The media industry and social media were awash with articles and testaments from different perspectives highlighting the virtues and celebrating an acknowledged media Icon, Professor Olatunji Dare as he celebrated his eightieth birthday marked with a one-day colloquium in Lagos.

It was a day journalists and media practitioners were admonished to remain resilient in the face of pushback to hold the authority accountable for the advancement of democracy in Nigeria. He was acknowledged as a mentor and role model for the industry.

Adulations also came from the political class with President Tinubu celebrating the former Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper and weekly columnist of The Nation for his commitment to journalistic integrity and ethics, even when he faced adversity and repression during the military era.”. A statement by the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, said.

The gathering on Wednesday, in Lagos, was an array of journalists across generations who came to honour one of them who practiced journalism with principles and stood to be counted among those who fought to restore democracy after decades of military reign in the country.

At a one-day colloquium on Wednesday organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), in collaboration with Vintage Press Limited, publishers of Nation Newspapers, journalists and editors of different media platforms showered encomium on the Professor of Mass Communication and renowned columnist for his enviable contribution to media practices and democracy in the country. He was described as a courageous and principled personality who devoted himself to nation-building without compromise.

Urging Nigerian journalists to emulate the celebrant’s character as a lead speaker, on the topic “Dare @ 80: Same Craft, Changing Times – The Columnist as Societal Mr Lanre Idowu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diamond Publications, stated that despite his age, Professor Olatunji has consistently used his writing to demand accountability from the government.

Through his column writing, Professor Dare demystifies complex topics in the social discourse and makes readers understand policies for extended collaborative governance in the country. Linking Dare’s professional exploit to the obligation of the media practitioners, Mr. Idowu urged the media to play its role in deepening democracy by consistently monitoring the government and being interested in the people without bias and comprise.

“Professor Dare, despite being an 80-year-old man, has consistently used his writing to demand good governance from the government officials who pass their free time converting public funds into their coffers of wealth. Columns have always been germane to educating the minds of the people in society.

“The role of the media is very clear, if it discharges its the role assigned to it appropriately the media would have done its work and basically under our constitution, the media is assigned that responsibility to monitor governance on behalf of the people and to ensure the accountability of the government to the people. If it does that conscientiously, what it then means is that when policies are being formulated the media should be part of the conversation to be able to throw up the options and then the ones that will be best in the interest of the people. The media should be able to also track government performance to see whether there is a gap between what the government says and what the government does.

“The media must be able to do all these things in a way that is fair, decent, and balanced so that if we do that and we do it well, the media will continue to be relevant. But part of the problem is that we are not always faithful in what we do. Some have a different agenda, and that detracts from the power of the media, but the examples of the likes of Professor Dare are that we should be consistent, we should be fair, and we should make sure that our works earn us respect,” he submitted.

Describing Professor Tunji Dare’s courage and character, which he showcased during the military era in the country, Mr. Sully Abu, the former Managing Director of the rested New Age Newspaper, posited that such attributes are missing in the current Nigeria.

The media expert explained that beyond the professional qualities that the emeritus professor possesses, media practitioners must also emulate his good personality, which his colleagues could attest to in their tributes. He also referred to media independence and financial sustainability which have been a hurdle for journalists to cross to maintain ethics and professionalism.

“The media need to speak more to power, I am not sure we are doing enough of it anymore. For many reasons, we know the media is in a bad place we know the financial capacity is low therefore, there is no money to keep most media houses together. Sustaining an independent position and thought takes money. The fact that media has to prioritise those in authority to get money, to get adverts, but we still do not have a choice, we have to speak truth to power we should not take by their words, we should take them by their actions.”

On the other hand, Mr Martin Onoja, the Managing Director and Editor-in-chief of the Guardian newspaper, defended the media for playing its role in society but has been ignored by public officials. He decried the attitude of the current policymakers who despite media calls to action have been unassuming in leadership and governance in the country. However, he encouraged the journalists and media practitioners to continue with their responsibility as demanded by the Nigerian constitution for the development of democracy.

“There is nothing that the media can do that the media has not been doing, it’s just that people in government now are not doing what people in government used to do. If the media monitors governance and puts people on their toes, it is in the interest of the larger society.

“Our responsibility is to monitor government, but these people, even when you monitor them, publish investigative reports about them, or discuss something, they do not care. Ordinarily, what provokes parliamentary debate is usually Publications When they raise issues in public, they will debate, but these people do not care they just do what they like.”

Extolling the virtues of Dr. Olatunji Dare, Mr. Gbenga Omotosho, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy said: “In Dare’s hands, words are like clippers in the hands of a barber; he can weave them together in a unique manner to deliver a fantastic submission week after week. He also wrote in very serious language to speak the truth to power whenever the need arose. But some readers who could not comprehend his satire did not find it funny, and they said so. The writer would laugh and urge them not to take offence. But he was not happy with being sometimes misunderstood because of his style. I understand why this is so.

“Dare, as a communications teacher, would not like to be charged with being esoteric and unable to communicate in a manner that many will understand. In other words, he would not want to be accused of talking to himself.

“He recalled how he resisted intimidation by refusing to join “The Guardian team that went to burnish the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s ego for him to reopen the newspaper, which he shut down in a senseless show of power, how their week was incomplete without reading “Matters Arising,” and how he quit Rutam House.

“Then he lost friends and relations, as well as his livelihood, as the June 12 struggle continued. As the Abacha terror machine remained on the prowl, Dare left for the United States, where he continued to speak truth to power and torment his traducers.

“The full story of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s barber-chair transition that culminated in the June 12 chaos is well captured in the book “Diary of a Debacle (Tracking Nigeria’s Failed Democratic Transition, 1989–1994),” authored by Dare. He derides Babangida, whom he has not forgiven for his odious role in the tragedy, and scorns to no end the Interim National Government (ING), headed by Abiola’s kinsman, the late Chief Ernest Shonekan, whose acceptance of the odd job, many said, foreclosed any bold attempt to restore Abiola’s mandate. All those who played one ignoble part or the other got thoroughly spanked by Dare at the least opportunity.

He lashed at the late Arthur Nzeribe, whose rogue Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) threw a spanner in the works. Abimbola Davies, Justice Bassey Ikpeme, and many others got scurrilous and bitter recriminations from Dare.
Going by his reputation. Dare deserves all the accolades that may be showered on him by those who still hold dear all the values the wordsmith represents: humility, hard work, courage in the face of daunting situations, generosity, and trust.

For nearly a decade, he served as editorial page editor and chair of the Editorial Board of “The Guardian,” where his award-winning and wide-ranging weekly column, in turn, satirical and serious, attracted a wide, appreciative national audience.

Some of the dignitaries who attended the event were the former governor of Ogun state, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, the President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors Mr. Eze Anaba the Special Adviser on Information Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga who represented President Bola Tinubu, and the Special Adviser, Media, and Publicity to the Lagos State Mr. Gboyega Akosile, who represented the Lagos state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwoolu. Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre anchored the colloquium as the Master of Ceremonies.