On Sunday, 1st of September, I clocked 13 years in active journalism. The picture below was taken on the first day I resumed at the newsroom in Leadership Newspaper, Abuja.
My choice of journalism was not intentional. It was a last option, after two years in the wilderness of joblessness, poverty, and astute lack. I settled for journalism because I had no other choice. Looking back, it was the best decision of my life.
I am primarily from a family of bankers: uncles, brothers, cousins, and distant relatives are all bankers. When it was my turn to join the banking sector, my village people frustrated it .
In 2010, I lost two opportunities in the bank. First, it was Zenith Bank. I scaled through the many hurdles and was among the last set of 20 to be hired. The former MD of the bank, Jim Ovia, rejected me. My offense? I was too dark. A week later, Unity Bank invited me for a test. I passed and went through the series of interviews. Again, I was knocked off because of Federal Character in a commercial bank ooo.
For the next one year, I was jobless (after staying jobless for one year already), broke, poor, and depressed. On the 6th of January, 2011, my elder brother, Martins Itua, invited me to Abuja from Festac Town, Lagos.
For the next five months, nothing happened until the 23rd of May, 2011, when I got a job as an Admin Officer in the Conferences Department of Leadership Newspaper. My brother, Martins, his colleague, Stephen Kayode and Oga Abdulmumin S Balogun , played a role.
I wanted more, and since I had a degree in English and I knew I could write very well, I approached Oga Iyobosa Uwugiaren, who was then the Executive Director, Editorial Business, Leadership Newspaper. He encouraged me to keep writing opinions, and on the 1st of September, he approved my redeployment to the Editorial Department of the Newspaper, and I was detailed to work with my amiable Saturday Editor, Amina. Oga Soni Daniel and Ibanga Isine were remarkable and brushed up a stubborn rookie.
I left Leadership in April of 2012, barely one year after, and joined The Sun Newspaper, through the benevolence of my boss, friend, and brother, Iheanacho Nwosu, Editor of The Sun Newspaper.
Since then, it has been a blend of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the best. From a rookie reporter, I have grown and earned respect. I have won awards and derailed. I have been undermined by friends and colleagues; hated, too, and I know it. Sadly, I do not give a f^ck. People will always hate and I wish them well.
Someday, I will narrate my full story in a book when I finally exit The Sun Newspaper. The book will be very revealing. There will be holdback. For now, let me celebrate my big and small wins. To the good and bad friends I have met during my journey, thank you. The next 13 years, hopefully, will be remarkable. Until then, obulu.
■Owaen Fred Odianosen Itua
