When it comes to press news and information, The Nigerian Tribune is well-known, especially for its newspaper.
From when it was first created The Nigerian Tribune has faced many difficulties in its lifetime. Government representatives and other news media companies have threatened its operations.
However, the peak of many challenges it faced was the four years before 1966. This was when it faced the tyrants in power as at then.
The Maiden Edition
Right On the 16th of November 1949, the Nigerian Tribune hit the newsstand in Nigeria for the first time ever. It did not start out like how you know it today.
It was a tabloid of just 8 pages only, but with heavy content, it came loaded with current and interesting issues. For instance, the very first edition of the paper had a lead story which was titled, “Chemists Protest”. It was the story about the Pharmaceutical Students of Nigeria Association, Yaba, Lagos.
It was a demand by the students to reply to a memorandum with several claims. In that publication, the student was demanding a sum of £5.5s per month. It had fallen in arias and was due to them. A net increase of £7 is to be paid monthly in the subsequent month.
Major Reports
This story is its leading story then, alongside the story of the murderers of the Indian Prime Minister. There is also a piece on the back page about the nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi. These were huge successes as they commanded a lot of attention from many readers and consumers alike.
Capturing the story of Gandhi’s murderers and their execution was symptomatic of the path the newspaper. It seemed to have chosen to tread.
The maiden edition packed a lot of punches. It reports recent happenings and events all over Nigeria. It also shared more light on the plight of the downtrodden. The one which happened in the city of Akure, tagging it as the Worst Police Station.
In that story, the newspaper described the Akure Police station as the Blackhole of Akure. It was described as having just two rooms in a very dark corner of the town with no windows.
The maiden edition also contains the autobiography of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was an Indian leader.
A public lecture on literature and life delivered by Mr. P. Paget in Ibadan is another intriguing story in that same publication. The speaker spoke and taught about the benefits and core values of books. He also advocated teaching about the collapse of aesthetics in Ibadan. The title of that story was Dirt overfills streets.
Nigeria Independent Struggle
Alongside, the great men that fought for the independence of this country like Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The Tribune along with some other news media also contributed immensely to the struggle for freedom from colonial power.
With the creation of the tribune, the struggle shifted its concentration from anti-colonial advocacy to that self-rule. The Tribune was at the center pillar of the struggle. Tribune also advocated for self-rule to usher in a new era of total independence from the British government.
The Minning Coal Crisis At Enugu
The December 1949 incident in Enugu Colliery gave the newspaper the public recognition it deserves. The incident involved policemen shooting and killing some coal miners. The coverage of the event made the newspaper the freedom fighter we all know it to be.
According to reports, the miners’ protests were a response to labor exploitation, particularly in terms of compensation and treatment. Also, the staff works in poor conditions.
Fight For Justice
Well, there was no inception that the mission of this media house is going to be freedom for the masses. The Nigeria Tribune would follow that inception anyway.
The fact that the creator ((Obafemi Awolowo)) personally wrote the first publication is publicly remarkable. Alhaji Lateef Jakande organized the Nigerian Tribune’s correct editorial stance. He was the newspaper’s chief editor and managing director as well.
This piece was reproduced by the newspaper & titled “Why we are the way we are “. It was released on March 4, 1984.
Some Trials
The Nigerian Tribune might be said to have had its most challenging years in 1962 and 1966. This is a result of the corporation running into some hostile political resistance.
The journal experienced political hostility, open persecution, prejudice, and intimidation in 1963. This was done via numerous litigations fashioned to destabilize it economically.
To conclude, the period of the Emergency rule is a tough one. The Majekodunmi administration filed so many sedition charges against the Tribune and several other newspapers.
This was to silence the media houses in Nigeria generally, especially those in its chain of mergers called Amalgamated Press Ltd.
