By Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose
His name might not be popular in the public domain. He might not be known through the radio and television airwaves or frequently appearing on the pages of national newspapers.
This is largely so because he does not belong to the group of broadcasters whose names are mentioned on the radio or whose faces are shown on the screen repeatedly, but he was among the critical class of the broadcast media professionals that performs behind the scene to give life line to the day-to-day running of broadcast houses.
Pastor Anthony Olusola Adeniji, who is celebrating his 75th birthday anniversary today, was the first permanent staff to be employed at the Nigerian Television Authority ( NTA) Abeokuta. Other staff that came in 1977 were transferred from other NTA stations.
Anthony Olusola Adeniji, therefore, administratively had the NTA Abeokuta staff file number 001. Pastor Anthony Olusola Adeniji came into broadcasting when recruitment was based on meritocracy, not of religion, sectional, and political influence that is the order today.
He was employed at the period when raw skills,talents, and creativity were displayed during recruitment exercise.
That was the time broadcasting was attracting the best hands. When the recruitment panel was composed of well trained managers and senior officers.
NTA Abeokuta during the era of Mr Adeniji was attracted and populated by thoroughbred professionals in the news, programmes, administration, finance, and engineering.
I met them when I was engaged as a freelance artist. We were above 30 applicants who came for auditioning as Yoruba language news caster in 1982.
I was the only one engaged out of the lot. I knew nobody. I had the recruitment announcement of NTA Channel 12.
I attended the recruitment exercise without any note or message from anybody. Whom did I know except God.It was a rigorous auditioning exercise where raw skills were displayed in the presence of an uncorrectable panel. I was then a holder of the grade 2 teacher certificate. I competed with university graduates, and to God be the glory, I was preferred above them.
I met the professionals on the ground in NTA Abeokuta. They trained us before I left for permanent employment with the Ogun State Television, Abeokuta.
The Idowus, the Biade Cokers, and the Anthony Adenijis, among others, were in Administration and Finance. The Adetuberus (soso rakota) of blessed memory, the Eddy Ainas, the Lekan Ajias, Demola Oladosus, Biodun Ogunyemis they mentored us in Ogun.
The Oladimejis, Seindes, and the Kayode Da-Silvas were our mentors in the programmes department. In the engineering department were the Yomi Bolarinwas and Winjobis, among others too numerous to mention.
That was the period that brought in sister Kayo Idowu, Ishola Akinsipo, both of blessed memories. The celebrated
Toyin Adeyi,Yemi Sodimu,Tunde Odeyemi, and Shefiu Opebiyi, among others, came in around that period and were thoroughly mentored by the media gurus.
The likes of Segun Ojelade, who later became flyer reporters, became a General Manager in NTA, and Yemi Akintunde and others equally met the quality in broadcasting.
There were only 2 sister stations at that time. The Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, OGBC, and the Ogun State Television.
Pastor Anthony Olusola Adeniji later migrated to the United Kingdom, where he has been living since then. He is an ordained pastor of the Four Square Gospel Church, and he became a pastor at a branch of the church in London. A product of Moshood Abiola ( formerly Ogun State Polytechnic ) where he studied accounting.
He later became the pioneer president of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
He pioneered the establishment of the Pentecostal Sanctuary Bible Ministries in Northampton, United Kingdom. A man of honour and integrity, even at 75,Pastor Anthony Olusola Adeniji is looking younger than his age.
Although he lost his dear wife Mrs Iyabo Adeniji (nee Ogun) to death, her children are celebrating their beloved father at 75.
Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose writes from Abeokuta
