STOP PRESS:BOLA
ONANUGA ,AFRICA’S ICONIC REPORTER DIES SUDDENLY AT 54
BY ABDULMUMINI
ADEKU.
The immediate
Chief Executive officer of now rested Financial Standard Newspapers,Mr Bola
Onanuga is dead
He is said to
have given up the ghost after vomiting and stooling blood repeatedly owning to
complications to a damaged liver
Onanuga who is
of the Ijebu stock from Ijebu Ode in Ogun State
re-married in 2011 after the loss of his first wife to the cold hands of
death due to breast cancer and he is father of two wonderful children.
He started his
journalism career with the then high flying ,Daily Times of Nigeria Plc about
three decades ago,he later left the newspaper to start an independently
produced television series on the Nigerian Television Authority [N.T.A]on
Business and Economy.
Onanuga was at
a time the Head of Corporate Communications Department in IGI Insurance Plc,as
his restless soul meant that he soon returned to the newsroom where he became
the Economic Editor of now rested The Comet Newspapers, a role he played so
well to fetch him the coveted seat of the Editorship of the then high street
brand, Business Times.
Due to his
sterling performance at the Business Times among which includes raising the quality
of the editorial content ,improving circulation, winning awards and helping to
boost its advertising revenues and sales ,the Board and Management of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc voted him as the
Editor of the Year in 2002 in a strong field of about 30 different line and title
editors in what was once he flagship of the Africa Press for about six decades.
Onanuga was
fired by Dr Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo,as he Editor of the highly respected Business
Times for gross indiscipline ,though he former did his tactically as he redeployed him to the Information
Technology Desk leading to the eventual resignation of Onanuga who complained o
friends of been humiliated.
He soon started
to publish ,The Business Week Newspapers and this he did for another two years
or so before his wifes’ health problems became too much a burden for him hence
had o fold up he brand,on the day he launched he brand he raked in a sum of
N2.5 Million or thereabout at the Lagos Airport Hotel in Ikeja ,Lagos in 2005.
Insiders claim “Mama
Oyin”as his first wife now deceased too was called gave up the ghost after the couple expended
at least N20million on her breast cancer therapy.
Onanuga soon bagged
a juicy job at Global Flee Oil and Gas Limited where he was he image maker and
later became the Managing Director of the gas subsidiary of the group.
He helped to
midwife he successful acquisition of the National Mirror Newspapers as Managing
Director after been seconded to the outfit by its publisher and business
magnate, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim.
It is still
said till today in some quarters that National Mirror Brand was offered for a
princely,N1billion by Prince Emeka Obasi o Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim due to Bola Onanuga’s shrewd negotiating skills.
He and Ibrahim
soon parted ways and he berthed at
Financial Standard Newspapers as its
Chief Executive Officer after starving off a stiff challenge in an interview
with the publisher of Nigerian NewsDirect Newspapers,Dr Samuel Ibiyemi.
His entrepreneurial
acumen at Financial Standard Newspapers meant that he soon created a business
school,paid off creditors debt,bootsed printing and circulation and helped to
use the mileage of the brand to raise at
least N50million in special projects in less than a year of resuming office.
He was also key
to the leasing arrangement of the firm that ensured that the corporate office
of now rested Financial Standard Newspapers valued at about N1Billion was
leased out to German packaging bluechip:Tetrapak for at least a decade.
He was also in the
last four months been a producer of a programme on Satellite Television firm,Core
T.V just before his death.
At the recently
held ,Nigerian Union of Journalists Awards held in Lagos,Nigeria ,Onanuga in the
company of his wife had taken his seat for the dinner party but looked out of sorts as he was looking very
pale.
He has also
being spotted severally in a Financial Standard branded distribution van by this
reporter in the last five years saying
he was on his way to his pig farm as he latter soon became his vocation as he
planned to bounce back to an industry that fetched him so much fame .
He is a recipient
of a Bachelors Degree in English Language ,a Masters in Business Administration
from the Lagos State University[L.A.S.U],he has attended several trainings ,seminars,
workshops and conferences both locally and globally in about here decades of
journalism .
Until his
demise, Onanuga was a socialite, a member of the Nigerian Union of
Journalists,The Guild of Editors .
He is not to be
confused with Mr Bayo
Onanuga,Editor-in-chief of The News Magazine and P.M. News also based in Lagos though
it is believed that they could be related.
Like James Bond
of the Ian Fleming 007 series,he was
Nigerian media’s version with his custom made bow tie each time he attended events Onanuga loved the city life
to a fault as such he was very popular
with the women as he was a smooth
operator.
He had a great
love for good beer,best of wine and smoked the best cigar on his best days but
as the years rolled by his social engagement reduced drastically due to failing health.
As Managing
Director of the Financial Standard Newspapers aside from other perks, Mr Bola
Onanuga was paid at least N1million monthly as salary by the board and management
of Millennium Harvests Limited.
He
will be sorely missed by family,friends and Associates,may his soul rest in perfect
peace
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