Some lovers of my column through phone calls or text messages were of the opinion that I should not have published the three abusive messages Nurudeen Gasali of Ilorin sent to me on February 16 on my article three days earlier. They said I should have ignored him because silence has always been the best way to treat a fool, which he had proved to be with his unreasonable and irresponsible lying remarks.
To them, Gasali is a Muslim fanatic who decided to lampoon me for religious reason and had behaved as a text message terrorist and kindred of Boko Haram insurgents who recklessly attacked innocent people and wickedly killed them, destroying the property of some of them.
I decided to publish Gasali’s trash because from experience I had come to realize that the effective way to stop people like him from sending abusive text messages, making offensive phone calls or making fake and uncomplimentary statements in the press, is to take them on publicly. It was how in 1987 or 88 I got late Professor Gabriel Olusanya, the Director – General of the Nigerian Institute International Affairs, Lagos and two years ago Dr. Goddy Okeke, a medical practitioner, to desist from the habit.
Since early 2017 when I wrote about the latter he had refrained from reacting to my column until last week when he did so in support of Gasali. But this time, the medical doctor did not join his two – of – a – kind bad – mannered colleague in accusing me of writing because someone gave me money to do so. I will go into the details of the stories of Olusanya and Okeke before this series ends.
People like Gasali and Okeke who send hostile and reprehensible text messages do so because they think those concerned will not be bold enough to publish the derogatory remarks they made about them. This is more so if they accused them of being corrupt individuals or thieves and incompetent columnists.
Gasali who leveled both charges against me confirmed this in the text message he sent two weeks ago, on February 27, in reaction to my column of that day. He started his usually insolent message with: “Mr. Dipo (sic, my surname is Adedipe not Dipo), let me thank and appreciate you for your courage in picking me up (sic, you take on, not pick up) in your column today over (sic, it is on, not over) my appropriate tutorial on your satanic verses, nonsensical ideas and fallacious arguments as contained in your February 13 piece. I very much thank you publishing my reaction verbatim…..”
Of course, every month and at times every week, I do get critical reactions from some readers. But I only react to those like Gasali and Okeke who instead of discussing issues decently resort to abusing me or calling me a corrupt person who wrote an article to make money from people or who was bribed by someone to write a piece.
In his three text messages of February 16 Gasali had called me ole (Yoruba for thief or rouge) and onijibiti agbaiye (international or world – class fraudster) who wrote that article to extort money from Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. And that I was not qualified to write a column for the Daily Sun because I am “too poor and clumsy in idea and reasoning.”
If one does not publish run – down text messages from people like Gasali and Dr. Okeke, they would say it was because what they sent were true and one was trying to prevent many who are aware from reading about them in a newspaper. And thus avoid being disgraced. Another reason why I publish abusive remarks is to allow those who sent them and readers in general to have authentic story about me and shame my detractors.
To be sure, many a journalist and columnist in Nigeria are corrupt as they take bribe or offer money to people to get things done for themselves, their relatives or friends. As a matter of fact, I know of a present – day columnist who when he was an editor took money from his reporters before publishing their news stories on the front page of his daily newspaper. So, how can such a columnist who also took bribe from businessmen and others when he was an editor publish abusive text messages if he is accused of corruption?
But I can do so because since 1974, forty – five years ago, that I have been writing a column I have never been involved in corruption and had never taken money as gift from anyone to publish something, let alone accept bribe. And to Almighty God be the glory that I have verifiable stories to prove that I am a columnist of impeccable integrity.
In 1982 or 83 when I was the Deputy Editor of the Sunday Concord, the Editor, late Dele Giwa, assigned me to go and interview Lawyer Tunji Braithwaite now of blessed memory (September 13, 1933 – March 28, 2016), who was then the founder and national leader of the Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), at his residence on Victoria Island, Lagos.
At the end of our discussion he stretched out an envelope to me, saying Sina, this is for you to buy petrol into your car. But I declined. I thank the Lord that Senator Ben Obi who was one of the leaders of his party and was around that day is available for the verification of my story.
In 1988 when I was the Editor of the Sunday Concord late Chief Onwuka Kalu (May 24, 1954 – February 23, 2015), the founder of Fidelity Bank and Onwuka Hi – Tek, a manufacturing company in Aba and a wealthy businessman sent money to principal editors in Concord Press of Nigeria. Again I declined. A female staff of his who brought the envelope was honest enough to return it to him. Another person might have pocketed it and told him that she had delivered it to me.
The following day, Kalu phoned and said I was a rare Nigerian journalist to have refused taking the money he sent, and that this was an indication that I was the type of pressman who does not receive bribe. He later came to me at home on a Sunday and kept to our agreement that he would not give my wife or children money or any gift during the visit. I had told him I would stop them from accepting it if he did. We became friends and phoned each other. He even consulted me when he said people were pressurizing him to participate in the presidential election in 1992 or 93.
Four years ago when he died I paid tribute to him in this column. His staff who brought the money phoned to tell me that she was the one who came to me with the cash in 1988, 27 years earlier. She told me she’s Ms. Omeokachie and that she was a member of the Living Faith Church Worldwide International a.k.a. Winners Chapel in Ota, Ogun State.
Continues next Wednesday