By Dele Sobowale, Consultant/Columnist

“Home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” Robert Frost, 1874-1963. VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ p 93.

VANGUARD is my second home. There is no other place on Earth where I have spent so many years as the association with it. The long love affair started with Area Boy brashness from my side. I was a Senior Manager with North Brewery Limited, Kano, responsible for Corporate Strategic Planning as well as over-seeing Marketing. All the papers published in Nigeria plus two international magazines were delivered to my office. I fell in love with VANGUARD.

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 One day, in 1987, I wrote a letter to the Editor – Mr Toye Akiyode – to lodge a complaint that the paper was not publishing anything of interest for sales and marketing managers. Unexpectedly, a reply came in less than two weeks; asking for four articles covering half page of the paper. I was too happy to oblige.

 The first published was almost the last. Titled “MAGGI IN ROYCO SOUP”, it was a comment on the planned launching of ROYCO seasoning cubes by Lever Brothers Nigeria Limited, LBN (now Unilever). LBN, in its pre-launch promotion campaign, had boasted that its new brand would capture 25 per cent of the market share within five years in a sector dominated by MAGGI. I disagreed and said so; asserting instead that ROYCO would be lucky to get 10 per cent in 20 years. The article appeared on Monday under MARKETFACT, and ignited a storm of protest from LBN. At a time when newspapers received a huge percentage of advertising expenditure, I had inadvertently stepped on the toes of one of the biggest advertisers. Threats were made to withdraw adverts from VANGUARD unless a retraction was made. Incredibly, the matter was referred to Uncle Sam, the Publisher, who read the article and stood by me. I learnt about this later; but my total loyalty to the paper was earned for life. Till today ROYCO has failed to capture 10 per cent of seasoning market share.

 In 1994, by then a full time staff of the paper, Uncle Sam came to my office, one day, and asked me to write an article for the Sunday paper. I was scared. As an Economist and experienced Marketing/Sales manager, the Business and Economy pages were my natural homes. General commentary was frightening. But, I was given no chance to think about it. Uncle Sam wanted the article that day before going home. It was in August 1994; and, like the very first one in 1987, I quickly got all of us into trouble. The hand-written article was delivered, with my heart beating at 100 per minute, two and half hours after. Uncle Sam invited me to sit down. I would rather have bolted away. He read it; and said “Very good stuff”. I barely heard the greatest compliment ever in my life. He asked for the Sunday Editor, Fola Arogundade; handed it to him; and ordered it “to be published on Sunday”. Fola read it; looked at me; and there was fear in his eyes. Without realising it, I had poked my fingers in General Abacha’s eyes; and Fola knew it. That Sunday, I found myself sharing the same page with legendary Alhaji Kola Animasaun. Uncle Sam had given me fame beyond my imagination. Two more weeks and four articles after and people were addressing me with utter respect – to which I was not accustomed. I still remember the feeling of being recognised everywhere. I later wrote for the Sports page, Saturday paper and two years on Education, as well as Book Reviews and editorials. Each was not just a duty performed but a personal pleasure derived.

 Launching the VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS made me a mini-millionaire in one day. I earned more money on that day than in ten previous years of working put together. As the head of an extended family, it was enough to send eleven kids through university without sweat. Nobody can ask more of any organisation. My gratitude and love for the paper is endless.

 It was only when Muyiwa Adetiba, the first Editor, reminded us in an article, a few weeks ago, that VANGUARD is 40 years old this year, that it finally dawned on me that I have been part of it for 37 years – the best years of my life.

“Only our love hath no decay/ This no tomorrow hath, nor yesterday….But, truly keeps its first, last, everlasting day.”-John Donne, 1571-1631.

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