Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) is organising a one-day colloquium to celebrate Professor Olatunji Dare.
The colloquium billed for 12noon at Radisson Hotel on Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, is in commemoration of 80th birthday on July 17.
With “Dare @ 80: Same craft, changing times – the columnist as societal conscience” as theme, the colloquium will feature the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diamond Publications, Mr. Lanre Idowu and former Managing Director (MD) of the now rested New Age Newspaper, Mr. Sully Abu as the lead speakers.
Mr. Abu served with Prof. Dare on The Guardian Editorial Board.
The colloquium will be chaired by journalism icon and former Ogun State governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba.
Other panelists include: President, Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mallam Kabiru Yusuf; ace public intellectual/eminent scholar, Prof. Adebayo Williams; former Managing Director of Guardian Newspapers Limited, Mr. Emeka Izeze; NGE President, Mr. Eze Anaba; President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo; Lagos State Information and Strategy Commissioner Gbenga Omotosho; Prof. Tola Sunday of the University of Lagos among others.
Dare is The Nation Editorial Adviser who is also renowned as consummate teacher and seasoned columnist. He is globally acknowledged as “master satirist, stylist exemplar and magisterial editorialist.
As journalist, scholar and public intellectual, Prof. Dare has also been praised as the “language connoisseur’s delight” who deploys “a mixed menu of satire and mischievous parody” to exhaust a whole gamut of social, political, economic, cultural and international events relating to each with equal passion and dwelling on specifics with the ease and familiarity which only outstanding scholarship bestows.
In 2014 when he clocked 70, the celebration by his constituency – journalism and media industry – produced a significant resource material titled: “Public intellectuals, the public sphere & the public spirit – Essays in honour of Olatunji Dare”. The book was edited by Prof. Wale Adebanwi. It is hoped that the July 17 colloquium will trigger similar outcome.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
