by Suraj Oyewale

Tolu is, to me, the greatest under-35 newspaper columnist in Nigeria at the moment. 

In the first part of this edition [READ HERE], I reckoned that based on the limited information available to me, it appears that the late Alade “Allah De” Odunewu of the defunct Daily Times (called “Dele Tans” by the legion of unlettered men and women in today’s South West) was the greatest Nigerian columnist dead, with Bisi Onabanjo and Stanley Macebuh as distant contenders. I know the veterans of yesteryears that know more will have something to say about that.

I also started my psychoanalysis of the living columnists with a review of Dare Olatunji and Reuben Abati. I continue this “analyzing-the-analysts” journey this week by taking more of the columnists I follow.

In the late 90s to early 2000s, I had more exposure to Punch and Tribune newspapers as our old man’s favourites, so I know more about their columnists of that period. I followed Yomi Okunnuga’s KNUCKLES column in Punch. I looked forward to read the Knucklehead every Saturday. I enjoyed his weekly offerings. It was from his column that I first came across the phrase, The White Sepulcher, as he used it in one of his writings. Festus Adedayo of Tribune was also a popular columnist in Tribune stable at the time. I followed his column too. I remember sending him an email, in 2002 or so, at the height of ASUU strike that kept us at home for months, that he should write on ASUU strike. He did. Wale Adedayo, who is now a friend on Facebook (Social Media has shrunk the gap between me and many of these guys today), was also one guy I used to follow in Punch then although I used to disagree with him and remember once sending him a not-too-friendly email.

How can one be a Punch reader in the early 2000s and not know Tunde Fagbenle? Not possible. I followed Uncle TF too in that period. I remember one day, in 2003, on my way to school (Ife) from Offa, my hometown, when I saw his picture on the posters in Osogbo as a contestant for Osun Central Senatorial election. He lost the election and later resumed his weekly Punch column, initially syndicated with Daily Trust but now appearing in Punch only, and also uploaded on some web portals. Uncle Fagbenle’s biggest strength is his attention to details. If there is one Nigerian columnist you may never find any error – even if just typo– in his article in more than 100 editions, it is Uncle Fagbenle. His use of English is top-notch. At least it is from his column I first came across the word “madding”. Egbon Fagbenle, whom I’m fortunate to have been quoted twice on his column, is also a master in storytelling. There are a number of stories he recollected in his column that stuck in my head till today – most notably the day he said he and the late banking guru and later traditional ruler, Oba Oladele Olasore, cooked ewedu (a soup common aming Yorubas) in the latter’s London home. I also won’t forget his stories of his growing up years in Minna, Niger state, and his relationship with his boyhood Igbo friend, Afam. Uncle Fagbenle, who speaks Hausa probably more fluently than his native Yoruba, is also witty. His column can be humour-filled, except when he is angry “amid madding times”.  Some people may however have something to say about Uncle’s partisanship, especially relationship with the All Peoples Congress (APC).

Punch has other notable columnists worth analyzing. The young Bimbo Adelakun commands high following. How did I know that? I interviewed her for my blog last year and one of the commonest search terms Google directs to my blog is “Abimbola Adelakun Punch column”, indicating that a lot of Nigerians follow her and search for what she has to say every week. I must however confess that I find myself disagreeing with her for eighty percent of times, majorly because of difference in our values, especially as regards topics like homosexuality and religion.

I follow the new generation Punch columnists – Azuka, Jide Ojo, Eze Onyekpere, Tunji Ajibade, Fola Ojo, Bayo Olopohunda, Tolu Ogunlesi etc – too, but not with the hunger I look forward to reading veterans like Tunde Fagbenle, with the exception of Tolu Ogunlesi. Tolu is, to me, the greatest under-35 newspaper columnist in Nigeria at the moment. He displays rare objectivity in analyzing issues, and for a young man of 32 – who has been a top columnist for at least 5 years – the level of maturity he displays in his writings is unequal. You would think he’s been around for ages. I remember following him from his NEXT days and I still struggle to come to terms with the fact those articles I read in his column then were written by a 27-year-old.  What’s more, Tolu is versatile. He is into many genres of writing – from satire to poetry. He is one of the only two Nigerian columnists I have not found a single exception to. Only Simon Kolawole is the next. I will come back to that.

Continues next week.

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Suraj Oyewale, a chartered accountant, blogger and public analyst, is the Founder of JarusHub Career & Management Portal. He tweets from @mcjarus

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.