My entrance into journalism 50 years ago- How the yam “died” and was dissected by the knife
By Lekan Alabi
This Year 2023, marks my 50th year in the practice of the noble profession, journalism,having been employed by the now-defunct Sketch Publishing Company Limited,Ibadan(SPCL),as a Reporter/Writer/Reader Grade 11.
In 1973,the Sketch Publishing Company Limited,Ibadan(later called the Sketch Press Limited)offered me employment as a Reporter/Writer/Reader Grade 11.It was the answer to a life-long ambition, started from 1968,while I was a form three student of African Church Grammar School,Apata-Ganga,Ibadan,Oyo State of Nigeria.
I had started taking correspondence courses from the School of Journalism,Portsmouth,United Kingdom.28 years later I would attend the world-,famous College of Journalism,Fleet Street,London EC4,UK(merged with the University of London since 1980).
With my employment by the Sketch Publishing Company Limited(SPCL) came the very rare opportunities of my writing weekly columns,within six months of my employment,for the Gboungboun and the Sunday Sketch,both weeklies published by the newspaper firm.
In the Gboungboun,I wrote in Yoruba language,on current affairs under the pen name of “Omo Abiikan”,in my column titled,”Mo Ri Firii”,while in the Sunday Sketch,it was ” Its What Happening ‘Lekan Alabi…. A Review of Plays, Books And Records”
Penpushing reports that as part of activities marking his 50 years in journalism, Alabi who is also first Culture Ambassador of the National Museum and Monument,Ile Ife,Osun State of Nigeria, will on Tuesday ,3rd January,2023,be hosted by the South Africa-based Tap Radio-Television International as a guest by 10.00am (Nigeria Time,9.00am South Africa Time and 04.00am EST)
Lekan Alabi is a veteran journalist and Maye Olubadan of Ibadanland
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