Many in the large crowd of who is who in the Nigerian media and well-wishers from all walks of life that graced the occasion had beautiful things to say about Uncle Sam who proudly beamed with smiles
Yesterday, the golden fish could find no hiding place as Nigerian media professionals and many other prominent Nigerians within and outside the pen fraternity gathered at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, to celebrate and honour a man widely acclaimed as a leading icon and legend of Nigerian journalism. Mr Sam Amuka-Pemu, the publicity-shy founder of Vanguard Media Limited, publishers of the highly regarded and widely read Vanguard Newspapers, was in the limelight and was being serenaded with music, dance, rib-cracking jokes and, of course, torrents of tributes to mark his birthday after attaining the landmark age of 90 years.
The celebration started days before the grand event with numerous friends and well-wishers across the country pouring encomiums on Uncle Sam for having significantly contributed and still contributing to the evolution of journalistic practice in Nigeria. And he was visibly overwhelmed by the expressions of goodwill and love that he eventually succumbed to being celebrated in spite of his well-noted aversion to celebrating his birthday in spite of his well-earned celebrity status.
For the organisers, it was a mission accomplished after a lot of careful planning. Like 'conspirators committed to a noble cause, they plotted with care, shielding their actions from possible prying eyes and eavesdroppers who may betray them to Uncle Sam.