Akanni, first son of veteran journalist and administrator, Alade Odunewu, who died recently at the age of 85, talks about some of the memorable moments he shared with his father in this interview with GBENGA ADENIJI
What can you say about yourself?
I am Akanni, the first son of the late Alade Odunewu. I studied economics up to master’s level in England. I have been in England for sometime before I returned home. I am an economist by profession and I run a company of my own.
How would you describe your father?
My father was a very wonderful man. He was very honest, hardworking and compassionate. My father was a unique man who did whatever he promised and he taught us to exhibit good traits in our dealing with people and anything that concerns us.
What memories of him can you recall while you were growing up?
I remember that as young children (my elder sister, Ebun, and I including our brother, Segun), we noticed that our father was a very busy man. He used to come home late at night because of the demands of his work as a journalist. He ate his dinner late in the night. Copies of the Daily Times newspaper were usually thrown into our compound at 1am by couriers. He would pick and read them painstakingly notwithstanding the time of the day. I remember that comic magazines were always among the newspaper package and we would gather to read them later in the day. He worked throughout the week. When he was appointed a commissioner in Lagos State and later a Federal Electoral Commission, his busy schedule was a bit relaxed and we saw more of him at home.
Did you ever wish he was into another profession during those busy years so that you could see more of him at home?
It never crossed my mind. We admired him being a journalist.
With his busy schedule, did he ever have the time to relax with his family?
My father loved his family so much that he did not allow the busy nature of his work to stand as a barrier to caring for his family. He still ensured that he spent time with his family. I was quite ill then but my parents were always there for me. My sister studied law at the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and my father usually found time to visit her. He also visited my brother, who studied law at Buckingham University, England, often.
Can you remember some of the special times you had together as a family?
My father ensured that we travelled abroad twice a year to spend time together. No matter how busy he was in those days, he would create time for his family to travel abroad on vacation twice a year. Besides, every Sunday, he would take us to a popular restaurant in Ikeja area of Lagos then. We would have a nice time for many hours before returning home.
How did he spend his time at home?
My father loved reading. So, any time he was indoors, he was either watching news on the Cable News Network or reading one newspaper or the other. He was also fond of reading books. Nothing interested my father more than these two habits whenever he was at home. Sometimes, he would sit beside my mother talking. Despite being a hardworking man, whenever he was not working or reading, my father was a completely different man at home. You could not have seen him at home in any of those moments and call him a journalist. Besides, he never for once discussed any topical issue in the newspapers with us. He usually discussed important national issues in the newspapers with our mother.
Did he force his reading habit on his children?
No, he did not do that. There was no reason for him to do that because we took our studies seriously. I think it is because we grew up seeing good books in addition to being raised by educated parents. We faced our studies so that we could become responsible like him. He was a huge motivator to us. That was the motivation and he did not have to be the one telling us to read.
Was he an influence in the career choice of his children?
My father did not influence the career choice of any of his children. We all chose the course we desired. He actually encouraged us to pursue the discipline we have passion for. My elder sister and our brother studied law while I read economics.
Why didn’t any of you choose journalism since the profession earned your father fame and reverence?
We are happy that he was a journalist and he made a mark in the profession. We also realise that that profession was what he had a strong zeal for. So, while we try to emulate his ideals to guide us through in life, we decided to toe the path that we found interesting to us.
Did he have any method of correcting any of his children who misbehaved?
Yes, he did. He neither used a whip nor the cane. He only talked to any child who misbehaved and the message would sink. The tone of his voice was enough for any erring child to know that our father was angry. The tone would convey that he was not joking and was serious about what he was saying. And once he spoke his mind to the child, the matter was settled and he would not go back to it again. Even my mother never used the cane on us.
What are the values you imbibed from him?
My father had many great values. But essentially we imbibed from him honesty, uprightness and to be selfless in whatever we do. My father was someone who put others first before himself and he admonished us to do same in all our dealings with fellow human beings.
Considering your father’s fame and his good name, can you recall some of the benefits that his nature has brought your way?
There are so many of such benefits. For instance, in some occasions, people were curious to know if my father was the famous Odunewu when I introduced myself as Akanni Odunewu. This has happened on a number of times. I always feel happy especially with the warm welcome I receive whenever my father’s name is mentioned. It gives me a great joy to be the son of such a well-loved and wonderful man.
Did he have any special meal?
He loved eba and amala (yam flour) with efo elegusi (vegetable and melon soup). He ate the food quite often.
What kind of drink did he take to accompany the meal?
He enjoyed taking soda water after every meal.
Did you ask him why he preferred the drink to any other?
Yes, I did ask him once. He told me that the drink washes the body system.
What was his daily schedule like after he quit active journalism?
He always woke up very early and he would go to sleep latest by 10pm after the 9pm news. He would not sleep until the news was read. He enjoyed watching CNN and I usually sat with him. There was no way you could change the channel to another station without him knowing. There was a time he was waiting for the news to start and I thought he was asleep in one of the chairs in the room, so I quickly switched the channel. He did not look up from where he was but said, “Akanni, CNN ko niyen o.” (Akanni, that is not CNN). I was very sure he did not see me when I changed the channel but he knew that was not the news channel he often listened to. I did not say anything but quickly changed it to his preferred channel.
How did he handle disagreements with your mother?
As their first son, I was very close to my parents and l cannot remember ever seeing them argue or disagree over anything. As their children, we never witnessed any misunderstanding between them. Most times, the door to their room was always shut whenever they wanted to discuss intimately.
Where were you when he died?
I was with him in the hospital for a month and two days before he died. We knew that his health condition was deteriorating fast and when the doctor came in, he asked both my brother and I to excuse him. I was so heart-broken when his death hit us.
What was your first reaction when you were told that he was dead?
I was with my brother when our father died. Immediately we heard the news, we held each other tightly and cried. We were afraid because we just lost our mother a year ago and now, our father’s death. We were afraid of where to start from considering the name our father left behind. As his children, we need to do a lot to keep his legacy. The death of our parents was something new to us. It is natural to be afraid when one considers how to continue without such wonderful parents. That is the truth.
Did he have any premonition about his death?
None at all.
During his final days, which you spent with him, did you notice anything unusual about him?
Of course, he talked very well with me. During the time I was with him, we discussed about my business and some other things. I remember when the doctors wanted to know how he was faring and they asked him who I was. He looked tenderly at me and said, “That is my son Akanni.” His smile was so beautiful, it was so pure. His humour did not depart him despite getting close to his final day. When he was asked for his name at the hospital, he said, “They call me Alade Odunewu.” Everybody who was there broke into laughter.
Did you get a chance to read the satirical columns he wrote some years back?
We were quite young when he wrote them. But I later read some of the articles after their publication. Through the articles, you could see how deep he was. When you asked him a question on anything, his answer often revealed how deep his thinking was. You could see he was well-read and versed in many areas. These attributes reflected in what he wrote. Sometimes, I wonder what was on his mind when he wrote those articles because of their incisive appeal.