I woke up in the middle of the night few days ago and the thoughts of our departed leader and boss, our publisher and mentor, Sam Nda Isaiah dominated me. I checked whether it was another full year of his absence and discover it wasn’t any memorial dateline for remembrance.
I couldn’t but stood to reflect on so many things and ideas that thisbgreat man brought to prominence and those that were abandoned as a result of his demise.
Sam Nda Isaiah, the proud son of an illustrious first generation journalist was a household name not just within the nation’s media industry but also within the political corridors of the nation. He took deep interest in the politics of the country that no issue or contemporary matter goes without his attentive analysis. There was no issue that escaped his blue pen and prying thoughts, except its not of any national importance or significance. That made every issue he touched important even where it would have ordinarily passed without any attention. He started with his popular column in the Daily Trust, “the Last Word” which attracted every media conscious person living in Nigeria to wait for every Monday to have a glimpse. Even those who cannot afford to buy Daily Trust on Mondays especially members of the free readers association of Nigeria of which I was a member, will rush to make friends with vendors just to be allowed to read the back page. From being a weekly columnist at Daily Trust impacting the nation with objective conversations, he went on to start the hot selling Leadership Confidential which he was chief marketer before finally establishing the now vibrant Leadership group of newspapers.
This man who believed exceptionally in the power of possibilities believed that with sheer will determination, there is nothing that cannot be achieved. He worked everyday as if that was the last day of his life. He gave patriotic attention to every detail and would never be tired of insisting that things are done in the right place. He does not thank himself for any good work done so therefore cannot thank you for whatever you feel good that is done. That is one unique quality of this man that only few people cherish in this country. He appreciates people very well but in an abstract way. He only rewards hardwork with more work and can only discuss one in far away places in order not to make someone feel he has arrived. He criticised objectively but fanatically and would never give in to an argument. He does not take no for an answer. He prepares himself for all arguments that’s why he does not waste any minute of his life on unfruitful engagements, always business minded. Because he reads a lot of books, both old and new, he does what is called grafting of old and new ideas to obtain better ones. Even though he was almost 60 years when he died,an age bracket of approaching elders, he was a millennium man of standard,always abreast aware and familiar with new global tendencies.
A man of big ideas, he moved round the country and dazzled politicians during his aspiration for the Presidency in 2015. He movement was like the present day Obidient movement but could not garner the expected candour because of the aspiration of his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari which slowed him down. If the Apc had given the late Sam Nda Isaiah the ticket to fly and be the President of Nigeria, a lot more would have been achieved because he was full of practical ideas which he used very well to expand and sustain all his businesses inclusive of the Leadership titles. That’s why even after his demise, the structures put in place are producing good and efficient results.
Before resuming this weekly column in 2020, I had arranged an appointment with him which never be. I had planned to meet and engaged him on a number of issues which we had argumentatively discussed in his house when I went to greet him during the demise of his dad. Because he cherished those who know what they are doing, he likes those who can challenge him with facts and those he can get ideas from. Our meeting with him could not hold because of his painful demise.
I feel it obligatory to register my profound honour and respect to thos great man by writing this loving memory to a great man and hero, mentor and instructor who lived and died for a purpose, took it upon himself to built people and prepare them not just for leadership but independent life. As I said,I had concluded arrangements to have audience with him in December ahead of the resumption of my column which was suspended in 2010, but death dealt us a severe blow with his painful and shocking demise. Having an audience with Sam is like appearing at a Chatham House to present yourself and your ideas before the world because his standard of assessment is more than those at the Chatham House. And when one is successfully done, he should clap for him or herself.
Many people who came in contact with this great man have said their own versions about him. He is different things to different people depending on your experience with him.
The news of his death on the night of Saturday 12th December,2020 was shocking and devastating. A man of sound mental and physical energy, he was always on the fast lane as far as ideas were concerned. He believed in the workability of every thought and idea. He does not toy with any under any excuse of either a joke or trial.
The death of Sam is a big blow not just to his immediate and the Leadership families, but to the entire media community. Even though himself not a professional media person, he set high standards and kept all professionals on their toes within the industry, both locally and internationally. His father’s journalistic influence must have influenced him greatly and shaped his passion towards the media. He took the Leadership titles to the highest heights to the admiration of many. He made sure the tabloid performs very well its traditional responsibilities of public enlightenment, education, sensitization, information, entertainment, etc. A highly detribalized Nigerian, he doesn’t favour any one or creates such an impression. To him, anyone who is effective and efficient should be given the opportunity to do an assignment.
At this juncture, let me respectfully call for a minute silence for him and all Leadership staff who have gone to be with the Lord. Let me start with the recent devastated accidental demise of Danlady Ndayebo, my friend and one of the bestmen at my wedding on 3rd March,2007 in my local government Kanke. It was together with Danladi that we mobilized some former Leadership colleagues to the house of the late Sam during his demise and later attended all condolence events of our mentor. Hearing his death alongside his bosom friend and our colleague, Mohammed Isa Funtua the SA to the Senate President, was a rude shock. I remember the late gentle Editor Shehu Dauda, Mr Tunday the advert manager whose demise happened about two months ago. I equally remember Mr Abdulrahman the pioneer company accountant and others who have gone back to our creator. May their hardworking and gentle souls and the souls of all other departed media colleagues worldwide, rest in peace with the Lord.
My contact with Oga Sam in 2006 changed my whole approach to life and work. Working in leadership was completely different from any place I had ever worked. If one is used to working under gentle and lenient leaders, it will be very difficult for you to cope under Sam. If he did not sympathize with himself how else should you expect that from him? As a human being of course he was not perfect neither was he working to be perfect. His goal was to make people believe in themselves so that it can show in everything they do and get value for it. He made sure you are grilled to the point where you worked under no or little supervision when you become independent. The training we received under him made us who we are today. Whoever had played with such mentorship will definitely not understand what am talking about now. I cherish his tough and strict leadership and mentorship so much that all those working with me and those who will ever work with me must go through for the good of themselves. It was a training that prepared me for the political leadership and representation I was to face subsequently after leaving the company in 2010.
I had left the Daily Times of Nigeria in 2006 for the Leadership Group of Newspapers as a correspondent covering some land beats but just few months after joining Leadership I was appointed the Political Editor. When Mr Simon Reef, the then Sunday Editor conveyed the news of the promotion to me verbally, I almost run away from the company.
I told him I cannot do the job because I was used to other beats other than covering politics. I had never covered politics before the. Political beats are the exclusive preservatives of the big guys who are connected to the top editors and not just for anyone. The politics of the newsroom had always kept those of us without connections away from such beats, but just in a swoop, I was not just redeployed to the political desk, I was appointed the pioneer political head and not long after, made the group politics editor. As I struggled in his office to accept or not, Mr Reef laughed and told me not to disappoint or disgrace the middlebelt spirit which is always capable and able to do all things.
After talking to me encouragingly and giving me insights into how to go about the job, I made up my mind and stayed and immediately my letter of appointment was handed over to me. In less than three months I was elevated to the position of Group Politics Editor.
I was not the only one that was elevated, many others too who were more familiar with some form of editorial work were promoted outside their comfort zones and that was the beginning of new thinking for all of us. I remember the news room was always full of gists and varied analysis and a place for the Golus, Dicksons, Ndayebos, Emma Bellos, Simon, Suleiman, Philip Nyams, Oota, uncle Ben, etc etc but as soon as the electrifying voice of Oga Sam was heard, the whole place would become empty in a jiffy. You dare not tell him you have finished work for the day and is relaxing. You don’t relax here, you start thinking for tomorrow he would say.
While working at Leadership, we always think outside the box and work diligently to justify the confidence of Oga Sam who monitored and assessed each one of us personally and elevates us at his strictest discretion. He only calls you whenever there is an issue of either a missing or false story and God helps you if you had no answer. You must create an answer. A highly sensitive man, he did not care where you came from and who might have brought you to the company. There were some that worked in Leadership and left without having met him face to face or had any physical encounter with him, especially those within the middle and lower cadres. This is because except there is an issue before him regarding you, he does not need to see you. Sometimes he asked who is this person and the person was called to appear.
He was tough, firm, unbendable and very argumentative especially when he believes that his position is right. You don’t have to bow to him when you believe in your own argument just to impress him. He likes those who argue to the end with productive facts that overwhelms his reasoning. He does not play to the gallery and will not condone such from anyone. He does not believe in the deficit ingredients of ethnicity, tribalism, religion,etc.
Even though a trained Pharmacist by profession, he was so passionate about mass communication and hence his incursion into the hectic terrain of media management and administration.
He will give you a story line to go work on it and bring it to him directly or through any of the management Editors. You dare not tell him about any encumbrance or hindrance or hitches that you may or must have encountered in the process of carrying out the assignment. Of course he knows you must encounter them, but would insist you do your very best. That created a very strong will determination in us to do things and even face life’s challenges. This dogged spirit he instilled in us helped us break new hard grounds even outside the company.
Most people did not realize the training we were forced to receive under his tutelage until he transited. But for me who had no godfather or any guide aside my parents in the village, I had no choice but to grab this opportunity of free tutelage to help myself built and sustain life.
Unlike his younger brother Abraham, Oga Sam was not too much of a spiritual or religious person, but his firm hold on strategic principles tally with biblical injunctions of self growth and development, love and brotherliness. He respects superior ideas and frown at lazy or careless thoughts that diminishes competence and potentials. Whenever he calls for meetings he dominated discussions and does not allow anyone to say something except you are smart to insist on saying something. As a core capitalist that he was, it was better to miss a story than an advert which brings money to the company. He can surcharge you for missing story but can dismiss you for missing an advert.
He sacked me about seven times and reinstated me same number of times. My last and funny experience with him on this was when he called me in far away South Africa and told me he has sacked me for travelling without permission. I told him I had a copy of my permission with me but he insisted on believing the Editor,( names withheld) who wanted to put me in trouble. As soon as he sacked me, I immediately called the advert manager to withdraw the 25 page advert I had earlier sent for publication. When he later discovered that I had moved over to the Peoples Daily as their State House Editor with the advert, he immediately directed that I be reinstated back together with the 25 page advert. At this stage I started playing ‘yanga’ myself. Of course it was an opportunity for negotiation for me which was never there before. At the end, I got a 20% commission from the 5% that I used to get. As God did it, I succeeded in getting the advert published in both Leadership (with 20% profit) and the Peoples Daily( with 40% profit). It was an excellent deal for me.
When (together with my wife) I went to the Banana Republic to tell him of my political ambition to contest for the Plateau State House of Assembly in October 2010, he said I should go for the House of Representatives instead of the state assembly. His argument was that having worked in Leadership as Political Editor and Group Politics Editor, Group News Editor and then Associate Editor State House, my knowledge about political developments in the country was beyond the local state level and therefore I needed to be at the National Assembly. After convincing him that we operate a zoning system for all elective positions and I needed to start with the State Assembly which was zoned to my ward, he agreed and together with his wife, blessed my ambition and wished us well. I got elected into the State House of Assembly in 2011-2015. When I was elected into the Federal House of Representatives in 2015-2019, he was so very happy that his wish and prayers for me was achieved.
I learned so much from the life of this great man, Sam Nda Isaiah. He taught me hardwork, working under pressure, thinking outside the box, being diligent, self confidence and development, courage, adventurism, smartness, strategy and goal driven objective in every endeavor.
Now that the curtains have closed on our mentor, it behoves on us to reflect on his strong life points that added value to our lives. I am missing this man sincerely. I don’t concentrate on his weak points at all. After all he is also human and whoever was looking for perfection from him was missing the point of life. He made his points bold and clear, both in error and rightly. He has built so many of us to where we are today, not by giving us money but the social life capital needed to grow in strategy and survival.
For those of us who worked under this man at different times, we are very rich in content and principles of what life expects of us and what we can give to life and society. As I said during the day of tribute, anyone of us who has occupied an editorial or management position in this organization can successfully administer this country. We have been taught the basic principles of governance that can be applied anywhere.
We can comfortably lead and manage our individual enterprises as a result of what we have received as content development in leadership.
Though many know him as the tough and harsh Chairman of Leadership, but Oga Sam was more than that. In his closest he was the nice husband, good father, instructor, politician, analyst/columnist, mentor, observer and a patriotic citizen.I urge us all to keep praying for the family of our late Leader, his wife and children and the Leadership family and make yourself available for any role that you can play to sustain this great company.
Let me use this opportunity to appreciate sincerely our mother and Mrs Zainab Sam who has to wear the big shoe of her late husband as chairman of the company. To the surprise of many, she has done excellently well in managing the company and continuing with some of the valuable traits of her late husband. She has kept the company running and allowing us contribute as columnists. May the Lord continue to comfort you and give you the needed strength and empowerment to carry on with life. At all the memorial services held in Sam’s memorial honour, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF Mr Boss Mustapha, a dependable and reliable friend of our late chairman and other very good family friends, colleagues and partners have always been around to show love and concern to the bereaved family. May you all be blessed.
I appreciate other management staff who have given the necessary support and encouragement to Mrs Zainab such as Azu Ishiekwene the Editor in Chief of Leadership Group, company directors: Pastor Abraham Nda Isaiah, Mike Okpere,Muazu Elazeh and all the Editors, senior management both former and present, staff and fans of the paper for youe valuable and patriotic contributions to the sustenance and growth of the paper..
Lets all come together to ensure that Leadership stands strong and viable and move from its present state to a higher one. So many may have different impressions depending on one’s experience (s) with our late Chairman and some management or Editorial leaders, but lets put behind us all such unfavorable experiences and take them as life’s discretionary portions which are always beyond our control. Just as Chairman must have offended some people, others too must have offended him, but crossing each other’s path was historically divine and we must cherish them as they come. I know of some people who were opponents while in school but ended up as husbands and wives. I also know of many who could not see eye to eye, but today are the best of friends. So lets make good use of every available circumstance and turn it for good.
May the good and kind, hardworking and entrepreneurial, adventurous and versatile soul of our late leader and mentor, Sam Nda Isaiah rest well and in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ and may all the other faithful departed rest in peace.
