‘Let go and let God’ was the final remarks of Dr. Tom Adaba when he presented his distinguished alumni lecture at the ASUU secretariat, Naraguta Campus organised by the Directorate of Alumni Relations, the Advancement Office, University of Jos.
Dr. Tom Adaba, the first PhD graduate of Mass Communication in Africa from the Department of Theater Arts in 1989 titled his lecture as Broadcasting: My Personal Reminiscences and spoke to a host of senior academic and non academic staff and students, mainly of the Departments of Mass Communication and Theater and Film Arts.
Dr. Tom Adaba, who was the first Director General of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) when it was established in 1992, recounted his experiences from childhood to his educational foundation to his career at the Nigerian Television Authority where he was made the first Principal of the NTA TV College, Jos.
He also told his audience about the cold war between him as the NBC DG and the management of NTA on who had administrative authority over broadcasting in Nigeria which was settled in his favour by the then Minister of Information and Culture under General Ibrahim Babangida, the late Senator Uche Chukumerije.
Dr. Adaba held his audience spell bound with his tale of trials, challenges and opposition that he faced on his way to becoming the DG of the NBC and revealed that his ‘patience and prayers was what pulled him to the top’.
He also described Jos as the fountain of TV drama and presentations in Nigeria as he worked with lecturers and graduates of the Department of Theater Arts to produce TV shows and accredited the success of TV dramas produced in Jos like Cock Crow at Dawn and Behind the Clouds broadcasted on the national network of the NTA to the staff and graduates of the Department.
He recounted his achievements as the pioneer DG of NBC which includes the granting of licenses for private broadcasting on the 10th of June 1993 where he declared that DITV of Kaduna is the first private broadcast TV station in Nigeria. ‘I know this because I was there at Kaduna for the commissioning’ he said authoritatively, clearing the air on the controversy making the rounds.
Brief remarks were made by the representative of the Vice Chancellor and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Teresa Nmadu, the Chairman of the event, Prof. John Illah, Prof. Augustine Enahoro, the Dean of Arts and Humanities Prof. Tor Iorapuu, the HOD Theater and Film Arts Dr. Ruben Embu and the Acting Director of Alumni Relations Mr. Samuel Mwansat.
Highlights of the lecture, anchored by Mr. Victor Anyagwu and Mrs. Nancy King, was the reading of the citation of Dr. Adaba, a cultural dance by students of the Theater and Film Arts supervised by Mrs. Bose Tsevende, a spoken word recital and answers to questions from staff and students by Dr. Adaba.
Also present at the lecture was the HOD of Mass Communication, Dr. Sarah B. Lwahas and the Director for Gender and Women Studies, Prof. Irene Agunloye.
BY JOHN DOEE
