By Sunday Saanu
My first encounter with him was in 2011. He was then the Editor of The Punch newspaper. I went to The Punch office in Lagos to see him in respect of a particular media campaign I was running for the then Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole. Immediately I was ushered into his office, he exclaimed, “Is this the same Saanu that has been advertising University of Ibadan as if UI is the only university in the country? Those of us who finished from the cleanest campus in Africa, Oba awon Universities, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife are even jealous of UI with the way you keep projecting Ibadan!”
That was the beginning of my robust relationship with this fine gentleman with charming carriage. At that time, even up till now, The Punch newspaper had banned the use of tribute on its OPed pages, because I was told, some media professionals had abused the privilege. I begged Mr. Joseph Adeyeye for a consideration on the grounds that I was going to place some advertisements in the paper. He obliged my request with a gleeful disposition.
Ever since, we bond as the chemistry seamlessly gels. Mr. Adeyeye has therefore been a major pillar of help and assistance for my writer’s career. He has published a number of articles for me without asking for a loaf of bread. Over the years, he has killed me with so much kindness to the extent that I just don’t know how to adequately express my gratitude to him. The most amazing aspect of this relationship is the kind of respect Mr. Adeyeye regularly accords me.
He has every reason to be arrogant and snobbish, given his achievements and position. But that is not in the dictionary of this Ilesa born good-looking man. Just imagine, a whole Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Punch newspaper, one of the most successful newspapers in Africa, addressing me with honorific marker! He won’t reply my text messages without using politeness marker such as “sir”. I should be the one to always show excessive respect because I need him more than he needs me-that is if he needs me at all! However, it goes to show that Mr. Adeyeye is a perfect-picture of geniality and civility, sired in the true tenets of African virtues and values.
I knew him when he was the Editor of one of the best newspapers in the country. Today, however, through the dint of hard work, perseverance, character, honesty, integrity and professionalism, Mr. Adeyeye sits as Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Punch. This feat remains his diadem and garland of honour with which he is forever festooned among the Nigerian journalists. His huge intellectual savvy, uncompromising sense of fairness, justice and integrity are not only remarkable, but amazing. Mr. Adeyeye is a man of exemplary character, conduct, charisma and class, going by all I know of him.
Recently, I conducted a media scholarship research which took me to a number of media houses in Lagos. I met Mr. Adeyeye at The Punch Corporate Head Office. As usual, this great man of humility attended to me with all the courtesies in the world. When I hinted that I didn’t come with my vehicle because of Lagos problem, he instructed a driver to take me to my hotel. I resisted the offer in consideration of Lagos and its unpredictable nature. I just did not want to overstay my welcome. We later rescheduled the interview.
During the interview, this handsome and unassuming MD presented his opinion with amazing accuracy, felicity and fluency. Obviously, he is an orator of extraordinary brilliance. His language is robust and non-offensive. He weaves the English language with magnificent mastery. He demonstrates sufficient knowledge of the subject matter with incisiveness, backed by electrifying brain power. Indeed, in terms of language and logic, he dazzles me to no end.
In April 2019, one of The Punch columnists wrote a biased opinion about my beloved University of Ibadan, insulting the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka in the process. Immediately I read the offensive write-up, I contacted Mr. Adeyeye and expressed my readiness to send in a rejoinder. He encouraged me to go ahead, promising that he would use it.
Ecstatic, I picked my pen and paid the writer in her own coin. I argued vigorously against the columnist’s prediction for making unsavoury statements about my university and my boss, describing such an act as uncharitable, more so when the writer graduated from UI. When Mr. Adeyeye read my rejoinder, he called me back and advised that I should tone down the language as the rejoinder, in his estimation, seemed sexist. Sensing my annoyance, Mr. Adeyeye said, “Eti binu, e ma binu. E tun ko, maa bayin lo”, meaning, you are annoyed. Don’t be annoyed, re-write it, I will use it for you.
I was dazed by his calm, diplomatic handling of the case. I had to quickly rewrite the rejoinder in order to meet the deadline. My Adeyeye, true to his promise, used the rejoinder. It could be seen clearly that this handsome MD has the finesse to defuse tensed situations as he acts in a fashion of a gentleman.
If respect is commanded by self-respect, then, Mr. Adeyeye certainly commands a lot of respect across the country with the way he comports and conducts himself. He never demands help from any state government. You hardly can see his pictures on the pages of newspapers. In one of our casual conversations, he told me, “my brother, you know I could be shy. I don’t operate any of the social media like Facebook where people display their pictures. I don’t like publicity”
Isn’t that paradoxical? A man who daily gives people publicity doesn’t like publicity! A man who is being begged on a daily basis to help use pictures in his newspapers doesn’t post or publish his own pictures in newspapers. Mr. Adeyeye is genuine with unostentatious rectitude. His sterling strides are remarkable. Encounter him, you will fall in love with the buoyancy of his outlook and admire the vibrancy of his intellect.
Presently, he is managing operational processes and methodologies of The Punch, transforming them into robust and elegant digital platform. He is giving his time, talent, and treasure to the task. In all likelihood, he is a man of greater exploits to come. The story of this man is a story of achievements, courage, integrity, dedication and commitment. His strides are impacting lives and creating legacies. He is indeed charting a future rich in promises , prospects and possibilities for The Punch. My Adeyeye is an outstanding professional of immense status and brand equity.
Mr. Adeyeye holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University and a Master’s degree in Digital Journalism (distinction) from the Middlesex University, United Kingdom. He is an alumnus of the general management programme of Cranfield University, UK. This handsome man is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Institute of Directors of Nigeria.
After a brief stint in marketing, Mr. Adeyeye started his journalism career in THISDAY where he worked for six years, in all the newspaper’s titles — Glitterati, THISDAY the Sunday Newspaper, THISDAY the SaturdayPaper and THISDAY – and at different times.
He left THISDAY as a Chief Correspondent for The PUNCH in 2005 where he served as the Feature Editor of Sunday PUNCH and Education/Science Editor. He was appointed Editor, Saturday Punch in 2007, Editor of The PUNCH in February 2010 and Controller, Publications in 2013.
Under his editorship, The PUNCH recorded editorial innovations and won several journalistic awards. He was winner of the Editor of the Year award prize at the Nigerian Media Merit Awards (2011 and 2012); Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (2011 and 2013); and the NMMA Columnist of the Year award recipient in 2011.
Dr. Saanu lives in Ibadan, Nigeria