Home Celebrity Lifestyle City People Visits Amb. YEMI FAROUNBI

City People Visits Amb. YEMI FAROUNBI

by Seye Kehinde

 

  • As He Clocks 80

When the news broke a few months back, that veteran broadcaster, Ambassador Yemi Farounbi was about to turn 80, it came as pleasant news to many. Not many realised that this easy going and soft-spoken man was that far gone in age. This is because he is still very much vibrant and strong. He is still active in Politics and he has not slowed down one bit in his everyday activity.

He turned 80 recently and had a lecture to mark it. Not for him any form of  party. He is not your run of the mill society person who loves to party. Chief Farounbi is too serious minded to host an Owambe party to celebrate his birthday. That is how disciplined he is. He will rather have a Seminar or a Conference to talk about how the state of the  nation or how to move Nigeria Forward.

To mark his birthday, the Ibadan Discourse Group (who are friends of Yemi Farounbi) hosted a Lecture in his honour on the Theme: The Future and Challenges of The Nigerian Nation. Guest Speaker was Dr. Kayode Fayemi (former Governor, Ekiti State. The event came up on Thursday 5th December, 2024.

A few days ago, City People stormed Ibadan to see him. We wanted to spend quality time with this exceptionally brilliant elderstatesman who is a product of many political juggernauts like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, late Chief Bola Ige and many other Political giants.

At 80, he stil holds very strong views about Nigeria and Politics. For 2 hours we drilled him about his reflections on life at 80 and how we can best get Nigeria back on track.

We found Papa to be a thinker who is always brimming with creative and workable ideas on how to tackle all the numerous challenges facing  us. He looks good for 80. He is still is old self. He still keeps his bushy Fluffy White  hair and beards which he has groomed since 1964

He was born of humble beginning to the family of Rev. and  Mrs D.O.Farounbi in the heart of Ekiti, almost 72 years ago. Because of the nature of his parents’ pastoral job, he attended 4  primary schools ending in St. Andrew’s Pry. School, Usi Ekiti. in 1955. For his secondary education, he attended Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti, where in 1962,he made 6 distinctions out of 8 subjects.

After 4 months stay in Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo, doing the Hsc course, he was admitted to the University of Nigeria, in 1964,through the then Concessional ENTRANCE EXAMINATION conducted by each University. In 1965, he was awarded the State Scholarship for being one of the best TEN students in the University of Nigeria in 1964/65 session.

Because of the Nigerian Civil War, he had to be relocated to the then University of Ife, where he graduated in 1968, top of his set, with a Second Class Honors Upper Division. He was also to repeat the same feat, when in 1974,he won the Peter Odumosu prize, for being the best student, in the Master of Public Administration Examinations at the same University. Since then, he has gone through other Universities, such as University of Leicester. City University, London, Polytechnic of Central London, North Western Christian University (Philippines Campus) in glowing  colours.

Chief Yemi Farounbi was a teacher of teachers and even Professors. For 4 months,he was a teacher at LA Primary School, Aramoko Ekiti. Later that year, he was appointed a teacher in Doherty Memorial Grammar School, Ijero Ekiti. After graduating from University of Ife,(now OAU),he taught at Oyemekun Grammar School, Akure as Senior Geography Teacher in 1968-1969. Between 1985-1992,he was a part-time Lecturer at The Polytechnic, Ibadan teaching Advertising, Public Relations and Communication Theory in the Department of Mass Communication, and serving as an External Assessor to the Appointment and Promotion Committee of the Polytechnic.

In those same years, he was a Part -time Lecturer in the Department of Language and Communication Arts University of Ibadan teaching Media Design, Media Planning, and   History of Communication Thought …all at Post-graduate level. Between 1985-1992, he was a member of The Governing Council, Yaba College of Technology. He is a member of the Governing Council, Lead City University, Ibadan since its inception till now.

Amb. Yemi Farounbi has had a distinguished participation in Politics. At the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, in 1964/65,he was the Publicity Secretary, Action  Group  Students Wing. Between 1981 and 1983, he was a co-opted member of the Oyo State Executive Committee of Unity Party of Nigeria. During the Babangida Transition Programme, he was National Deputy Chairman of the top most Political Party, the Peoples Solidarity Party, the first party to use the broom as its symbol. He was to become the pioneer Chairman of Social Democratic Party in Osun State. He was also the National Vice Chairman and later National Deputy Chairman of the UNCP. In 1998, he joined others in forming the PDP and was a pioneer member of the Board of Trustees of the Party. In 1992, he was a Presidential aspirant on the platform of SDP, but withdrew publicly, because as he correctly predicted, the exercise would lead no. where but confusion and death.

Papa Yemi Farounbi was a pro -democracy activist. For many years he was the National President of NETWORK FOR DEMOCRACY during the succession of military regimes. Under the post-1999 Civilian era, he was the Chairman, Centre of Public Policy Analysis among others. In these various roles, he served as an intellectual motivator and mobiliser in favour of true federalism, good, responsive and transparent governance.

Perhaps it is in the Media that Amb Yemi Farounbi established himself  in the minds of the people. He joined the famed WNTV-WNBS when that great first television network in Africa, decided  to  intellectualize its operations by attracting a cream of bright sound young graduates. Yemi Farounbi blazed such an illuminating creative path that made him become General Manager of NTV now NTA IBADAN, at a young age of 33+.Under him, NTA Ibadan became the topmost source of credible. Impartial, objective and balanced news and news programmes and also top entertainment and public enlightenment programmes. He was to move on to NTA AKURE, where the change he gave to that Station in 6 months was so phenomenal that Daily Sketch called him the ‘’Messiah of NTA AKURE’’.

For reasons of political harassment, he retired from NTA and public service at the age of 37. He was appointed by Chief Bola Ige, then Governor of Oyo State as Special Assistant to the Governor on Broadcasting, Chairman Directorate of Information and Chairman of Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State. In these positions, Yemi Farounbi started a unique television station designed to be the “Mecca of Television in Africa’’ called New Day Television, today known as BCOS-TV. At Newday Television, he pioneered Television at Dawn in Nigeria and made the Station a bazaar where every viewer found worthy, quality programmes to meet his/her taste. He also started the construction of the IWO Television Project, now Reality Radiovision Service, Iwo.

A man with Media touch, he was Chairman of OSUN STATE BROADCASTING CORPORATION for 10 years under  both the Alliance for Democracy and PDP Governments .In year 2000,when he took over , OSBC had only one epileptic 5kw radio station in ile-ife in 2010, when he left, he had given Osun State a formidable stable of 6 broadcasting stations,,,10kw Reality TV,Iwo;5kw Reality Radio, Iwo;10kw ORISUN FM,ILE IFE…a unique 100% Yoruba station;  10kw digital New Dawn TV, IBOKUN ;30  kw Livingspring Radio Voice of the West and 30kw Livingspring TV–both in Osogbo.

At various stages, either at the establishment of the stations or in the reorganization and restructuring of the stations in latter years, Yemi Farounbi played  memorable roles in OSRC, AKURE, EKITI STATE BROADCASTING SERVICE, ADO EKITI,  OGUN STATE TV, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE TV, ABEOKUTA, NTA ABEOKUTA, NTA IKEJA, NETWORK PRODUCTION CENTRE, LAGOS AND LAGOS STATE BROADCASTING CORPORATION…Radio and TV.

When you add NTA Ibadan, NTA Akure, and OSBC, Osogbo, to these, then you will understand and appreciate the immense role and pervading influence of this great broadcast manager in the South West.

He went beyond broadcast management. In his private capacity, he went into production of films and TV programmes. He produced TWO great films…IWA and AGBARIN For TV, he produced many epics such as ARELU,YANPONYANRIN,OMO NU OKU,JOMIJOKE,ORO IGBEYIN, AYE REE, AGBELEKU and many others.

A very versatile media/communication arts expert, Amb Yemi Farounbi , at various times, managed 2 advertising agencies..DEOLAG NIG.LTD, IBADAN and DELPHI COMMUNICATIONS LTD, LAGOS. As a great and popular  COLUMNIST, Yemi Farounbi wrote RED BUG for Peoples News”, INSIDE OUT for Tribune, BETTER DAYS for Sunday Sketch, Tribune on Saturday, and Ibadan Magazine over a period of 15 years. He was Publisher of LADY LOVE a pioneer soft society magazine, with Chief Bola Ige as Chairman, and also BROADCASTING INTERNATIONAL. He was Editor, Management Information Journal. To crown it all, he was CHAIRMAN, DAILY TIMES PLC for four years,

Amb Yemi Farounbi has authored 6 books and has over 70 articles in various ,reputable, journals . The Asiwaju of Ora Igbomina, is also recipient of other chieftaincy titles.

Amb. Yemi Farounbi was the immediate past Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Philippines. Under his watch, trade between the 2 countries grew by over 250% within 3 years. Over 12 Filipino companies  moved to invest in Nigeria including ICTSI that is building what will be the largest port in Africa in Lekki. Besides 3 universities are on the way to establish in Kwara, Osun and Benue States and are in various stages of processing with NUC  drawing from the expertise of Philippines, a country with over 1800 Universities.

He is a great preacher and son of a preacher, married with 5 great children. He is a committed and patriotic Nigerian, a thorough bred professional with a high level of integrity and credibility. And he  hasa mentor to multitudes of Nigerians across the nation.

 

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