The Life, Times Of Omovuakpo Esajere
Fayemi: Oga Akpo was an encyclopaedia of politics
Bonuola: His was more than an average taste
Oloja: He was an oracle as a reporter, writer and editor
Anikulapo: Esajere was a strong political force
BEFORE he breathed his last on Friday, March 15, former Group Political Editor of The Guardian, Akpo Esajere, 71, had stopped listening to news about social, economic and political events in Nigeria that often worsened his health condition. He held on to his religious beliefs and cultivated new friends outside the political arena.
To say that Esajere was disappointed about how fortunes are being mismanaged in Nigeria is an understatement. He had hoped things would be better at the country’s return to democracy in 1999, but he died without seeing the Nigeria of his dreams.
Esajere was a deep thinker and political philosopher who wrote about complicated, thought- provoking issues that influenced government policies. He was a thorn in the flesh of the military government and was in the vanguard of political writers who fought for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. Corrupt and indolent politicians feared his acidic pen while those without a skeleton in their cupboard embraced his mien.
Speaking about his last moment, his daughter, Veno Omamuli, said at a stage in his life, Esajere was optimistic that his dream of a better Nigeria where good leaders would harness human and material resources for the welfare of the people and development of the country was going to come to pass, but that changed later, as things depreciated and the gaps between the haves and have- nots widened and news or corruption, kidnapping and act of terrorism made front pages of the newspapers. “He was disappointed, he complained about inflation and hardship Nigerians were passing through because of mismanagement of resources,” she said, with a long pause.
Esajere’s son- in- law, Oritsetimeyin Omamuli, who, he mostly shared his political thoughts with in his dying days, said the great political editor “was not happy about how things turned sour for the country, especially in the last eight years. Most times, he complained about leadership and mismanagement of resources. He was not partisan at all, though he had a relationship with the current president, Bola Tinubu, who he met severally while he was in The Guardian. He spoke of Nigeria of his youthful days with nostalgia. He always wondered why yesterday was always better than the present in Nigeria.
“However, the death of his wife, Sylvia, in 2021 who was a strong pillar for the family devastated him and made him to be lonely for most times.”
Born on September 21, 1953, Omovuakpo Esajere ( Akpo- abridged form) at Akiewhe, ( Owhe Clan) Isoko North Council, Delta State. He attended Notre Dame College, Ozoro, in Isoko North Council between 1967 and 1971 and College of Education, Abraka, Delta State between 1976 and 1979 with specialty in English Language and Music. He continued with his higher education at the University of Lagos ( UNILAG), where he obtained B. Sc in Mass Communication in 1983. To prepare himself for better understanding of politics, he went back to the same university for his postgraduate in Political Science and bagged M. Sc in 1989. By October 1983 he started his journalism career at Daily Times as Senior Sub- Editor and by June of the following year, he was transferred to the Features Desk in recognition of what the paper’s management described as, “exceptional writing ability” and became the pioneer Political Correspondent of the Daily Times Political Desk in April 1989, when he returned from Abuja where he covered the Constituent Assembly in 1988.
Esajere joined The Guardian in June 1990 as Political Correspondent and was promoted as Deputy Political Editor by October of the same year. Owing to dint of hard work and better understanding of his beat, he was promoted as Political Editor of The Guardian in January 1992 and became the Group Political Editor of The Guardian titles few years later, the position he held until 2016 when he retired.
Paying tribute to the Esajere, former governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum ( NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi, also a former staff of The Guardian, said, “Oga Akpo was an encyclopaedia of politics, yet self- effacing in disposition. He had a knack for getting behind the scene and below the surface and produce dispassionate and objective assessment of every issue addressed. He made The Guardian the ‘ go to’ publication on contemporary politics in his days as a reporter. May he rest well in the bosom of the Lord.”
For the pioneer Editor and later Editor- inChief/ Managing Director of The Guardian Newspaper, Mr Lade Bonuola, who invited Esajere from Daily Times to The Guardian, he described him as one of the best political reporters in the country. According to the revered media practitioner, “I have been informed of the departure of Esajere from earthly life. He lost the battle of many years to live. His struggle was compounded by the unexpected departure of his devoted wife three years ago.
“I brought Esajere from the Daily Times and what endeared him to me was his mastery of language. He soon deepened my fondness of him with his application to work, raising the level of the coverage of his beat to a new high. His was more than an average taste and so he was able to cultivate useful contacts in high political circles. This manifested in the enrichment and depth of his political stories and analysis. It did not, therefore, take long when he was made Politics Editor of The Guardian, for the reward of diligence, unsparing and hard work is being catapulted to the highest rung of the ladder of a professional calling. “Akpo would stay long in the office reading and writing. And I would say to him: “You are still around?” And he would say he was rounding off, he would soon be on his way home.
“I must add that despite his serious mien especially while under the pressure of deadline, Akpo laughed easily and heartily, too - credentials, I can testify, we both shared.
“We should accompany him with our loving and prayerful thoughts that his path be blessed on his continuing journey with gaze turned away from the materiality of this world, but to On High. I wish Akpo Esajere well.”
Speaking in the same vein, former Editor and immediate past MD/ Editor- in- Chief of The Guardian, Mr Martins Oloja, noted that his brilliant contributions to political reporting ought to have earned him recognition not just in political circles but in academia.
He said, “I am too emotional now to write about ‘ political journalism’ without ‘ Akpo Esajere reporting’. I have referred you to him several times in most of my speaking points on journalism of impact. I have written several articles on the same subject to the extent that in one of such articles I had noted that in developed economies, where education quality is generally regarded as a weapon of country and global competitiveness, an Akpo Esajere would have been decorated as a professor of practice ( of political journalism and communication).
“The Akpo I worked with was such a phenomenon that I couldn’t decode till he breathed his last. He was an oracle as a reporter, writer and editor. He was a remarkable wordsmith who wasn’t interested in just ‘ breaking- new’ items. He would dig deep into the whys and hows of issues in the news of politics and policies. “He was what Robin Sharma would describe as leader, ( Editor) without a title. He wasn’t a title Editor but all title Editors respected the robustness of his offerings and clarity of his thoughts on politics and policies.
“Akpo, ( Groupooo) as he was fondly called as a Group Political Editor, he regarded even his reporters as opinion leaders he could interview for fact gathering .
“All political leaders loved to read his ‘ Monday Notes’ because such profound writings would contain backgrounds and intelligence for decision making.
“He took his time to study the use of English for good reporting and writing. One day, he wrote a remarkable introduction while contextualising a political development in Abuja thus: ‘ A great deal of arms- twisting is going on in Abuja at the moment…’ That summarised the essentials of the developing story at that time . “Doubtless, it will be difficult to find another significant political editor to replace Akpo Esajere, the legend!
Sleep well, Oga Akpo!”
Former Editor of The Guardian on Sunday, Jahman Anikulapo, described him as “a strong political force”, while the Editorial page Editor, Mr Kunle Sanyaoolu, said his death was “shocking” because he was careful about life and watchful of his health.
Sanyaoolu said, “His death was shocking, not because he was not expected to die – all mortals are bound to die someday - but because he was always full of life at any point in time. He was more than average in the habit of healthy living as he consciously watched his food intake, avoiding those stuff that have been medically recognised as less than healthy to certain individuals. Whenever he battled health challenges, he would slow down in physical activities, but never on mental alertness, particularly, regarding his turf as political reporter, which is what he considered himself, even though he retired from active journalism in The Guardian as Group Political Editor, servicing the three Guardian titles with incisive political analysis. His close pals in The Guardian called him ‘ Group O’. Over the years as a political journalist, he earned all his respect as a foremost analyst and one to be reckoned with whenever big political news broke. He was a patient listener, and picked many elements of his analyses from unlikely sources, which he recognised as authentic. His readers were never disappointed with his writing and usually looked forward to his dissection of intricate political affairs. “Akpo’s status as a giant in the realm of political reporting reverberated in his deep, mature, almost guttural voice, plus the calculated manner he delivers his points both in writing and in speech. On occasions where he was expected to lead discussion on political issues affecting the country, he took his time to emphasise the thrust of his findings. He was not one to be rushed into making any admission or assertion, unless and until he was sure. No matter the pressure he faced therefore, he would pick his words as if he was very allergic to using the wrong word.
“Esajere was a dogged fighter who refused to allow poor health to discourage him from actively participating in any event he considered important. He found time to pay occasional visits to his colleagues in the newspaper world, especially The Guardian that fully nurtured him, having earlier snatched him from the now defunct Daily Times.
Akpo was too much of a political reporter. He shunned entreaties to make him other editors like News Editor, believing that the positions would preclude him from doing what he enjoyed doing most: reporting and analysing political developments .
He enjoyed the partnership of a very understanding wife who unfortunately passed on about three years ago. That incident was probably a big straw for him, even though he managed to live normally for some time after. It was the second time for him to lose a loving wife after losing the first one sometime in the early nineties.
“Fate, however, drew him to the second wife who incidentally was then also a fresh widow. Between them, they had five beautiful children. May God strengthen them to bear the irreparable loss of their parents. They should take consolation from the fact that their father was a professional to the core. He excelled in his calling and paved way for the growth of many journalists who are now authorities in their various beats in the profession. May God grant Akpo Esajere eternal rest as we his colleagues continue to miss him.
Former Chief Sub Editor of The Guardian, Mr Yinka Olujimi described him as: “The Generalisimo of political news reporting, he was of the finest breed of journalists. He combined experience and panache. Impeccably dressed, Oga Akpo was at home with the high and the mighty in society as he was with younger and junior reporters. His smile was gentle but infectious. He handled the political desk with so much dexterity that you were left with no doubt that he was a master of the game. He will be sorely missed. ”
He is survived by Veno Omamuli, Chichbem Nnaugwu, Ebere Okobi, Obaro Esajere and Oghale Esajere .