Adeniyi: Two decades of delivering verdicts

BY KELECHI AMAKOH

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; writing an exact man. So says the scholar of arts and humanities, Francis Bacon.

In a society where every day offers you a new discuss, twist and turn, blinking an eyelid might be your greatest undoing.

The set of columnists available for great read weekly offer their great ideas and thought process on certain issues erupting public discourse. It takes a great deal to analyze appropriately, review accurately and aptly proffer what you think is the best solution for the situation at hand as a revered columnist.

If these is accurately achieved, those addressed begin to take note of every statement you make, a cult followership erupts, loyalty to your weekly thought process emerges and definitely those who get inundated by your submissions.

A back page column which one cannot easily overlook in the national dailies these days is that of Olusegun Adeniyi of ThisDay Newspaper. His “The Verdict” column every Thursday has constantly proffered verdicts on the numerous happenings in the country. In a flawless manner, Adeniyi gives a bit by bit analysis of public issues and will not close without giving a verdict. His articles come in simple English which can be understood by a wide range of the reading population.

Having served the nation as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua between May 30, 2007 and May 5, 2010, his intellectual discourse definitely proves to be on a balanced level.

His return to his first love has definitely proved Adeniyi’s love for journalism. Seamlessly he has warmed into the hearts of the reading public after the era of the perceived ‘cabals’ and ‘ethnic debate’ on who takes over the helm of leadership. Adeniyi’s role captured in his book “Power, Politics and Death: A front-row account of Nigeria under the late President Yar’Adua” is also a must read. After his foray, Nigerians have seen two senior journalists continue from where he stopped at the Presidency as Media aides ( Dr. Rueben Abati (2011-2015) and Mr. Femi Adesina (2015-till date).

For Adeniyi, “all the issues that I have spent the better part of the last 20 years writing about are not necessarily earth-shaking historic events. Neither are they about great conquests of new frontiers or of major foreign policy strides or of breakthrough in science and technology or of memorable initiatives on the major things that distinguish great nations from perennial banana republics.

“Instead, what we have repeatedly grappled with, and I have had to deliver “verdicts” on, are mundane issues that do not in any way advance public good: fuel queues, shortage of food, kidnappings, violent elections, looting of public funds, ASUU and doctors’ strikes, killings between farmers and herdsmen, electricity systems collapse, exchange rate fiasco, settler-indigene crisis,” he recounted.

With twenty years of experience garnered by 50-year old Adeniyi, much more is expected from him as the Nigerians constantly yearn for better days as regards purposive, responsive and resolute leadership. Columnists are opinion leaders, Views aggregators and potential advisers. With the likes of Adeniyis offering their invaluable thought processes as well as delivering just verdicts, Nigeria shall be GREAT Again.

Congratulations sir on this feat!