By Dan Okereke
It was Alhaji Musa Illallah, my former News Editor and later senior colleague at Aluminum Smelting Company, (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi, who called to inform me of the death of our former colleague in the Triumph Newspapers Kano, Paul Udenyi. Very sad news! May Paul Udenyi’s ebullient soul rest in perfect peace!
Paul was an early professional influence for me and others in the Triumph. He covered the Crime/Judicial/Police beat for the Triumph and was one of the most recognizable media personalities in Kano State in the 80s. It was easy to see why: he was very productive, and I leaned on him to learn more. Paul obliged happily.
Paul held his turf with characteristic tenacity and diligence. He was authoritative and professional. The Police, Judicial officers and Security Agents trusted him enough to update him on breaking stories. I would even say that those on the other side of the law entrusted him with their side of the story.
The little I knew of Paul was his honest loyalty to Journalism. He decided what to write or withhold based on a clear professional assessment. He carried around with him an encyclopedic knowledge of crime and police stories and could call a source or two to confirm any news story if the News Editor needed one.
Paul led me through my initial steps in news sourcing and writing. He stressed the importance of the news source. Paul wore a swagger and demanded hard work from subordinates. He made lasting impressions on me. He guided us, the journalism interns, through the professional path and expanded our learning curve to embrace cultural, sociological, and economic horizons important to the daily choices we would face in the profession. On office politics, Paul had only one piece of advice for us: let your byline speak for you. And he had a byline in almost every Triumph Newspaper publication.
He also had a good sense of humor. One day I suggested to him that the best Crime Reporters might have a criminal mind themselves. Rather than feel offended, he retorted, “Then you will make a good Crime Reporter.”
Thank you, Paul Esah Udenyi, for sharing your professional knowledge, networks, and survival tips with me and others at an impressionable age. May Almighty God give your immediate family the fortitude to survive your absence in this critical time. Farewell, sir!
