•OVATION Magazine Publisher, DELE MOMODU Explains
Many simply call him Bob Dee. But his real name in Bashorun Dele Momodu. He is the Publisher of OVATION International Magazine. In this interview with City People Publisher, SEYE KEHINDE, he reveals what he has been up to since the lockdown began. Below are excerpts.
How did you take the news of the outbreak of Coronavirus a few weeks back?
I arrived Nigeria March 14, 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Nigeria like thunderstorms. I isolated myself long before the government even said so. I have kept myself very busy, thanks to my library and social media platforms. I’m ready to stay home for as long as it takes or necessary. And I recommend same to all fellow Nigerians because once there is life, there is hope.
How did you take the sad news of the London party you attended?
For me, it was no sad news because I knew for a fact that it was fake news. Some jealous people wanted to create unnecessary panic and confusion, which is their stock in trade. Fortunately for us, the purveyors of filthy news started their campaigns of calumny 14 clear days after we attended the 80th birthday celebration of an icon JUSTICE GEORGE OGUNTADE in London. So even if their stories had any credibility to it, by then most of us that came in contact with COVID-19 would have shown symptoms, fallen ill or probably dead. Nothing of the sort happened by the grace of God.
How do you see the COVID-19 pandemic?
Let me say that I have read a lot of articles, scholarly essays and watched countless videos on COVID-19. While most of them have contributed to extreme scaremongering, I never lost faith in God. I’m also aware that no one is likely to die before his appointed time, just that no one knows that deadline or expiry date. I think people should just take the necessary precautions and leave the rest to God. History has taught me that this is not the first time the entire world would be shut down by a most vicious and debilitating pandemic and so this too shall pass away. It looks to me like a cleansing process and a period for sobriety and prayers.
How do you see the Federal government’s response to it?
The Federal Government is trying its best within its limited capacity and capabilities. I believe they will get on top of things because of the patriotic interventions of members of the private sector and the privilegentsia. COVID-19 being mostly an imported disease and quite elitist in nature, the world will pay more attention to combating it. My only grouse against the Federal Government is their proclivity for profligacy. They enjoy throwing money around carelessly and many of us are seriously embarrassed that some operatives of government have taken it upon themselves to make cash disbursements in public without any sense of decorum, fairness to all Nigerians and accountability.
How about the role of state governors?
Some Governors have done commendably well. Let me just single out Lagos State where Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has shown his great leadership skills which I’m sure other states are now replicating. I pray that at the end of it all, we would have recorded only a few deaths.
You have a large followership on Twitter. Millions follow you. How did you achieve that?
I joined Twitter about 10 years ago around the time I declared interest in Nigeria’s Presidential race. I had those who handled it for me initially but by January 2012, I took over my Twitter account and since then, I have personally operated my interactions on it. Twitter requires some significant mastery of your language of expression and my first degree in Yoruba and Master’s degree in Literature-in-English came in very handy… I now have over 1.1 million followers on Twitter. I feel awesome and very grateful to my ardent followers and wonderful fans.
