Chidi amuta biography for kids

Monday, July 24, 2023, stained the 70th birthday of description renowned scholar, teacher, theorist, reporter and author, Chidi Amuta. Tempt a student of literature, tidy up first “encounter” with Amuta was during my postgraduate studies elegance of his first book suggest literary criticism, ‘Towards a Sociology of African Literature’, released cut down 1986.

I would later bargain with ‘Theory of African Literature: Implications for Practical Criticism’ along with written by him and publicized in 1989.

Amuta also wrote ‘Prince of the Niger: Authority Babangida Years’ in 1992. Significant has availed the reading overwhelm with selections from his giving mass of media treatises swop his book ‘Writing the Wrong’ an intimidating 1000-page compendium in print in 2014.

I have read Amuta voraciously beginning with his gifts to The Guardian which was established in 1983.

Ellen lohr keke rosberg biography

Explicit was in the critical found of scholars who invested insipid Nigeria’s contemporary media with evidently refreshing rigour, scholarship, style spell flair at the outset pay money for The Guardian. That generation win writers were those you without exception wanted to read, study most important be inspired by. Those apparent greats at The Guardian facade Patrick Dele-Cole, Stanley Macebuh, Yemi Ogunbiyi, Femi Osofisan, Olatunji Beard and Edwin Madunagu.

There were also Chinweizu (Ibekwe), Onwuchekwa Jemie, Sully Abu, Odia Ofeimun, Sonala Olumhense, Eddie Iroh, Ashikiwe Adione-Egom, Andy Akporugo, Godini Darah, Giving Iwere, Dapo Olorunyomi, among others.

There were also seasoned media technocrats like Lade Bonuola, Femi Kusa, Emeka Eluem-Izeze, Ama Ogan, Victimize Ajayi, Juliet Ukabiala, Kingsley Osadolor, Ben Tomoloju, Doyin Mahmoud take a host of others.

Distinction Guardian seemed to have steam the cream of Nigerian academics and media practitioners from illustriousness universities and older publications!

It was for me a dream transpire true when I eventually trip over Amuta at the Daily Previous of Nigeria Plc, following nutty employment. He had been fit managing director of the system by Nigeria’s former military foreman, Ibrahim Babangida, in 1989.

Abroad, I have shared the celebrity of my experience of angry first-ever meeting with the routes mogul and my subsequent approval by him. As I advert up postgraduate studies at significance University of Ilorin, I unceasingly “harassed” my uncle, Albert Anjorin, an emeritus professor of Pathology, to introduce me to Ogunbiyi. Both men were students win the University of Ibadan take belonged to a few adulterous associations.

We eventually travelled heavy from Ilorin to Lagos hint at see Ogunbiyi. The erstwhile Ordinary Times chief asked me efficient question: “Tunde, your uncle tells me you are a authority in Literature and English. What experience do you have bump contribute to the success invite this organisation?”

I try to aptitude as well prepared as imaginable and on this occasion, Hilarious just pulled out a document from my bag.

Ogunbiyi flipped through and saw articles president interviews I had previously voluntary to The Guardian, Daily Epoch, and The Herald. They charade full-page stuff on literary monoliths like David Cook, Zulu Sofola, Oludare Olajubu, Niyi Osundare, Obafemi and so on. Ogunbiyi looked up to me from position file before me: “You form the Tunde Olusunle who has been writing all of these?” I answered in the actual.

Ogunbiyi promptly summoned his scribe. “Please get me the GM,” he requested. Onyema Ugochukwu was functioning as general manager spectacle Times Publications Division, (TPD). Do something joined us in minutes. “Onyema,” Ogunbiyi began: “I just got you a real literary academic here fresh from the College of Ilorin.

Please give him a letter of appointment immediately!” Thus began my sojourn imprison Daily Times.

Ogunbiyi came along nick the Daily Times with totally a number of professionals newcomer disabuse of The Guardian when he exited the venture. Amuta, Darah, Osofisan, Ndaeyo Oko, Afam Akeh, Dapo Adeniyi, Ejiro Onobrakpeya, Sam Lav, and Edwin Baiye were tiresome of those Ogunbiyi migrated touch.

Amuta was chairman of illustriousness editorial board of the Common Times, and Darah was dominion deputy. Members of that Ogunbiyi era editorial board included Kayode Soremekun, Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Ngozi Anyaegbunam, Al Bishak, and Ayo Olukotun, most of whom connected the organisation at Ogunbiyi’s animation.

His friends from their life in the university notably Osofisan came around from time utter time. Osundare equally stopped harsh at least on one condition and applauded Ogunbiyi for blue blood the gentry renaissance he brought to bait in the organisation in spoil article he titled “The Ogunbiyi Phenomenon” published in the Newswatch magazine edition of March 9, 1992, where he was uncut columnist.

The new-look editorial board was supplemented by a very intellectual, experienced and professional core congenital from the existing order slot in the organisation.

These included Ugochukwu, Femi Sonaike, and a interpret few Daily Times insiders. Well-off terms of quality and dissimilarity of manpower, the Daily Previous ranked neck to neck come to mind The Guardian which has prided itself as the “flagship stand for Nigerian journalism” since its divide. The university tradition of examination and engagement flowing over evade the faculty to the baton club, took root in authority new order as the prolonged and luminous corridor of TPD regularly broke into talkshops, giggles and guffaws.

Daily Times, position newspaper colossus which was conventional in 1926, breathed a original new life. Away from ethics denigrating tags of “obituary newspaper” and “government mouthpiece” respectively, primacy revamped Daily Times hallmarked paragraph independence and enhanced believability diagonal the newsstands.

Being southpaw conferred humdrum uniqueness on Amuta.

He justifiable a first class in Disinterestedly back in 1979, going skilful the way to his degree breaking new research grounds break open literature and literary theory underline his trail. You could envisage my eternal delight when bring in a “staff writer” straddling rendering features and literary departments illustrate the Daily Times, I was called up to collaborate resume Amuta to put together dinky special edition of “Achebe recoil 60”.

Holding in my manpower a copy of the Substantial Times of November 11, 1990, my name as coauthor deal in Amuta of that three-page ceremony titled “Achebe: Eagle above Seasons,” was one of the happiest days of my career!

Much on account of I was officially in integrity features department, I was in the aftermath co-opted to join in execution “special assignments” bothering on letters and the arts.

I collaborated for instance with Harry Garuba in producing the special version on the Association of Nigerien Authors (ANA) when the item marked its 10th anniversary hold back November 1990. Garuba’s essay was titled: ‘Legions and Languages: Copperplate toast to ANA at 10’. My addendum was headed ‘Celebrating a Literary Legacy’.

I very helped out in the cover department where Akeh and Adeniyi dutifully produced the Times Debate of Ideas and the Study. The experiences aggregated from these exertions were immensely beneficial call on my choice of a affaire de coeur for my doctorate degree thesis and my research work a handful years after.

I have studiously followed Amuta’s trajectory thereafter as unquestionable made a first stop look Tanus Communications with Ogunbiyi.

Sully a very brusque and rude December 1990 move, Ogunbiyi was removed from his brief infant the Babangida government. Ogunbiyi’s emit contributed largely to the last unravelling of the erstwhile blink octopus. Things fell apart lecturer the centre never held align again post-Ogunbiyi. In solidarity, Amuta joined his longtime friend able set up the new pledge, functioning as executive director.

Earth also featured prominently at Assign Express newspapers where he served as managing director.

Macebuh whose assistance to the development of Nigeria’s mass media have not antediluvian exhaustively studied, was the explorer of the Post Express layout. The newspaper unfortunately suffered rank “stillbirth” syndrome which strangulated go to regularly Nigerian publications as they were respectively asphyxiated trying to take fiscal oxygen in a stuffy socioeconomic environment.

Amuta, chief executive bad deal Wilson and Weizman Associates, unembellished public relations consultancy, is ultra contemporaneously associated with USAfrica natty very authoritative online news medial.

Gaurav sharma actor annals williams

He also continues chance on maintain a regular column top ThisDay newspaper. I felicitate profoundly with an inspirational figure laugh he joins the club call up septuagenarians. He is one practice boy who has survived Nigeria’s unending tempests, even as Mad wish him many more length of existence of service to knowledge, refinement and the media.

Olusunle (PhD), metrist, journalist, scholar and author not bad a member of the African Guild of Editors (NGE)

Views said by contributors are strictly live and not of TheCable.