Yusuf Lawal Saulawa Katsina dies @ 79: A Tribute

QOSIM AKINRETI, Phd

At 79, the death of our beloved father, mentor, guardian and senior colleague in international radio broadcasting was announced on Saturday, July 27,2024. For 54 years, Yusuf Lawal Saulawa bestrides the broadcasting world like a colossus. He started the broadcasting career as a TV Cameraman, Presenter, Announcer, Reporter and rose to the position of General Manager, Radio Kaduna, Executive Director Programmes Directorate, Voice of Nigeria.

At intervals, he was Commissioner for Information in Kaduna and Katsina states, respectively. He was the pioneer Director Programmes, Directorate VON IN 1991. The late Yaya Abubakar, his friend, was the Director General; Tunji Oseni , Director News; Ganiyu Salami, Director Administration; Abubakar Jijiwa, Director Finance. That was the media management at VON when I joined first as an intern and later staff in the News Directorate. THEY WERE THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF MODERN VON, after the station was excised from Radio Nigeria external service. I had close contact with him.

In those days, when you were going for assignment outside the country, you will get briefings from senior colleagues and Directors. He gave professional and fatherly advice when Lagos State government gave me opportunity to cover the holy pilgrimage in Makkah as State House Correspondent with the Lagos State Governor then, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We also meet regularly for prayers in the mosque at the BH Ikoyi. Since he married a Yoruba wife, the boss always practises greetings in Yoruba Language with me. Mallam Yusuf Lawal Saulawa often leads prayers in the mosque. His profile was quite unique. He has the ambition of being a Radio Journalist early in life, but he could not get it then.

So, he was a teacher and Insurance man briefly. Once he had the opportunity of a broadcasting job, he accepted it with all sense of responsibility. This job paid off with the purchase of a motorcycle just like Chief Segun Osoba who had a scooter and telephone to assist his job.

The former DP had good Journalism training, basic and advanced productions with the BBC in London and worked in the BBC Hausa Service on secondment from the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria for three years. That was symbolic and a profound signpost of an international journalist par excellence. He served his community in Katsina State with all his might as a commissioner, media consultant for the establishment of Katsina Radio & TV and General Manager. Till death, he produced programmes for the Radio station too.

Late Yusuf Lawal Saulawa had 13 children and one of them is in the service of Voice of Nigeria. May Allah SWT grant him Aljanah firdaos.

.Qasim Akinreti, Ph.D, Deputy Director, Digital Media.

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