My path and that of Thomas Peretu ( that I used to call TP) crossed at the then Daily Times of Nigeria Plc., managed then by Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi.
He got there before me, like a year or two straight from Times Journalism Institute (TJI) so, he was my senior colleague. I joined in the ’90s too straight from school, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ).
TP was on Lagos Weekend desk edited by Chinaka Fynecountry with Sam Ogwa who later succeeded Fynecountry as the editor of the paper. Ogwa was also the deputy editor in the days of Fynecountry.
TP was one of those that helped me to sharpen my teeth as a reporter and most importantly as an entertainment one. He held me by the wrist and first took me to Madam Blessing of Blessing Studio on Awolowo Way Ikeja, then to the Gbemisola Street residence of the best music act God blessed Nigeria with, Fela Anikulapo-kuti; in fact, TP showed me where all the dead bodies were buried in the entertainment world of Lagos. He also led me to Dakova alias DKV, who was one of the best fashion designers that came out of Nigeria then.
Though, TP was not much of a night crawler because of his religious belief and does not drink strong wine or smoke, we still rolled very well in the daytime until he left Daily Times to take up the job of a publicist for the recording company that came to Nigeria as Phillips then when it’s publicists, Dayo Olomu and Bukky Campbell, who was my classmate at NIJ, left.
The company is now known as Premier Music after many change of names.
I do not know what exactly that attracted me to him or him to me but all I knew was that aside Mr. Jude Nwauzor now of AMCON, he was my man Friday.
When he left for Premier Music that was then at Satellite Town, he was given his first official car, a Deawoo Tico white in colour by the late Toju Ejueyitchie who was the MD of the company and, which was one of his condition before joining the company.
On one fateful day like that, TP drove to the Agidingbi office of Daily Times and said I should accompany him to Fela’s to bless the car the African way. And pronto, I left all I was doing and tagged along with him because I knew I must get a story beyond the blessing and I did. Let us leave that for symposium day like Fela will say.
On getting to the Kalakuta Republic, we were welcomed with open arms and ushered into the living room. Luckily Fela was seated on his sofa ( that is just at the left hand side as one enters the vast parlour) as if he knew we were coming. He welcomed us as we took our seats and after a few minutes of pleasantries, we launched into the reason for our visit and he listened patiently after which he stood up with his famous pant barely hanging on his waistline, took a walk to the window and peeped outside to see the car. On his return to his seat, a smile played on his lips as he said ‘ na Tico sef, Korean car’ and everyone in the room roared into laughter.
However, that did not stop him from pouring libation on the car with the Seaman Schnapps we brought and prayed before we returned to the sitting room and he ordered that we be entertained.
These were some of my runs with Peretu before he returned to his home State of Bayelsa shortly after that blood clash between some people suspected to be OPC members and Ijaws in Ajegunle that gave rise to that African China’s song that goes like this ‘… If you say OPC, Omo na you Sabi… ‘.
