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Reveals The Way Foward For The PDP
Prince Diran Odeyemi is a delight to talk to anyday. Maybe because he is a seasoned journalist, he flows whenever you sit with him to talk about any topic.
Last Friday, City People got him to talk to us about the political party he loves so much, the PDP. Over the last few months other party chieftains have jumped ship to other parties, but Diran has refused to move an inch.
“I am going no where”, he told City People last week. “I will not move unless INEC announces that the PDP has been deregistered for ever. Its only then I will begin to think of what next”.
Who is Prince Diran Odeyemi? We can tell you. The winding but steady rise of Prince Diran Odeyemi from the lowly status of a pedestrian teacher and cub reporter between 1979 and 1991, to the enviable pedestal of an ace journalist and a seasoned politician could be likened to the emergence of a rainbow behind the clouds at sunrise.
Diran Odeyemi, the name that once sent jitters down the spine of corrupt public officers and political marabouts in Oyo and Osun States has, eventually transformed from being a reporter, on the trail of politicians and government officials cum news makers into the one now being sought after by reporters, professional pen pushers and media gurus.
Born to the family of Prince Anthony Omotayo Odeyemi- Sanjuyigbe from Ibokun in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State and Madam Sarah Olufunmilayo Odeyemi from Ilesa; both of blessed memory, the young Diran began his educational pursuit at Saint Bernard Catholic Primary School, Lagere, in Ile- Ife in 1969 and continued at both the Oduduwa College and St.John’s Grammar School Ile–Ife before capping it with the GCE O’ Level Certificate in 1979.
The ambitious Prince also had a stint with the Ogun State College of Education for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and was engaged as English Language and Literature Teacher at Ibokun Grammar School before proceeding to the Prestigious University of Ibadan in 1983 for further academic Laurel in Language and Communication Arts which he completed in 1986.
After the mandatory National Youth Service (NYSC) which saw him through Kuje Secondary School and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Abuja, he cut his professional teeth as a cub reporter with the defunct Community Concord press in 1988.
His insatiable quest for professional excellence took him in to the Vanguard Newspaper as the Oyo State correspondent in 1991 and later, Osun State as the pioneer state correspondent in 1993.
Prince Odeyemi’s usual display of rare bravado and unrivalled wizardly in investigative journalism was so irresistible that not even the generally acclaimed god-father of political hooliganism in Ibadanland would despise his professional advances.
No sooner had he settled down in Osun State than his No Holds Barred reports began to ruffle feathers and generate uneasy calm in political circle in Osun State.
Sequel to his daring expose on the massive corruption which riddled the State with disdain, after the military take over from the first civilian regime of late Governor Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, Prince Diran Odeyemi was banned from Osun State and declared a security risk (persona-non grata) in 1994 shortly after his wedding.
However, the timely intervention of the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, fondly called Uncle Sam Amuka saved the day when he daringly declared, ”rather than publish the obituary of an enterprising journalist, I would rather transfer him to Oyo State” that was how he was transferred back to Oyo as State Editor of the paper.
As if divinely ordained by the source of infinite intelligence, Diran Odeyemi came across late Otunba Christopher Alao Akala in the course of performing his duties and was later in 2006, invited to London where he was pleasantly surprised with hisappointment as Special Adviser on Communication and Strategies: and, later, S.A on Special Duties, a position he held until 2011.
Like other forthright reporter and critics who exited the country during the Abacha agonizing years, Diran Odeyemi relocated to the UK with his family in 1997 and worked with several newspapers, magazines and websites,climaxing it with his popular weekly column, England Confidential, for the Sunday Tribune.
Other notable feats achieved by Prince Diran Odeyemi include;
- Best reporter of the year 1994, NUJ Oyo State.
- NUJ Award of excellence, 1996.
- Media Personality of the Year 2005.
- Grand Commander of Communication Politics 2006.
- He also studied Information technology and housing management at Lambert college
Needless to state that Prince Diran Odeyemi successful exploits in Politics and Journalism-two diametrically opposed fields-portrays him as an ambidextrous administrator and enigmatic goal getter.
Prince Mackson Oladiran Odeyemi is the present Chairman Governing Council Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH) Esa Oke.
Diran, a widely travelled prince from Ibokun is happily married to Mrs Enitan Olayinka Olufunmilayo Odeyemi (Nee Odina) from Ijebu-Jesa and blessed with promising children.
A strong supporter of Arsenal, amiable Diran enjoys playing football, dancing and meeting people.
He is not only a versatile journalist, he is a consummate political strategist, a pungent and irrepressible pen pusher, he is a No Holds Barred investigative reporter, who like Norman Vincent Pearle, Robert Schuller and Templeton, strongly believes in the dictum, “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
