and to smoothen the path to patronage for me.
The Almighty God positioned me well in the minds of some people, especially the past Governors of this state and the incumbent one.
When I started this project, I employed advert canvassers initially between 1985 and 1987. I gave them a three bedroom flat (apartment) to live in and to encourage them. Surprisingly, it yielded nothing. The canvassers could not fetch any tangible advert. The advert rates we printed and all the logistic support we provided yielded nothing despite circulating the advert materials widely.
So, I changed my strategy and did the advert-hunt myself. I was then the Advert Manager, the Reporter, the Production Editor, the Photographer and even the Vendor (marketer). When many advertisers saw the level of commitment and determination I showed, they appreciated me.
One day, a very wealthy Igbogbo man living in Victoria Island sent word to me that he needed my paper to publish a full page advert for him. The cost of the advert them was N120,000.
The next day, after getting the message, I went to Victoria Island, getting to his residence by 6p.m. Unfortunately, the man was not at home. I begged his Hausa maiguard if I could stay and wait for him. He obliged me and gave me a small stool to wait outside the gate. I was there till about midnight when the man came back. He was surprised to see me at that hour (midnight). I told him that I needed that advertisement to go to press and needed both the advert and its payment to cover the cost of the production of that edition.
The Igbogbo eminent son praised me, saying it was why he liked me and reckoned me as a hardworking man with focus. He went inside his house and paid me one hundred and twenty thousand naira (N120,000) cash. I thanked my God because from that advert, I made one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) profit after expenses on paper, film, plate and impression.
The point I want to make here is that if I had sent an advert canvasser, he/she would not likely have persevered the way I did to wait into the late night. A delay of one day could make the advertiser have another need for his money and the support would have vanished. Since I needed steady advert support, not only the occasional types, I had to go extra mile in strategising.
I decided to focus on every administration to promote them and partner with them and highlight their activities and programmes as well as publish objective stories on governors of the state.
I found out soon that the Governors were reading my paper and appreciating my effort, and each time I approached them for advert support, they did not hesitate. They were willing to help.
Some of them, such as Brig. General Buba Marwa; Late Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Brig. General Olagunsoye Oyinlola called me and asked what exactly I wanted them to do for me in terms of support. Rather than ask for contracts or appointments, I told them to support my paper with advertisements. It turned out to be a magic wand and because they believed in me, they instructed the civil servants in the various ministries to recognize my paper and to support it as a grassroots paper to disseminate government activities.
It is for this reason I decided to devote this column to look back and to appreciate these Governors and their regimes for their tremendous support advert wise. They are the reason for our survival and success for thirty one years. Because of them, Oriwu Sun grew from strength to strength, starting from twenty (20) page of black and white to between one hundred and sixty thousand (160) and two hundred (200) pages all colour.
Since my graduation in 1977, this business of newspaper reporting, advert canvassing, newspaper production and marketing have been my first and only preoccupation of life, from which I derive tremendous joy and job satisfaction. With the limited staff of about ten and journalism student on Industrial Work Experience Scheme or Industrial Training from Universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria and abroad, Oriwu Sun has been able to stand where other community papers failed.
Today also, the current recession would have caught up with us viciously had it not been for the incumbent Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who from the inception of his administration, has continued to stand by us with advertisements. He and all discerning people know that the cost of newspaper production has more than doubled. Before the recession, we could produce an edition with less than one million naira, but today we must spend over one million to get out less number of pages and less print run.
A rim of white bond paper now costs N4,900 as against N1,750 some months ago.
Our readers will notice the effect of the recession on our paper. It will no longer be as bulky as it used to be unless we get bountiful adverts of supplements. The cost of plates, paper, films, ink, impression, transportation, diesel etc. have gone up astronomically.
As I round off this piece, may I profusely salute posthumously Akhigbe, and thank Raji Rasaki, Oyinlola, Buba Marwa, Ahmed Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola, and incumbent Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, for their unquantifiable assistance to our existence. We cannot write the story of Oriwu Sun without mentioning their names in gold. We cannot thank them enough.
As this year ends, we present to you all, a bouquet of gratitude.
God bless you all.