By Joseph Akahome
It wasn’t the presence of big names from the entertainment industry that did it for me.
It wasn’t the presence of Africa’s number one singer, 2face Idibia, remarkable though that was, nor was it the likes of ace rapper M.I, or Kennis Music label boss Kenny Ogungbe, or even the very venue of the event, the prestigious Oriental Hotel that did it.
No, it wasn’t any of the above, though in their own special way, they added that special touch to the memorable occasion of Nigeria’s premier entertainment newspaper’s marking of her second anniversary.
What actually did it for me; what really made me realize the significance and importance of the event, above the din of merry-making and sounds of laughter and joy amidst clinking glasses, was the mini-documentary that was beamed to the select audience, chronicling, from the mouths of the Publisher and the team, the journey thus far, as well as projections for the future.
In that short but well produced documentary, I saw the mind-set of a man with a vision to break new frontiers in entertainment at work. That epiphany explained in more ways than words ever could, the very reason why a normally lazy guy like me, along with the rest of the team, are relentlessly ‘pushed hard’ to go that bit farther, to walk that extra mile that others fear to tread.
I recall a time, when trying to get an interview with a top notch Nollywood actress (whose name I’m sorely tempted to mention, but won’t), I introduced myself as a reporter with NET.
The response I got that day stung me. She effectively questioned the authenticity of such a publication. Of course, she played the ‘diva card’, asking me to speak to her publicist to schedule an interview, an interview she eventually felt too big to honour.
I had forgotten all about that until I saw that documentary. And anyone who watched it keenly would agree with me that the spirit of determination, doggedness and sheer strength of will detected in the mannerisms of Ayeni ‘The Great’ Adekunle to make NET the biggest and top choice newspaper for Nigerian entertainment news in the foreseeable future was evident, and is realisable.
I have no idea how much of a part I’ll play in realising this objective, but I hope it saps my best while it lasts, to at least get a passing mention. No matter what, ‘Soldier go, Soldier come’, as they say in the local parlance, I feel proud, as I felt then, that day, smiling unobtrusively in a dark corner as I gazed up at that over-hanging LCD TV, to have been a part, at some point, of its history, of this revolutionary movement.
Indeed, in the not too distant future, perhaps in less than another two years, the majority of celebrities in the country will be only too quick to jump at an opportunity to get a mention in NET.
And our ‘diva’ actress, whose name I am tempted to mention again, but will refrain from, just this once (or is it twice now?) may someday pray for such a feature that may well revamp and boost her already dwindling career.
