President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau has showered encomium on Dr Mumini Alao following the launch of his autobiography.
Alao, one of the frontline journalists in Nigeria launched his third book at an elaborate ceremony in Lagos on Sunday.
Recognition For A Media Icon
“I congratulate Dr Alao on this rare feat. He is a great journalist and media manager that I have known for many years now, and his body of work in his area of specialization speaks for him. Very few people in the profession can hold a candle to him. He is also a man of integrity and a stickler for discipline and lover of excellence,” Gusau said as he reacted to Sunday’s event.
“It is not every day that a journalist writes an autobiography. The lads and lasses who write history in a hurry hardly ever remember to write about themselves. So, when one of them does, and pulls a very significant crowd to the launch, and on a Sunday for that matter, it deserves a remark-and-a-half.
A Humble Man With Integrity
Dr Mumini Alao, Managing Director of Complete Communications Ltd, attended the University of Lagos, and is a top-notch professional that many hold in awe, till this day and eternally.
Simple, self-effacing, even humble to a fault, Dr Alao’s bearing and conduct in public places and spaces belie the fact that he is a pacesetter and a pathfinder.
Back in the late 1980s, and barely out of school, but fired on by a quiet determination to make a difference and the support, encouragement and resources of Dr Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase (now of blessed memory), Alao carved the path for on-site interviews of Nigerian professional footballers abroad, transporting readers through thousands of kilometres across Europe to the living rooms, bedrooms and club soccer pitches of members of the ‘Golden Generation’, bolstering their image and esteem, and inspiring a new tribe of football literature-adherents across the nation.
Read Also:Dikko: How Mumini Alao’s Soccertalk Opened The Way For Me In Sports Management
Actually, his influence cut across the continent and, in fact, the universe. His interviews brought out the hitherto-unknown about the players, glowingly celebrated them and boosted their confidence and swagger. The cohort would go on to qualify Nigeria for her first FIFA World Cup appearance, in the USA in 1994, and won Nigeria’s first Africa Cup of Nations title on away ground, in Tunisia the same year.
Yet, the man Mumini Alao does not obtrude into anyone’s face. Business-like, professional, no-time-for-effusiveness, and he’s out and away in pursuit of another story, or another research item.
These much, no less than Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (Nigeria’s number one sports administrator) testified to in his remark on the day. He added that Dr Alao had never asked him for a favour, until he asked him to be present at the book launch.
One after the other, they eulogized the gem of a communicator. The auditorium teemed with government and political leaders, football administration’s baobabs, mediapreneurs, journalism’s cognoscenti, academe’s titans and football’s true legends.
Political leaders/Football administration’s baobabs: Like His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN (who delivered a poignant, seminal paper on the need to rethink our approach to sports development and how sports can power the economy to a great height).
Well Attended Ceremony
Like Dikko. Like John Owan Enoh. Like Ibrahim Musa Gusau (represented by George Aluo, Member of the NFF Exco). Like Amaju Pinnick. Like Seyi Akinwunmi. Like Gbenga Elegbeleye. Like Aisha Falode. Like Dr Kweku Tandoh. Like Liameed Gafaar. Like Mojeed Adegbindin. Like A. U. Mustapha. Like Akin Alabi.
Academe’s titans: Led by Dr Bolu John Folayan, who rendered a succinct review of the book.
Football Legends: Like Olusegun Odegbami (hard to believe from his gait and vibrancy that, in some days, he will be 73). Like Mutiu Adepoju. Like Joseph Yobo. Like Dosu Joseph. Like Desire Oparanozie.
Journalism’s cognoscenti: Like Onochie Anibeze. Like Kunle Solaja. Like Harry Iwuala. Like Godwin Dudu-Orumen. Mozez Praiz. Like Charles Anazodo. Like Toyin Ibitoye. Like Ayodeji Omotoyinbo. Like Pius Ayinor. Like Femi Solaja. Like Biola Kazeem. Like Babatunde Koiki.
Mediapreneurs: Like Dr Larry Izamoje. Taye Ige. Like Ehi Braimah. Like Godwin Enakhena. Like Felix Awogu. Like Kunle Raji. Like Deji Beecroft. And many more. Even basketball legend, Olumide Oyedeji, was there.
At the tail end, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, ex-NTA, ex-Globacom, still delectable, still lyrical, said: “Perhaps, our own people should write more books, so that we can always meet ourselves at the launch, if nowhere else!”
“You deserved no less. You are a gem that we cherish,” Barr. Akinwunmi told Dr Alao on Tuesday.
