Ray Ekpu, Others Pay Tributes To Newswatch Founders At Lecture Series

The Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation (OJAF) has unveiled the Newswatch 5 Lecture Series in Ikeja, Lagos.

The event also paid tribute to the late Yakubu Mohammed, a media icon who co-founded Newswatch alongside the late Dele Giwa, the late Dan Agbese and Ray Ekpu.

The chairman of the occasion, Chief Tola Adeniyi, said Mohammed rebranded journalism in his own image.

According to him, Mohammed did not find himself in journalism; he walked into it, prepared for it and laboured for it.

“He desired, perspired and acquired the journalism feat. By nature, Mohammed was neither flamboyant nor loud, but stayed in his own lane,” he said.

In her speech, the convener and founder of OJAF, Olori Janet Afolabi, a CNN award-winning journalist and Queen of Apomu Kingdom, said that when Dan Agbese, co-founder of Newswatch, died last year, she reflected on her journalism career and remembered those who shaped, taught, corrected and pushed her.

Ray Ekpu, the only surviving co-founder of Newswatch, in his speech described Mohammed thus: “He was a decent, civilised and modern Muslim, not infected by the bug of religious irredentism.

“He was a reporter’s reporter, a careful, thorough and methodical storyteller. He went for facts and truth. He never bent the facts. He never bent the truth,” he added.

There were reminiscences and tributes from former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, as well as family, friends, colleagues and schoolmates.

Also, Soji Akinrinade, in a vote of thanks, praised Afolabi for organising the event and thanked everyone for attending.