Osoba, Fayemi, Mimiko to attend Folu Olamiti’s book launch on Thursday

Folu Olamiti, former editor of the Nigerian Tribune, is set to launch “A Peep Into the Past”, a part memoir and collection of his articles and reportage.

The book, which chronicled Olamiti’s close to 50-year career in journalism, is set to be unveiled on Thursday at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre by 11 am.

According to a statement issued on Monday, Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, will be the event’s chairman.

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and culture, will be the special guest of honour.

Seyi Makide, governor of Oyo, is the chief host of the book launch. Other dignitaries expected at the event include Dapo Abiodun, governor of Ogun; Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo; Biodun Oyebanji, governor of Ekiti; AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara.

Others are Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti, and Olusegun Mimiko, former governor of Ondo.

Speaking on the book, Tola Adeniyi, former managing director of Daily Times Nigeria and the writer of the publication’s foreword, described the work as “more or less a guide and a tutorial on political reporting”.

He added that the book “reveals the innermost character trait of Folu Olamiti as a humanist and philosopher”.

“This book is more or less a guide and a tutorial on political reporting as well as a study in human and public relations,” Adeniyi said.

“Even though it is not a biography or autobiography, it nonetheless reveals the innermost character trait of Folu Olamiti as a humanist, a philosopher imbued with the deepest candour and spiritual piety. It could well have been titled A Peep into Folu’s Mind.”

Olamiti worked for 32 years at the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles and rose to the position of an executive director.

He is a former editor of the Sunday Tribune and Nigerian Tribune.

Olamiti is a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), a former media consultant to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and a member of the International Press Institute Fellow Institute for Governance and Leadership Studies in Africa  (IGLSA) and the immediate past chairman of the board of management of Advent Cable Network Nigeria Television  (ACNNTV).