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| MKO Abiola opposed Chief Awolowo and described as a very humble man. |
PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya, was a former Editor of Daily Times and pioneer Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Concord and Champion Newspapers, he was a close confidant of the late MKO Abiola and even named Abiola's Concorde Newspaper
in this interview (excerpts) with Vanguard newspaper,while marking his 80th birthday,he
talks about his dealings with the late Chief MKO Abiola.
talks about his dealings with the late Chief MKO Abiola.
- How i named Concorde Newspapers
- MKO wanted Concorde to be a paper that Opposed Awolowo
- Simbiat Abiola tried to Siphon funds from Concord
- Simbiat Abiola had me beaten up for stopping her getting Funds.
- How Abiola sensationalized Onabanjo story &paid libel for it
- Why i left Concord & How humble MKO Abiola was
- How MKO Abiola prostrated and begged me for forgiveness.
It is on record that you established Concord and Champion Newspapers at different times. Can we know how you got the Concord story started with the late Chief MKO Abiola?
PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya: "I even gave the papers their names". When "MKO Abiola's newspaper" was to be named, our opinions were sought at the meeting by Abiola. As the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, I was supposed to be the first to speak, but I allowed others to speak. I did that because I learnt so many lessons from my early fall at Daily Times. At an earlier meeting we had with MKO Abiola which Dele Giwa, Doyin Aboaba, Labanji Bolaji and his lawyer friend from Ibadan attended Abiola said we should suggest possible names for the paper. At that point I remembered that Abiola had told me earlier that he wanted a newspaper that will reflect conviviality, congeniality and cordiality; so,i reminded MKO about
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| PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya tells how MKO Abiola prostrated and begged him for forgiveness. |
Were you the person who mooted the idea of establishing a newspaper to Abiola?
PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya: No. Abiola made up his mind to do that. Then NPN was in government and he wanted a newspaper that will oppose the Tribune. One of the major plans of MKO Abiola was to be in opposition to whatever Awolowo stood for. I did not accept the offer because of what Abiola wanted to do with the paper. I accepted the offer because it gave me an opportunity of going back to the profession that I love. MKO Abiola said a lot of people gave my name to him. Alhaji Fola Ashiru mentioned my name to Abiola. At that time I was into haulage. I was offered various jobs which I rejected, because I had a feeling that the opportunity for me to go back to journalism will come. MKO asked for feasibility studies which I did but he said it was an essay. Abiola called and said, ‘Egbon this is an essay’. I told him I am a writer and not an accountant. It was at that point that MKO knew I also studied at Glasgow. That increased the affinity between us. When we had our subsequent meeting, Abiola had come up with a feasibility study. MKO informed me that we were going to London to buy the latest machines in newspaper printing. Before that, he had already taken me to a huge warehouse in Mafolouku owned by him and asked what I thought about the place being the corporate office. I said the place was okay. After spending one week to inspect the machines in London, we came back. It was after then that MKO started talking about employment. Abiola is one man who, in spite of his wealth which was opulent in stature, was very humble. MKO was always calling me Egbon even if I was few years older than him. I found MKO Abiola’s humility quite surprising. Abiola suggested to me the noble idea of getting a woman as a title Editor. I thought about one Lara and Dr. Doyinsola Aboaba, who was the Features Editor of Daily Times. Abiola expressed mixed feelings about Doyin’s academic qualification which was more than any other person. Abiola also suggested Dele Giwa, who was then a columnist with Daily Times Nigeria. After discussing with them, they were disposed to the idea of leaving Daily Times, for a one-man newspaper.
Did Abiola at any time try to influence Concord’s editorial contents as being claimed by those who argued that the paper was anti-anything Abiola did not believe in?
PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya: Yes, to an extent. Early in the life of Concord, MKO Abiola told us that the governor of Ogun State, Olabisi Onabanjo, was going to London with a battalion of his lieutenants, including his wife. He said that they were about 30 people. He said we should do a story on that by sensationalizing it. I told him that it was too early for us to start that kind of journalism. I told him to allow us to investigate. He said we should have our way. When we investigated, we found that he was going but that his wife was not going with him. We also found out that only two commissioners were going with him. But Abiola was not interested in that, he wanted something more sensational. MKO said we should include that his wife was part of the entourage, saying that he was ready to pay in the event that we were sued for libel.
Olabisi Onabanjo sued us for libel eventually after we published it and Abiola paid for the libel. That was the only occasion when the ownership interfered. But Abiola's first wife, Simbiat Abiola, imposed herself as Project Director and took an office at Concord House and wanted to siphon her husband’s money through National Concord. The newspaper had a Financial Controller who was Sule Abiola. She got Sule to sign some papers. There were two sets of signatories to Concord account. The A Category was MKO Abiola alone. The B signatories were the Managing Director and any Executive Director. When it got to cheque level, the cheque was passed to me, I questioned it, but was told that it was meant for goods that had not been supplied. I refused doing so. I questioned Sule for doing that but he said he had no option because the claimant was his elder brother’s wife. The money involved was millions of Naira. I refused to sign the cheque because I knew the company was in the process of being defrauded. That was me standing up against the deputy ownership of the enterprise.
During the third year of my leadership, the woman decided that I could not continue to be a stumbling block to her. She brought a 10-man group. For me not be in doubt about who brought the men, she led them to my office to beat me up. She knew that MKO had traveled out of the country. While her men were dealing with me in my office, she was asking me if the money I prevented her from getting was my money. People in other offices did not know, only my secretary knew but she could not enter the office she could not come in because Simbiat Abiola was in my office. It was after they left that my secretary came. I packed my books from the office and told the nearest person to me, Doyin Abiola. Simbiat Abiola even accused me of deliberately bringing in Doyin Abiola to be a rival to her in Abiola’s home. Doyin saw the injuries on my head, arm and was shocked to see my dress torned. Less than four hours after the beating up at the instance of Alhaja Simbiat Abiola, MKO called me from abroad and said, Egbon I just heard the gory story of what happened to you through the hands of my senior wife’. MKO apologised and said he was away on an ITT business but would cut the trip short because of the incident. When he got back, Abiola came to me and prostrated begging me to forgive. You can imagine an Abiola doing that with his wealth and opulence. I was humbled by that act. I was humiliated by his wife but I felt humbled by Abiola’s response.
So what happened after the apology?
PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya: I considered the situation because it was obvious that MKO wanted me while the wife did not want me. I concluded that if I remained I will constitute a continuing source of discord between husband and wife who had been together for ages. I also remembered that Abiola told me that his wife’s father contributed to his education. I prayed to God and observed a period of fast about it. I concluded that I should resign my appointment. That was why I went to see MKO at ITT. I went with my uncle who was the traditional ruler of my town to give him reasons why I should not continue as the Managing Director of Concord. After seeking his forgiveness and compliance for me to leave, he gave my uncle N50,000. Abiola was a good man. He gave me two years pay as I was leaving.
To what extent was Concord the media arm of the proscribed NPN because many regarded it as the NPN’s unofficial mouthpiece?
PRINCE Henry Odukomaiya: It was not. Those who argued like that had wrong impressions. From the beginning to the end, Concord was not the way these people described it. There were times Concord was even used to oppose some NPN policies. I can tell you authoritatively that during my years in Concord, NPN never used it for anything. I told you that "MKO Abiola used it to fight Obafemi Awolowo and all he stood for". He also used it as the mouthpiece of the NPN whenever it was convenient for him. It is unfortunate that Abiola was poisoned. Abiola was deliberately killed through the poisoned tea.