I left Daily Times for Shell to earn good salary — 80-year-old economist

Adisa Adeleye

Eighty-year-old Adisa Adeleye shares the story of his journey from the media to the oil sector with GBENGA ADENIJI

Where and when were you born?

I was born in Jos, Plateau State on April 4, 1934. I attended St. Luke’s School and also Baptist Day School, both in Jos. After sometime, we moved to our hometown, Ogbomoso in Oyo State where I attended the Peoples’ Institute Continuation Classes. Thereafter, I was in Lagos where I went to Eko Boys High School, Lagos. I left the school in 1953.

 What did you do after leaving school?

I got a job with the United Africa Company of Nigeria as an accounts clerk at its then national accounts headquarters in Marina, Lagos. We took examinations; I did well and was offered a job. I was later promoted to an accounting machinist. I was given a machine with which we issued invoices after entering the stipulated amount.  I was later moved to the Produce Section of the UAC. I was there until I went abroad to study.

 Who sponsored your education abroad?

I sponsored myself with the money I saved while working with the UAC. I resigned from the UAC when it was time for me to go. I already had two papers; Economics and History in Advanced Level before I left for the United Kingdom. I went to the UK to study economics. Some years after I started the programme, I decided to work to save some money. After I felt, I had saved enough money, I enrolled in the City of London College to prepare for a London University degree in Economics.

 How was life as an international student?

It was okay in the fifties. There were so many Nigerians there studying at the time and it was easy to manage well. I was lucky because things were good from when I got there till when I completed the degree in 1963. I returned to Nigeria in 1964.

 What did you do when you returned to Nigeria?

When I returned home, I immediately applied to the Daily Times. There were four newspapers then; Daily Times, Morning Post, The Pilot and The Daily Service. I was referred to the late Alhaji Babatunde Jose when I applied to the Daily Times for a job. I was interviewed the second week I returned to the country and was asked to resume for work the following week.

 You studied economics, why the interest in journalism?

I earned a diploma in journalism when I was in the UK in addition to the degree in economics I got. When I was in secondary school, I developed an interest in journalism. I actually wanted to join the Daily Times immediately I left secondary school but there was no opportunity. But when I was in the UK, I used to write letters to the editor and read many newspapers. It occurred to me that one should be well educated in order to be a sound journalist. When I joined the Daily Times, I recall that Mr. Peter Enahoro told me that they recognised the certificates I earned but that I had to prove myself on the job.

 How did you prove yourself?

They told me I would be placed on what was called ‘familiarisation exercise.’ I was told to spend three months in the newsroom, three months on the sub-desk and three months on the feature desk. But I only spent three months in the newsroom. I was reporting for The Sunday Times then. Alhaji Alade Odunewu was the editor of the title and when he became the editor of Daily Times, he took me to the Feature Desk of the Daily Times. I later headed the desk. I joined the company as editorial staff. I was the only graduate there then.

  Could you recall some of the major stories you did as a journalist?

In the Daily Times, I was the one that started reviewing the economy in the newspaper. There was no newspaper in the country that was reporting economic matters except the Daily Times during that period. I felt, ‘how could our readers be reading newspapers without knowing anything about the country’s economy?’ I introduced commercial news and discussed stock exchange, budget and government proposals. I am happy that newspapers now have business pages analysing salient economic matters. When I started the commercial news, I was made Commercial Editor and later Leader Writer. I wrote editorials on economic matters. I left the Daily Times after working there for two years.

 Why did you leave?

I went to Shell (old National Oil). The company invited me based on the commercial news pages I was handling. As a matter of fact, things were not alright salary wise in Daily Times that time.

 How did you get the Shell job?

I was maintaining the Tuesday column of the commercial news as usual. One Friday, I got an invitation from Shell for a press conference. After the event, I studied the statement carefully and wrote a report on it for my Tuesday column.  Before other newspapers could do anything, I had discussed the issues contained in the statement intelligently because of my background. Shell was impressed and I got a phone call from the management that I should come to their office for a chat.

 Did you tell anybody that the company invited you for a chat?

No, I did not tell anybody because I didn’t know what the call was for. When I got there, I saw three of my colleagues from other newspapers seated. When they saw me, two of them stood up and left. They were saying what sort of interview would it be when I was also invited. At that point, I knew what it was all about. I was eventually offered employment.

 What job did the company offer you?

I was employed to work in the trade relations department. My job was to visit companies and ask for their energy needs such as Automated Gas Oil, fuel and so on.

 What was the salary compared to that of the Daily Times?

I started with £1,200 with some allowances. I always tell my friends that I smelt oil when I was there but I found it so tasteful because the money was good. The condition of work was good.

 How much was your salary in Daily Times?

I couldn’t really remember but I started with £50 monthly and later it was increased to between £60 and £70.

 Were you married then?

I was married. I married in 1966. At that time, I was trying to leave Daily Times. I was thinking how I would sustain married life with £70. I bought an Opel Kadett then through a loan. I met my wife who is a trained nurse through my niece. She came to see my niece but didn’t meet her. I promised to deliver her messages. I later inquired further about her from my niece and other things followed.

 What did you find attractive in her?

She was a patient person despite my social life then as a journalist. She is also caring. We are lucky we have good children.

 What difference did you notice working in the media industry and oil and gas sector? 

They are not the same thing. In Shell, I was being trained as a manager and I had to establish myself. However, as a journalist, one needs to prove oneself too.

 How many years did you spend in Shell?

I spent 25 years in Shell and retired in 1989. My boss in the trade relations department left after the civil war started. He was Igbo. Since I was his deputy, the job was too high for me to handle because it involves many things. I was moved to head the trade relations and economics section. The section was saddled with the responsibility of analysing economic figures and studying economic trends.

 Since the civil war was on, how did you cope with your family?

The company lost a lot of personnel because of the movement of people.  When the war ended, I was sent to Warri as a district manager in order to check the machines, operations, distribution and personnel. The war didn’t affect me but when I came back, I was moved to head industrial relations. My job involved negotiating with unions. When I headed the trade relations and economics section, I was in charge of planning. Each company would buy crude oil and take it to the refineries to refine according to their specifications. There was no government interference in it.

 Did you experience any case of bribery or graft during that time?

No, there was no such thing. The only related experience I had was when I was still in journalism and I went with a photographer to cover an event. I saw some people struggling for something after the event. I did not know what was happening. I thought they were struggling to get the company’s brief. I sent the photographer to collect one on my behalf. It was on our way home that he handed me a brown envelope. It contained about £1. I asked him what it was all about and he laughed and told me that it was brown envelope. I narrated my experience to the people in the newsroom when I entered and everybody laughed. The European managers were strict and didn’t allow any form of corruption. I could perhaps say I was not in a position to witness such because of the position I held.

 What do your children do?

The first, a female, studied English, the second is a mechanical engineer, the third is an accountant and the last is an engineer.

 What form of exercise do you do?

I like to stroll. Sometimes, I park my car and take a stroll. I also have a gym in my house where I do exercises.

 What is your favourite food?

I eat normal Nigerian food and anything that is good.

 What is your best drink?

In those days when I was a journalist, I drank heavily. Journalists of those days were expected to pick such act. But later we quit it. I don’t smoke. That is one habit I never cultivated.

 What can you say of journalism practice today compared to your time?

Today’s journalists are lucky. They have gadgets to work with. There is Internet. I think the standard has improved. There are even universities offering courses in communication. I don’t know the salary now but I think things have improved than they were in our days.

 What are you doing in retirement?

I publish a community magazine, Irawo Owuro (Morning Star). I also publish books. I find it very rewarding because journalism is still in me. I have supportive children who ensure that I don’t suffer. I don’t lack anything I want.

 What is your advice to economists and journalists?

If you are a journalist, be committed to whatever you do. It is the same for economists and those in other disciplines. The situation in Nigeria is pathetic and things are not what they should be. Hence, people are likely to fall aside in an attempt to meet the challenges of life.