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A Tribute to a ‘Movement’, Bashorun Dele Momodu at 65

Published

8 months ago

May 10, 2025

Eric

By Lanre Alfred

There are men who pass through life like a breeze — felt briefly, forgotten swiftly. And then, there is Bashorun Dele Momodu, whose presence crackles like thunder and his kindness runs as a river.

Clothed in a timeless ensemble of benevolence, patriotism, and service, Momodu towers like an iroko on the landscape of the Nigerian story – unmoved by storms, unmuzzled by fear, and unmatched in generosity. He is Bob Dee, the chronicler of kings and commoners alike, the man whose pen has lit up continents, and whose touch has lifted destinies.

He is not just a man. He is a movement.

At sixty-five, some men grow quiet with age, their voices dimming into the hush of retreat. But not Bob Dee. At sixty-five, he strides like a lion into his legacy — radiant, regal, and resoundingly relevant. He is the grand griot of our age, the man whose name has become synonymous with goodwill, whose shoulders lift others into prominence, whose words weave the fabric of both nation and narrative.

This is no ordinary man that I celebrate, and this is no ordinary age. Sixty-five is the crown of seasoned suns, a time when the journey behind is long enough to inspire awe and the path ahead is still kissed by purpose. Bashorun Dele Momodu has earned that crown many times over, in kindness and sacrifice. He is the pen’s patriarch and the people’s prince, and as Nigeria stands to toast his life, I rise — personally and profoundly — to pay homage to a man who has been more than a mentor to me. He has been a brother.

I have travelled with him and I have enjoyed his hospitality and bonhomie and benefitted immensely from his well of wisdom. When he gives, he spends himself with it, honestly

To recount my story with Bashorun Dele Momodu is to draw water from a reservoir that never runs dry; a well of kindness, humility, and astonishing generosity. As I prepared to host the South West Games 2025 — a vision carved from faith, sweat, and sleepless nights — Bob Dee was among the first to throw his weight behind me. He did not wait for the spotlight to shine; he arrived bearing torches.

With a heart bigger than the arena we built, he linked me up when the tournament needed friends in high places, he became the ladder. He personally led me and my team to His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, not just making the introduction, but walking the walk beside me like a brother would. Not many men of his stature would make time, but Dele Momodu did without hesitation.

And despite a schedule tighter than a noose, he made himself available for the grand finale. There he was, in all his signature elegance, his presence anchoring the atmosphere like royalty. It was a picture of sweet delight to see Bob Dee receiving his honorary award with grace and handing out trophies like a proud father at a school graduation. It was not just his presence that elevated the event, it was his essence.

While many of his billionaire peers may conduct themselves with airs and aloofness, Bob Dee subsists as the outlier, ever reachable, ever reliable. I have known him in moments of urgency, in hours of need, and in the thick of doubt. And always, always, he is there, responding, encouraging, connecting, supporting. I am not the only one who has tasted this blessing. He has been this way to many, to multitudes.

Momodu’s life is an endless cascade of compassion, a man who gives as though his soul were stitched with surplus. To him, helping others is not a gesture; it is his reflex. He wears empathy like a second skin. He lifts without lording. He serves without seeking applause. He remembers names, dreams, and birthdays. He listens when others are too busy posturing. He affirms when the world chooses to ignore.

This is the enduring essence of Bashorun Dele Momodu. He doesn’t just support; he sustains. But to speak of Bob Dee and not speak of Ovation is to light a lamp and hide it beneath a bushel. The empire he built through that luminous magazine has become both mirror and megaphone for the African story. Ovation International has immortalised glamour, captured greatness, and chronicled history with a lens both intimate and grand. It is the continent’s coffee-table diary, our social scripture.

In the golden pages of Ovation lie the hopes, homes, and high points of African excellence. Yet, beyond the glamour lies grit, the audacity of a man who defied exile and silence, who turned rejection into revolution, who rose from the ashes of adversity to become the toast of presidents, queens, and commoners alike. From the palaces of Accra to the ballrooms of London, from the corridors of Aso Rock to the streets of Lagos, his camera has clicked with purpose, and his pen has poured with precision.

He is, without exaggeration, the most accomplished society journalist of his generation — perhaps any generation. But Dele Momodu is not just a chronicler of kings. He has, in his time, sought to be one, not for pomp but purpose. His foray into politics, most notably his presidential aspiration, wasn’t borne of ego but of empathy. He looked at Nigeria and wept with her. He looked at our broken systems and dared to dream differently.

His politics is the persuasion of the heart, not anchored in bitterness or tribal arithmetic, but in vision, values, and voice. A statesman in temperament, a patriot in calling, he is one of the very few public intellectuals who has successfully married media, morality, and nation-building.

Even when not on the ballot, his columns are campaigns for conscience. He speaks truth to power, yet never loses his dignity. He criticises with clarity but without cruelty. He belongs to the rare breed of men who can befriend kings yet kneel beside paupers with equal honour.

It is impossible to mention the name Dele Momodu without hearing echoes of gratitude from all corners. There are media entrepreneurs whose first bylines were blessed by his edits. There are photographers who bought their first cameras from his largesse. There are widows and orphans whose tears he dried silently, without a press release or a photo op.

To his friends, he is faithful. To his staff, he is fatherly. To his juniors, he is a bridge. To strangers, he is surprisingly accessible. He does not hoard his success; he scatters it like seeds. Indeed, I have watched him give — his time, his network, his counsel, his soul — until you wonder if he leaves anything for himself. And yet, each time he gives, he grows richer. Such is the mystery of magnanimity.

At sixty-five, what more can be said of such a man? Perhaps only this: that Nigeria must pause to honour him. Especially the Fourth Estate — the sacred tribe of truth-tellers and ink-stained prophets. For Dele Momodu has been one of our most luminous stars, our most honourable heralds.

He has fought to protect the dignity of the press even in his darkest days. He has modelled what it means to be fearless, yet not reckless. Bold, yet never brash. His name is a currency of credibility in a world increasingly bankrupt of integrity.

Let no headline forget him. Let no hall of fame omit him. Let every newsroom whisper his name in reverence. And let every young journalist know that it is possible to soar without selling out, to build without betraying, to write with both fire and feeling.

As I write this, I do not write as a detached observer. I write as one who has been a beneficiary of his grace, one among thousands. I write as one who has sat under his counsel, who has walked in the light of his mentorship, who has seen firsthand what it means to lead with love.

Bashorun Dele Momodu has lived a life far beyond mere existence; he has lifted others with every step, raising dreams, opening doors, and steadying trembling hands often with quiet grace. His success has never been a solitary triumph, it has always been shared and offered freely, like sunlight spilling over a darkened path.

Some men walk through life, leaving footprints that fade in the wind. But a rare few blaze across the sky like constellations, their brilliance undimmed by time, their presence a guiding light for generations. Momodu is one such luminary, a man whose every step has carved pathways for others to follow. At 65, he stands tall in years and towers in spirit. Time has not dimmed his shine; it has only enriched its glow, adding depth to his compassion and strength to his convictions.

So today, I do not just honour a man; I celebrate a movement. A living symbol of generosity. A sage who speaks with both pen and presence. A sentinel of truth, standing watch over decency in an often cruel world.

Happy birthday, Bob Dee.

May your days be long, your joy unshaken, and your tribe forever flourish.

Featured

Why I Visited Nnamdi Kanu in Prison – Alex Otti

Published

9 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has explained the reasons behind his much talked about visit to the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in Sokoto Correctional Centre.

Nnamdi Kanu was found guilty of all the seven count charges of terrorism brought against him by the Federal Government, and sentenced to life imprisonment, by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on November 20.

The governor also declared his intention to retire from partisan politics after serving as governor of the state.

Governor made these remarks in Umuahia while reacting to a viral video in which an individual berated him for visiting the IPOB leader in Sokoto Correctional Centre recently and alleged that the visit was aimed at positioning him (Otti) for either the presidential or vice presidential ticket. Otti however, denied having any presidential or vice presidential ambition after his governorship role.

According to him, he would not even contest for the senatorial position after serving as governor of Abia State.

Criticisms, he said, are part of democracy, adding that everyone is free to hold an opinion, even as he acknowledged that some criticisms, especially undue ones, are far from being the truth.

His words, “In the first place, that is the beauty of democracy. So, people should hold their opinions, and we respect people’s opinions. And that you hold a different opinion doesn’t mean you are right.

“One of the things he talked about was my ambition after being governor. And I had said it before, and I want to say it again, that by the time I’m done with governorship, I will retire.

“So, I don’t have presidential ambition, nor vice-presidential ambition. I also don’t have senatorial ambition. So, when I finish with the governorship, I’ll retire.

“I came for a mission. And when I deliver that mission, I will give way to younger people. So, he was talking of Igbo presidency. I don’t even understand what that means.

“So, I think if his thesis is based on that assumption, the assumption has collapsed, because he won’t see me on the ballot.

The Abia governor argued that it is important for a political office holder to know when to quit, especially when the politician has done what he is asked to do.

“When you have done what you have been asked to do, you clear, give way for other people. We’ve seen people here, after being governor who went to serve as Local Government Chairman. That’s not what we are. We are not cut out for those kinds of things.

Otti used the forum to explain why he visited Mazi Nnamdi Kanu at the Sokoto prison.

He said, “The second point is about Nnamdi Kanu. And I don’t want to put this matter in the public space so that it doesn’t jeopardise the discussions that I’m having.

“The truth about it is that exactly 24 months ago, I opened up discussions at the highest level on Nnamdi Kanu.

“And going to see him is the right thing to do, because he comes from my state. In fact, he comes from this local government (Umuahia North – the state capital).

“And there are always ways to solve a problem. I don’t believe that the way to solve a problem is to ignore it. And I had written extensively, even about Nnamdi Kanu and Operation Python Dance, I think in 2017 or 2018. And I condemned it.

“And I still condemn it. And some of the recordings that the gentleman put in his video, I cannot vouch for the veracity of that recording.”

Governor Otti maintained that he knows that when an issue has been approached from the legal point of view, there is also another window called the administrative point of view, stressing that, that is where he (the governor) is coming from.

“I’m not a lawyer. And if the judiciary says the man has been condemned to life imprisonment, that is the judiciary. Even that is not the end, because that’s the court of first instance. There is still an opportunity to appeal and then an opportunity to even go to the Supreme Court.

“But what we are trying to do is to intervene. I’m not a supporter of the disintegration of Nigeria.

“So, my position is that it would be insensitive of me to sit here and say one of our own who has been convicted should die when we have an opportunity to discuss, negotiate, and sue for peace. So, that is my position,” he said.

Featured

How Glo Network Became the Lifeline That Saved Two Lives: A True Story from Sallari

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2025

Eric

By Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba

It was one of those calm, bright mornings in Sallari, a town in Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State. I had gone to visit my longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Muhammad Umar Abdullahi, at his private facility, Rauda Clinic and Maternity. We were in his office discussing research, the usual challenges of medical practice, and other issues when the sound of hurried footsteps and anxious voices broke the calm. A young man rushed in, calling for the doctor.

Without hesitation, Dr. Muhammad sprang into action. I followed him instinctively. Within moments, two people burst through the gate, one man carrying a weak, heavily pregnant woman in his arms. Her breathing was shallow and wheezy, her face pale, and her body trembling between labor contractions and an asthma crisis. The scene was intense, we both knew that every second counted.

The team quickly moved her to the emergency bed. The Chief Medical Director Dr. Muhammad and his nurses worked swiftly to stabilize her breathing and monitor the baby. Oxygen was connected, IV lines were set, and within minutes, her breathing began to steady. The baby’s heartbeat was strong. After a short but tense period, she delivered a healthy baby girl. Relief filled the room like a gentle wind.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but admire the efficiency and dedication of Rauda Clinic and Maternity. The facility operated with the precision and compassion of a modern hospital. Every member of the team knew their role, every piece of equipment was in place, and the environment radiated calm professionalism. It reminded me that quality healthcare is not only about infrastructure, but about commitment and readiness when it truly matters. Rauda Clinic stood out that day as a quiet pillar of excellence and hope for patients and families alike.

The following day, I placed a call to Dr. Muhammad to ask about the condition of the woman who had been brought in the previous morning. He sounded cheerful and relieved. “Both mother and baby are fine now,” he said. Then, with deep reflection in his voice, he narrated the extraordinary story behind their survival, a story that showed how a single phone call, made at the right moment, became the bridge between life and death. As I listened to him recount the events, I couldn’t help but marvel at how sometimes, survival depends not only on medicine but also on connection.

Her name was Amina, a mother of three. That morning, she was alone at home, her husband was in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa state where he works, and her children had already gone to school. The first wave of pain came suddenly, followed by a tightening in her chest. Within minutes, she was gasping for air, her asthma worsening with every breath. She reached for her phone to call her husband, but the call wouldn’t go through. She tried again and again, each time, “Network error.”

Her strength was fading fast. She tried to reach her neighbors, but again, no connection. Alone, frightened, and struggling to breathe, she said she felt her end was near. Then, a thought crossed her mind, her maid had left her phone in the sitting room that morning. Gathering the last of her strength, Amina crawled toward the television stand where the phone lay.

When she reached it, she noticed the green SIM icon, it was a Glo line. Hope flickered. But when she tried to make a call, she saw there was no airtime. That could have been the end until she remembered Glo’s Borrow Me Credit service. With trembling fingers, she dialed the Glo borrow me code and she got the credit instantly, and that small credit became her lifeline.

Her first attempt to reach her husband failed. Then she dialed her younger brother, Umar. This time, the call went through immediately. Interestingly, Umar is a Glo user too. Without delay, Umar and his wife rushed to her house, found her collapsed on the floor, and carried her into their car.

On their way, Umar called ahead to alert the doctor, and again, the call went through clearly. By a remarkable coincidence, Dr. Muhammad was also using a Glo line. That seamless connection meant the hospital team was fully prepared by the time they arrived. Within minutes, Amina was stabilized, and both she and her baby were safe.

The next morning, Dr. Muhammad told me that Amina had smiled faintly and said to him, “Doctor, when every other network failed me, Glo answered. If that call hadn’t gone through, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Her words carried a truth that stayed with me. It wasn’t just a patient’s gratitude, it was a testimony about the power of reliable connection. At that moment, Glo wasn’t just a telecommunications network, it was the bridge between life and death, between despair and hope.

In today’s world, a simple phone call can determine whether someone lives or dies. That day reminded me that technology, when dependable, is not just about data speed, it’s about human connection at its most critical. Glo proved to be that connection: steady, available, and trustworthy when it mattered most.

Before she was discharged, she laughed and told the doctor she had already chosen a nickname for her baby “Amira Glo.” They both laughed, but deep down, Dr. Muhammad understood the meaning behind that name. It symbolized gratitude, faith, and survival.

As I ended the call with Dr. Muhammad that day, I felt a quiet pride. I had witnessed not just the miracle of life, but the harmony of medicine, compassion, and reliable technology. Through Rauda Clinic and Maternity, I saw what true service means, dedication without boundaries, and connection that saves.

Amina’s story isn’t an advert, but living proof that sometimes, when every other signal fades, Glo stands firm, and when every other facility seems far away, Rauda Clinic and Maternity remains a beacon of care and excellence.

For patients, families, and health workers alike, Glo is proven to be a network of necessity. It connects life to hope, when every second truly counts…

Dr. Sani Sa’idu Baba writes from Kano, and can be reached via drssbaba@yahoo.com

Featured

Delta Govt Confirms Death of Senator Nwaoboshi at 68

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2025

Eric

Senator Peter Onyelukachukwu Nwaoboshi, the former lawmaker who represented Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has passed away. He was 68.

Reports said that Nwaoboshi died on Friday in Abuja following a brief illness.

His demise was confirmed in a condolence statement issued by the Delta State governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.

Expressing sorrow, the governor described Nwaoboshi’s passing as a monumental loss to Delta State, the Anioma nation, and the Nigerian federation.

In the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, Governor Oborevwori hailed the late Senator as a “fearless advocate” of the Anioma cause whose contributions to nation-building remain indelible.

The governor recalled Nwaoboshi’s impactful tenure in the Red Chamber, particularly his role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs.

He noted that Nwaoboshi’s consistent advocacy for the development of the oil-rich region distinguished him as a passionate and committed leader.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I mourn the passing of my dear friend, Senator Peter Onyelukachukwu Nwaoboshi,” the governor said.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to his immediate family, the people of Anioma nation, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and all those whose lives he touched. I pray that Almighty God grant his soul eternal rest.”

Before his elevation to the Senate in 2015, he served meritoriously as a two-term Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, where he was instrumental in consolidating the party’s grip on the State.