By Ijoema Umeh

I never thought it was possible for any government to shift one brickstone from the old foundation of the Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Observer Titles until our Wake and See Governor intervened with his magic wands and behold, the breath of fresh air!

Today, His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki has brought his Midas’ touch to the 53 year old media establishment and the place has metamorphosed into a huge construction site, with men and machinery digging up old infrastructure and replacing them with brand new office blocks!

Furniture and fittings, more than 9 truckload of commercial printing equipment are all intact, waiting to be put into effective use!!!

A new Creative Hub, dedicated to the memory of Late Sir Victor Uwaifo, the renown music maestro, is about being commissioned right in the Observer premises!

Now, our working space has become a beautiful place! We can proudly look back and say, “We just arrived!”

You could imagine how it’s been, working in a media establishment for over 20 years and not being proud to identify with the place.

Happenstances would further make it impossible, for people often asked, “Is The Nigerian Observer still existing? How do you manage, working in there?”

As benumbing as that question is, it still helped us to stand on edge as permutations became rife. However, it’s a bad deal working in uncertainty!!!

Truth is, the Nigerian Observer has been in existence since May 29, 1968, years before I found myself on the mortal plane, but successive governments failed to revamp the place after it was birthed by the great statesman Late Dr S.O. Ogbemudia, two term military governor of Edo and old Bendel state, who envisioned the concept of a state owned media establishment in his quiet moment that year.

I had an encounter with him five years before his transition, and he told me, “I sat right here in my bedroom when the idea came to me; and the way we planned it, it was a big plan. The Observer was distributed by airplane all over the nation while customised distribution vans moved about in the interiors to supply the paper to virtually every household…”

Today, not a single distribution van can be seen anywhere, and getting a copy of the newspaper often is a Herculean task! Talk of print quality when you get a copy, you’re on your own!

No need to go into the rhetorics of lack of political will power by previous administrations to deal with the issue of whether The Nigerian Observer should live or die, but…here comes a government which has taken pains to critically address the issues that continue to threaten the existence of this beautiful vision and clearly nearly blotting it out from our mind’s eye!

Whatever he may have in mind to do with the place and its staff no longer bothers me; what matters now is that the governor has taken one bold step and done what Napoleon could not do!

He has started something that most governments dared not imagine: digging up the 53 year old foundation and breathing life into it! To me, that is revival! Nothing short of the miraculous! Lips are sealed, people are awestruck! God is winning!

With the old Observer disappearing gradually, a new lease of life beckons, and for a journalist like me, that foretells of greater working days ahead! Just working these few months with the 24-7 Ossioma light in full array is something to testify about! My brain has become rejigged, embers of fiery flames are stoked in, and the ink flows ceaselessly; that’s just with Ossioma light alone o!!!

We are looking forward to better days ahead, to media trainings to improve editorial content, to sitting on brand new WC and answering the call of nature (no more toilet infections for our female colleagues and struggling with reptiles which didn’t want your pee to touch their heads!

A colleague’s recent experience with a snake springing forth from one of the rusted 1968 WC would blow your mind!)

Today, we are proud to identify with our work environment after having worked in limbo for years in an environment you wouldn’t even want to use as poultry farm; rodents chased us about; they freely shared space with us; we closed from work when the newspaper went to bed after midnight and trekked to find our way back home, often at the mercy of street urchins who lurked in street corners at night.

I am sure there will be enough official staff vehicles as this new reality unfolds. Our Wake and See Governor has his way. He will always make us proud. God will continue to win!

We are grateful, that today, we can point at The Nigerian Observer and say, “I work there!” What a miracle!

It’s the dawn of a new day! Thank you, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and thank you also for appointing Adaze Emwanta, a Talknowcrat, as our Commissioner.

When Talknowcrat talks to Technocrat, they both understand!

For the brilliant Commissioner, the task will be simple; please, address the issues as you see them, fearlessly: should The Observer live or be allowed to die? Albeit, that’s an old chant, the new chant now is, “What would keep it alive, how do we sustain it?” Please, try your best, our good friend, to see that this legacy lives on!

We are proud to be witnesses to this vision being relived! Posterity will reckon with you in positive light.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, our dear Governor! Long may you live!!! Indeed, na GODwin!!!

@views exclusive rights: Ijeoma Umeh, staff of the Bendel Newspaper Company Limited, the publisher of the Observer titles and women rights activist, November 8, 2021.

Osazuwa Akonedo

Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media professional, author, and consultant. His work spans various sectors of communication and literature: Journalism and Media: He is the founder of OsazuwaAkonedo, which focuses on news analysis and commentary. He also provides consultancy services in media and banking. Literature: He is a published playwright and author of Nigerian literature. One of his notable works is the drama titled The End Shall Tell: What Exam Malpractice Can Cause, which addresses educational and social issues in Nigeria. Reporting: He frequently reports on regional news, particularly concerning Edo State and broader Nigerian current affairs. Credit: Google Gemini AI Mode Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media creator, journalist, and entrepreneur who engages audiences via news reporting, social media content, music, and a mobile application. Professional Background and Company Osazuwa Akonedo is associated with OSAZUWAAKONEDO LIMITED, a company registered in Nigeria that operates in media consultancy and news services  The company is headquartered in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and has been active in publishing news in various formats including text, audio, video, and photos  Social Media and Online Platforms Osazuwa Akonedo maintains a strong online presence on several platforms: TikTok: Shares news updates and reports, for example, covering police operations in Nigeria  YouTube: Operates a channel where he uploads videos on current affairs and news content  Twitter/X: Active under the handle @akonedo_osazuwa, posting updates on events and news  Facebook: Profiles listing his connection to news and media activities can be found on Facebook  Mobile App: Offers a dedicated mobile application for news access through Google Play (Osazuwa Akonedo News App) providing text, video, and photo news formats  News Reporting and Content He produces news content covering national and local stories, including criminal activities, government updates, and investigative reports   His reporting spans multiple formats, making it accessible to a wide audience through online platforms, mobile apps, and social media  Other Contributions In addition to journalism, Osazuwa Akonedo has also ventured into audio releases, such as “Former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami Begs Nigerians For Justice” released on January 25, 2026   He also hosts podcasts documenting significant events, e.g, NDLEA arrests related to historical criminal cases  Summary Osazuwa Akonedo is a multifaceted media professional engaged in journalism, social media content creation, music, and technology via his news app. He utilizes platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, and mobile applications to disseminate news and reach audiences both locally and internationally Credit: Azure AI

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