ORIWU SUN: What is your perception of Oriwu Sun at thirty one (31)? How do you see this vision, which you dreamt of and launched in 1985?
CHIEF MONZOR: I have to thank God for giving me the life, health, strength and wisdom to run this newspaper in such a volatile town as Ikorodu.
As I had spoken and written before, I never thought I would achieve this much with this paper. I never gave it a chance of existing for twenty (20) years how much more thirty one (31) years.
My perception now is that it is the doing of the Almighty Allah, for which I am grateful. I know I have tried my best with my team to make an impact not only in Ikorodu but all over the country, as students from universities and polytechnics from across this nation and beyond come to Oriwu Sun all year round for their industrial training programmes.
ORIWU SUN: But some people are accusing you of using the paper to fight perceived enemies as well as those who refuse to place advertisements in your paper.
CHIEF MONZOR: That is not true. In my prayers, I always tell God to punish me if I deliberately set out to run someone down simply because I have a medium to do so. But if, as an imperfect human, I mistakenly step on someone’s toes, God should forgive me.
I know that those I have attacked in my paper (whether friends or foes); I have always tried to be objective in doing so.
I also know some have said I refused to publish anything bad or negative about some of my friends or some rich people in our community. But, there are people who read Oriwu Sun religiously, who will always write or phone to point out such cases and accuse us of being partial.
In that case, what I always do is to balance the story; I will publish by getting all the sides of the matter through interviews. However, I have found out that some of my friends are not happy that I ever carried the story whether I balanced it or not; they expected me to have dropped (killed) the story in the first place.
In such circumstance, they go round to blackmail me in different circles, saying I am wicked or vindictive, that I have done so because of a past quarrel etc. I usually think that it is better one writes a rejoinder or even challenge us in court than going about with blackmailing.
This is mostly the case with my friends in the local government system, where their staffers often come with reports, information, complaints or petitions against their boss’ wrong doings.
When we investigate these reports or complaints and find them true and publish the story, the council bosses turn round to complain and blackmail us, when it is not favourable to them. They will turn round to say it is because they did not give Oriwu Sun adverts or did not pay for their previous adverts that is why we went to the press against them.
It is a known fact that these local government bosses prefer going to national papers for issues concerning their local communities instead of the first paper they should approach, which is Oriwu Sun. But at the end of the day, when they realize that they ought to have come to us, if they come we compel them to pay for our services and they will have no choice but to do so.
Presently, some staff of a council came to us to complain that their chairman has not been performing well, that he has been busy of late running round to lobby and bribe party chieftains for them to endorse him for the next election.
Because I have not got enough facts to buttress that allegation, I have refused to publish the story. But I got information on another council boss in which market men and women accused the boss of collecting money from contractors including free shop allocations before he approved the contract for market stall construction.
I have not yet got enough facts from all sources to justify publishing the story; hence, I have not done so. But if I had got the facts and published, the chairman would have gone to town to say that we went to press because he did not give Oriwu Sun adverts.
ORIWU SUN: What magic formula did you use to run Oriwu Sun successfully for thirty one (31) years when many other similar publications failed?
CHIEF MONZOR: Again, I thank the Almighty Allah for giving me the strength and wisdom to pilot this project. What many people do not know is that Oriwu Sun is my DNA (the carrier of genetic information in all loving organism) and I am Oriwu Sun’s DNA. I think of nothing else but Oriwu Sun; many do not know that I am a workaholic. When they see me at social parties dancing or spraying money, they think I am a loose ladies’ man. But I know that when I wake up by 5:00a.m or 6:00a.m and pray, the next thing is to go to the office to attend to visitors and settle down to work.
I leave for Alausa almost every day in search of adverts from government circles because without adverts, there is no newspaper. When I come back late evening, I start working on the paper till about 9:00p.m then I go home with left overs (if any). I wake up sometime mid night with some planning or story ideas and I jot them down, do some page planning and some editing, which I hand over the following day to my deputy, Mr. Chuma Adichie or the Editor, Hadji Kazim Ganiu-Sanni for execution.
This is why I say my DNA is Oriwu Sun because if I’m driving, I am thinking Oriwu Sun: what photo news, what gossip (Gbeborun) story I can get. When I eat or sleep, Oriwu Sun is in my head. When I socialize, I think of how it will benefit Oriwu Sun- advert and news contacts, etc. In all I do, I think adverts; I think Oriwu Sun – that is the secret of the success of this paper for thirty one (31) years.
ORIWU SUN: How do you succeed in making friends with every Governor, who comes to office and making them to like you and your paper?
CHIEF MONZOR: It is the work and the hand of God, because I had never met some of these people before they became governors. But a few of them have been known to me and been friends before they became governors. Perhaps, it is the fact that my paper has been an objective, one which they read before coming to power. Since they need to also work with the grassroots, they believe they can patronize us to reach these communities.
Some of these Governors had, in the past, invited me to their offices for a chat, asking me what I would want them to do for me. My response had always been the same: advert support for my paper.
I remember giving the same response to Late Admiral Mike Akhigbe when he was our military administrator, and Brigadier Buba Marwa of Lagos State I repeated it to Raji Rasaki and later to Asiwaju Tinubu. The incumbent Governor, Ambode, asked me the same question at his Ikoyi house during his campaign period. I told him I desire two things-adverts for my paper and recognition whenever I needed to see him. I had always told these Governors I do not need contracts, but steady advert support for Oriwu Sun because if I get contracts I will lose focus on this publication and start chasing something else.
I am happy that each of these Governors, including Ambode, had granted my request within their abilities.
ORIWU SUN: Who among these Governors will you regard as closest to you in working relationship?
CHIEF MONZOR: I can recall three of them – I related with them almost on one on one basis. They gave me full recognition every time we met. They are Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola from Osun State. It is true we have not been seeing of late but I cannot forget him. Then Asiwaju Tinubu, who till today maintained the working relationship. Then Ambode, whom I had known for more than twenty five (25) years, long before he became Governor. He is respectful to me anytime and anywhere he sees me.
I remember how at a time I published some adverts (before he became governor) without approval and he honoured them for me.
If I offered him money for good things he did for me at that time, he will politely turn it down. Even gifts; he was always reluctant to accept any. I remember Fashola as I say this. I was not very close to him; though, he honored my letters and calls. He was that kind of person, who may not greet or respond to greetings from you. He will simply walk past; but when you write him, he will take time to respond to your biddings.
ORIWU SUN: Who and who are your mentors in Ikorodu that you would not like to offend?
CHIEF MONZOR: Very good question! I have friends in Ikorodu, some trusted; some not trusted, some are mere party friends but there are some I won’t like to offend.
The first is my sister and Chairman, Oriwu Sun, Wing Comdr Dawodu. She is everything to me – a sister, a mom, a friend, an associate. I so much love her; there is nothing she tells me I will disobey. May God continue to uphold her.
The next is Prince Taju Odofin, former Commissioner of Finance in Lagos State. I have great respect for him but our relationship is presently challenged because of the Obaship tussle in Ikorodu. I am praying and looking forward to the issue being resolved someday to free the strain in our ties.
The two others are Otunba Kunle Oyebola and Aremo Niyi Ogunsanya. These last two are my mentors, who I will hardly offend nor disobey.
The others are Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe, who helped me a lot in developing Oriwu Sun and in supporting it with adverts. I admire his brilliance and intelligence as a politician, who knows how to play his cards.
ORIWU SUN: What do you do at your free times?
CHIEF MONZOR: I like to rest in my office; hence, I made it as comfortable as my home. I will work, rest in my office, get up and continue working till late in the night. Also, I attend good parties to relax and reduce stress.