Ambassador Olayinka Ayobami Agboola, founder of ParrotXtra Media Network, spoke with GBENRO ADESINA on his remarkable journey from humble beginnings to a taxi driver with a degree in Archaeology to a career in media and journalism. The Excerpt:
Q: What pushed you into journalism?
A: It took me about 11 years before I discovered that journalism is what I should do. One should engage in the vocation that one has a flair for. After my graduation, I went to Lagos. Due to lack of job, I became a taxi driver. Later, I became a manager to Segun Adewale, Sunny Okosun, and Dele Taiwo. At a point, I started running an entertainment outfit and I did that until I ran into trouble. At the time, I didn’t really know what to do with my life. I didn’t have anybody to mentor me or tell me the direction to go. I got into journalism briefly before I graduated from school. I just via in and via out until I later discovered myself and since that time, there has been no turning back. People must learn that they need to engage in the vocation they have flair for so that they can be a fulfilled person. If they ask for the most fulfilled Nigerian, I will be the first to raise my hand. I don’t have all the money but I’m a fulfilled man by the grace of God. I love what I’m doing. I don’t have a social life. My life revolves around running my news website to printing the magazine, running the radio show and to do other media jobs. It is like I ‘m just playing around.
Q: Before you established your media outfit, can you mention the places you have worked?
A: I’ve always been working. I attempted to be a military man.
Q: When attracted you to the military?
A: I love the uniform and the discipline. I couldn’t do it because my mother didn’t want me in that profession. So, I had to go to the University of Ibadan to study Archaeology. After my graduation, I came back to Ibadan from Bauchi, where I did my NYSC. I took my father’s car to Lagos to be used for taxi. While in Lagos, I met Segun Adewale, and he said that he liked me and I should be picking him every day to wherever he wants to go. He promised to pay for the service. Later, he asked me to be his manager and I accepted. I later met Dayo Olomu and we formed a company together. We were using it to promote Dele Taiwo, Adewale Ayuba, Yoboro Yobonson, Sunny Okosun, and Oliver De Coque. Ladi Ayodeji was our boss. We had a night club called Silver Shadow we were managing then. We were making waves in Lagos. Dele Momodu was my teacher in the Oyo State College of Arts and Science (OSCAS), Ile-Ife. He was promoting Shina Peters. At a point we started fighting in the company. I used my car to obtain a loan to start our company. We couldn’t fulfil the obligation of returning the money and I lost the car. Then, we started abusing one another inside newspapers. Dele Momodu read some of the publications that contained our abuses and he summoned me. He said, my brother, I ‘ve seen your activities. He advised me to stop abusing people in the newspapers. Don’t go to the public to fight those you are close to. Settle amicably. Then, we started working for MKO Abiola. At a point, I started working with Fame Magazine, where I started real journalism. We started Ovation when I was working with Fame magazine. When he ran away, I started Lagos office for Ovation for him and managing it as a coordinator. I later needed to come back to Ibadan for a reason I wouldn’t want to disclose. It is a marital issue. I needed to run away from Lagos. Before I left Lagos, I had got a job at Daily Sketch, Biodun Oduwole was my boss that time. I spent three months there. We that came from Lagos were sacked. Lam Adesina has become a governor and he just said, you this stupid boy, I told you to come and work with me and you said no. I later got into his government and became his Deputy Press Secretary. When they sacked us in Daily Sketch, the following week. I got another job in Tribune. All my friends were there; Segun Adetunji, Deolu Akande, Bode Opeseitan. I worked for about four weeks in Tribune. Then, Lam said I must work for him and I left Tribune to become Deputy Chief Press Secretary to Alhaji Dr Lamidi Onaolapo Adesina. When we left government, I returned to Tribune and worked for 11 months and I resigned. Parrot Extra Media Network was my own ministry which we have been running for 20 years. It is a ministry God asked me to run. It is not until you mount the pulpit that you become a ministry owner. God gave me this ministry and he gave me instructions: don’t use it to fight for yourself, don’t use it to blackmail people and don’t use it for nefarious activities. I attempted to do one of those things but God showed me.
Q: How have you been managing challenges in your business?
A: Nobody has power and ability but God. There is nothing you want to do that does not have spiritual attachment. God has been our own bedrock. When problems come, I will just look up to God. One day, when our office was at Ajeigbe, I just entered the office and told my staff that I was tired of running the Parrot Extra and told them that I’m resting the magazine. I gave out all the company’s computers to my staff. I wanted them to go so that I could have peace of mind. After that, I carried my bag and as I was about to enter my car, the Bishop of Methodist Church, Nigeria, Ogbomosho Diocese, and Chairman, Oyo State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Rt Rev (Dr) David Ademola Moradeyo just came. He parked behind me and said where are you rushing to? I’m here to see you. He opened his boot and brought out money and said, “You’ll run four pages for us. We need to run this advert. The money was about N250,000. After collecting the money, tears started rolling down from my eyes. When he asked me why I was shedding tears, I told him the story. He took me to my office upstairs and prayed for us. In the night, as I was sleeping, the spirit tapped me and woke me up and said, Mr Man, you are not the owner of that outfit. You have absolutely no reason to shut it down. If you have problem, go to the office and be sleeping there and see what I‘ll do. Never in your life, shut down that office again. This is my ministry and it is not for money. Many of us got it wrong from the scratch. Most of the people that supposed to be men of God are not teaching what they supposed to teach. In life, what should be important to us is to serve God and humanity. We should engage in the vocation we love so that whether there is money or not, we’re happy. If you don’t have the capacity to lead, don’t lead. Stay in your house; don’t put us in trouble. The problem we are facing in Nigeria is as a result of some incompetent ones being in the leadership positions.
Q: Is ParrotXtra, a successful venture?
A: It is a success because I’m happy with what I’m doing. If you are talking in terms of gigantic buildings, cars and whatever, we don’t have them. But we are happy doing what we are doing. That is the most important thing to me.
Q: How old is ParrotXtra?
A: 20 years. We started with PM Parrot evening newspaper.
Q: What have you done in the past that you really regret doing it?
A: Why I can’t say I regret anything is because it is a path I’ve been destined to follow. Most of the adventures that I’ve been involved in my life are now useful. We thank God we didn’t get lost. A lot of our friends got missing, lost their lives, and destinies. Those things I did were destined for me to do. Besides, talking about any regret is like one disturbing himself. When you make a genuine mistake, it is something that you are meant to do. For example, somebody succeeds in getting you sacked and you considered it to be a calamity befalling you. No, it is not a calamity. The person that got you sacked succeeded because God wants you to exit that place so that you can go to a better place. God is not a bad God. If anything bad happens to you, your own is just to thank Him and sit down to reflect and wait for what comes next because God wants to execute another plan for you.
Q: How do you intend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ParrotXtra?
A: We will run South West Parrot Legacy project. Since we started this project, we have never pretended to be a national newspaper. We are just for the South West of Nigeria. It is just for the Yoruba people. I’m proud to be an Ibadan man first and a Yoruba man second. We want to start what we call South West Legacy Leadership Discourse. It is an annual event. The lecture will be delivered by DAWN Commission DG, Dr Seye Oyeleye. We are planning to give awards to the South West governors. It has nothing to do with sycophancy. We want to give them awards because we want to encourage them to do more. We will launch a book, ParrotXtra Compendium.
Q: Is media a watchdog in Nigeria?
A: Everything has collapsed. The media has collapsed. There was a story that one managing director of a national newspaper shared with me. The newspaper published an exclusive story about somebody who stole money. One of the agencies handling the case leaked the story to them. After publishing, the agency brought out its hidden plan. The agency only used the story to get the culprit to come and negotiate with them. The person went to the agency and struck an understanding with the agency, grease their palm. He now turned 360 degrees, went to his lawyer, a SAN, and they sued the publishing outfit. The publishing house is begging all over the place now. So, how can journalists be encouraged to publish exclusive story with that kind of environment. Thank God, at the ParrotXtra, our exclusive is the interviews we have with people. The same thing happened to us about 14 years ago. That was when we stopped doing exclusive stories. Now, when we see exclusive story, we carry our face away.
Q: So, you don’t encourage critical journalism?
A: The system will kill you. Physically, financially or whichever way, the system will kill you. All the people that supposed to back you up in the court will run away.
Q: What advice will you give to the younger journalists?
A: It is the same advice I’ll give anybody. If you don’t have a flair for a job, please, go and look for what you have flair for. Parent should not force their child to do what they don’t like.
Q: The story you shared shows it is risky to be a journalist in Nigeria?
A: There is no institution to defend you as a journalist or to make sure your safety is guaranteed or ensure that you get the necessary information needed to write objective story. We are simply paying lip service to the freedom of information. It is when a journalist runs into trouble that he will know that nobody is there for him. I just know that one day, God will intervene in Nigeria’s situation.
Q: What effect does social media have on journalism?
A: Social media is a global thing. It has affected it globally too. But Nigeria’s case is peculiar because of the reasons I have just mentioned. I know one day positive thing will come through the social media. I believe God will use President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Nigerians. It may take time, but I know God will use him against his wish.
Q: What do you think is the attitude of the Nigerian government towards the media?
A: The attitude is that by the time we give journalists or media establishment adverts or any other thing, they will close their eyes to the wrong things we are doing because we must survive. But what is not done is what is not reported. If we don’t report those things today, somebody somewhere will report them tomorrow. There is nothing you do that you will not reap the reward and it is being recorded in heaven.
Q: Where do you see Nigerian journalism in the next 10 years?
A: I believe some radical youth will come and God will use them to radically transform Nigeria.
Q: When you were working with media organisations, is there any story you wrote that never made it to the print?
A: Several stories. My oga used to say what are you writing? Go and sit down. What are you writing that people have not written before? He will say there is no story that is too big to be killed. Now I use the statement. I will say you better carry your story away so that you will not put me into trouble. I am now in management and in business too. The Bible says that omo odo naa fi ogbon se (the servant apply wisdom to what he does). I am not saying I’ll join them to do evil.
Q: What is your take on digital media?
A: It is still the same system. We need reorientation. Almost all facets of our life are riddled with people of bad intention. If we don’t get things right, mal-practices in the profession will continue to fester.
Q: Can you quantify mal-practices in journalism in percentage?
A: The police, the judiciary, and the teaching profession have been destroyed. The politicians have finished the teaching profession. Journalism is as worse as police. Police, judiciary, journalist are the set of people spoiling Nigeria. For Nigeria to become better, journalists have to do their job well. They have to report events the way they are, the police should do their job well, and the judges should jail the offenders. Things are so bad to the extent that if they arrange for journalists, he will carry his face away from what he has seen. If he insists and goes ahead to write the story, and the police arrest the person, they settle the police too. If the police refuse to be settled, the case goes to court, and the judge is settled too. The case will not escape the three sectors. That is why at times a case is tried in the court of law for 10 years. That is why you will see a governor that becomes a governor fraudulently, he will use three and half years before being told that he is guilty and sent out of the office. Does that make sense? If journalists, police and judges can do their job properly, Nigeria will be better.
Q: How can people support journalists?
A: They can support us but they will not support us because the same set up I’ve been talking about see us as part of the rot and we are. Let us change. If we have a better society, we will all enjoy it.
Q: Is there anything that has made you to shed tears?
A: I lost a vibrant 16-year-old son two and half years ago. The system killed him. If it were to be in another clime, he wouldn’t have died like that but he died. We were working on his relocation to Canada at the time he died. But when I think about God and I knew that was how God wanted it, I moved on.
Q: If you were given the opportunity to cast a headline about Nigeria, what will it be?
A: Nigeria: the apple of God’s eyes on the wrong lane.
