•Ace Journalist & Publisher, AZUH ARINZE
Azuh Arinze’s name always rings a bell whenever and wherever it is mentioned. He is regarded as one of Nigeria’s brightest journalists. And an accomplished one at that. He is also a successful Publisher. He was, for a long spell, the Editor of Encomium Magazine, before he resigned to start his own publication called, YES! Weekly and YES International Magazine. He has gone on to publish 9 books. And still counting. The first thing anyone who knows Azuh Arinze closely will tell you is that he is extremely hardworking and fiercely focused on his craft. He is also unbelievably humble and respectful. He is not loud by nature. He prefers to do things quietly and watch and listen to others. But do not let that easy-going façade fool you. Beneath it lies one of the most fertile and creative minds you could possibly come across on this side of the globe.
Last week, Azuh launched 2 new books, My Story Of Many Colours and Anything And Everything Journalism. The event was graced by many distinguished men and women like Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, Onyeka Onwenu, Prince Bisi Olatilo, Chief Dele Momodu, Mr. Kunle Bakare, Chief Femi Adesina, Ms. Maureen Chigbo and so many others. At the tail end of the event, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) spoke with Azuh and he shared with us a lot of the principles that have helped him make a success of his journalism profession. Below are excerpts.
How do you feel with the way the entire event has panned out today?
I feel ontop of the world. I feel very, very happy. When you have an event, you invite people and they turn up, it brings you huge joy and happiness. And I feel joyful right now. But I thank God for everything because I couldn’t have done anything on my own.
Share with us that part of you that has enabled you sustain relationships over the years. Anytime you send out invites to bring people together, they honour you, how did that part of you evolve?
You know the truth? If I tell you that I know the secret, then I’m lying. It’s just God, and that’s the truth. It’s just God, seriously, that’s all I can say. I won’t ascribe that credit to myself but to God.
When most of the guests were paying glowing tributes to you on the stage a while ago, what was going through your mind, listening to them say such kind words about you?
I was just saying, to God be all the glory. Without God, none of that would’ve been possible, we are nothing but pencils in God’s hands. Withoiut God, I would not have been able to do anything and I would not have been able to amount to anything either, so I give God all the glory.
One of the books you launched today, Anything And Everything Journalism, what’s the inspiration behind it?
Well, I read Mass Communication and I felt that back then, we depended so much on books written by foreigners, so I felt we should also localise it and I felt one of the best ways to do that would be to get some of our people who have done very well to share their experiences so that the younger ones can also read, learn and see what they can do to become better than them.
That’s beautiful, that’s instructive. So, definitely you must be hugely concerned and worried with the way things look right now in journalism, its become an all comers affair…
Oh, definitely, I am deeply worried. It’s a sad sitution, I must say. We have the non professionals overrunning the professionals, which isn’t good. So, one of the things we will like to do with the book is show more professionals how to practice the profession because knowledge is never enough. No matter the amount of knowledge you have, you can still add to it. And the non professionals too can also read and see how the professionals have done it and how they have been able to get to where they are.
If you were to write a book that says, “Azuh Arinze: The Five Key Principles That Make A Successful Journalist’, using your own trajectory as a journalist, what would those five principles be?
Number one is God because we are nothing without God. Number two, you must know what you want. If you do not know what you want, then the moment you see people going in one direction, you follow them. But if you know what you want, then you say to yourself this is where I want to be.
You also have to be hardworking. For instance, I don’t like people doing transcriptions for me. I do my interviews and transcribe them myself. Over time I have found out that each time I do an interview and give to people to transcribe for me, I end up doing a second transcription all over again.
Then you have to read, read and read. It is when you read that you can see how others are doing it and you become better.
Next one is that you have to build relationships. You need contacts to push through in journalism. Anything you’re doing, you will need one or two people to quicken your steps people you can call and they offer you some pieces of advice, it makes the job easier..
You also have to be creative, don’t do things the way everyone else has done it. Be distinct. Be creative. Its when you are unique in what you do that people will take notice of you and before you know it, things will begin to change for you. I think basically, those are the principles. But you must be ready to work. You must be ready to give it your best shot and give it everything it takes.
How have you been able to stay grounded despite your modest achievements in the profession? Its so difficult to hear anyone speak negatively of Azuh Arinze. You cant hear people say, oh, Azuh is arrogant, or he’s not to be trusted, nobody speaks of you in that light, rather, they all talk about your humility and all. So, how have you been able to do this?
Well, its just to know at every point in time that there are people who are far better than you and that you are nothing. I mean, if you think you are the best, once you step out, you will find a million and one people who are far better than you. There’s nothing like humility, there’s nothing like simplicity.
Were there times in the earlier days that you thought of doing something else? Were there times like that?
Do you know the truth? I have never thought of doing something else. I have never thought of leaving journalism and I really don’t know why. But I think journalism has been fair to me to a huge extent. It has never crossed my mind to leave journalism. Although sometimes you won’t have money, sometimes you’re broke, but God keeps opening doors for you and everything. I have never thought about doing any other thing. When I was going to resign as the Editor of Encomium, my initial plan was to go into PR. But my younger brother who is a Reverend Father insisted that I stick with journalism and today, I do not have any regrets sticking with journalism.
Finally, apart from your job, what would you consider the most important thing to you in life?
First, and there’s no debate about that, it’s God. After God, my family comes next. I cherish my family, I treasure them. Without them, I would not have gotten this far. Both my immediate and extended families have been very supportive. My younger ones make me happy. My kids, my wife, they have all made me happy. I think I’ve been blessed by God when it comes to family. Yes, to a huge extent, he has given me a wonderful family.
Is there any of your daughters showing interest in journalism?
My sister is into journalism, my younger brother is into journalism, one of my daughters is showing interest and I’m quite pleased about that.
So, they are definitely keeping it in the family?
Oh, yes, they are.
Congratulations, once gain!
Thank you very much.
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