Muyiwa Akintunde has had a beautiful career in Journalism. He has also had a fulfilling experience in Public Relations practice. He is a thorough bred professional to the core. No wonder he was able to distinguish himself.
The big news is that he is 60. And he is quite happy about
the landmark age. He spoke to City People Publisher, Seye Kehinde, recently
about his new life at 60.
Below are excerpts of the interview.
How
do you feel at 60?
I feel great and grateful to God for making me see this
milestone that created doubts in my mind. Now more than even before I believe
that God has made the worst to be over. And I therefore more committed to
humanity.
What
are the lessons you have learnt?
I live my life trust people even to a fault. It has cost me
so much in many circumstances. But if I have to live my life all over again, I
will live it the same way.
Life has also taught me to make haste but with caution. I
will strive not to depart from that line.
Do
you feel accomplished?
Accomplishment is relative. But I feel fulfilled in the
career path I chose. I chose journalism, journalism didn't choose me. And I
applied myself to the professional as much as God gave me the Grace to. When I
was done with the part of my life, I again make another choice not foisted on
me: public relations. I like to apply myself to everything I do. I'm still
work-in-progress in the profession. It can only get better.
Why
did you go into Journalism? What year?
I fell in love with the writings of Allah Deh (Alade
Odunewu), John West (Lateef Jakande), among others right from my years at Lagos
City College, Yaba, Lagos. I invested in buying the most popular newspaper
then. And my interest got fired such that I didn't think of any other career
except journalism.
My journalism career started first as an intern for six weeks
at The Guardian in 1985 when I was a journalism student at the Nigerian
Institute of Journalism. Then I returned to that newspaper having completed my
two-year Diploma course in 1986. I became a freelance reporter in Port
Harcourt, hosted by my big brother, Sir John Olufunso Aiku. I was eventually
employed as a Reporter in 1987.
Tell
a bit about your career....
As an intern with The Guardian in 1985, I had the privileged
of being paired with judicial reporters Kunle Sanyaolu and Funke Doherty (now
Mrs Wole Soyinka). Both of them were assigned to cover the Judicial Tribunals
that probed the Second Republic. They found the first few copies I filed good
enough to entrust me to cover the afternoon sessions of the tribunals. I had
several bylines that when I returned to school for my final years, I was well
celebrated. I was perhaps the first NIJ student that would have a byline in that
revered newspaper.
But that didn't earn me immediate employment at The Guardian
when I returned there after my studies. I was advised to freelance for six
weeks and told to pick a state where the newspaper didn't have a state
correspondent
Where
were you born? Where did you grow up?
I was born in Ebute Meta, Lagos. According to my parents, as
a toddler, I locked myself in their upper floor room and had to be ingeniously
rescued by neighbours. That made my mother to prevailed on her husband to
return to Ijaiye Street where they had previously lived. I grew up in Mushin
and had my primary school education at All Saints Anglican School at Montgomery
Road, Yaba and later Lagos City College, also in Yaba.
What
has changed about you? What has not changed?
I can't stop trusting people no matter how many times I am
either disappointed or betrayed. I believe that a relationship can't exist
without trust.
Nothing has changed except that I want to devote more time
and resources to doing good to the fellow man.
0 Comments