By Steve Ogah
My memories are profound and my gratitude is endless. And there is a reason for this. From the twin noble perspectives of broadcaster and conservationist, Willy Ayodele Thomas has made it supremely impossible for humanity to erase his intimidating identity, contributions and innovations, whether in whole or in a fragmented style. He has left indelible prints in each of these worlds where he was a titan with intimidating pedigree. He bestrode the world of broadcasting tramping like a giant from Africa to Europe working with some of the best in the field and was at home with some of the most sophisticated digital
Willy thomasbroadcasting equipments and lingo. And when his profuse energies turned to animals and conservation, he exhibited the same rare level of intriguing commitment, integrity and passion to work and humanity, such that he concerned his restive and roving mind with digital broadcasting and endangered small animals until his depressing passing away at 67 years of age at around midnight, 30th July, possibly of cardiac complications, arising from the burdens of restless work.
This tribute, which is difficult for me to write at this time, because of destabilizing shock and grief and the monumental personal and collective tragedy Willy’s transition represents, is unfurled painstakingly nonetheless, because the many pleasant memories we share are difficult to discard in a hurry, and the ideals he championed are commendable; in a society where only few are able to commit themselves to noble humanitarian causes and stay that course, no matter the mundane distractions and human detractors that limit valid aspirations in a country led astray by slapdash
priorities. He was a rare breed in that remarkable and admirable way he was able to rally so many in the direction of endangered Pangolins and sustainable animal consumption. But it was in broadcasting that he first made his lasting mark in life, and began notching his bow.
Starting out from the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, he excelled at her broadcasting consoles before catching the attention of talents scouts at Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcasting giant, where he worked in the 90s. It was here that he was able to carve another niche for himself, covering developmental projects across West Africa and elsewhere. Starting from Nigeria, before branching out to the world, he was able to better appreciate the evils of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment engendered by systematic kleptomania of the ruling class. He gave appreciable forms to these stories while working for the German development agency. Utilizing the arresting power of his voice and his professional skills, Willy Thomas covered the underrepresented relentlessly and always spoke about it in many of his conversations about his time at work abroad. Upon the completion of reputable work with DW in Germany, he returned home and used Afrinet, a parent company for developmental projects and digital broadcasting, to spread his personal values and ideals.
Afrinet is the owner of Cowrie 97.5FM in Abeokuta, Ogun state, where Willy Thomas was the CEO and executive producer. Here again, Willy was able to reproduce his broadcasting genius, holding audiences spellbound with his well-groomed captivating voice and incisive commentary. He conceived Fojujoja and Alajapa which were targeted at small and micro scale traders, his aim being to bring focus on their trades and seek ways of uplifting them out of poverty. He wanted to onboard as many artisans as possible on these platforms. He would bring them on his station to talk about their challenges and hopes, with the aim of taking many out of the constricting embrace of the anacondas of oppression, represented by absence within mainstream media space, lack of adequate attention from policy makers and government, and extortion from self-appointed law officers and rogue law enforcement agents. For those who were close to him, he always spoke about the travails of these traders while attempting to bring farm produce from the hinterland to the modern market place, sometimes spending as much as ten thousand naira on bribes to scoundrels masquerading as law officials.
Willy Thomas, eminently refined and courteous; would never address these traders as “informal,” insisting that it was demeaning since these people are organized with trade groups, and Business Membership Organizations(BMOs). And he was willing to bring these traders and their BMOs to his radio station. He conceived Cowrie FM as an urban business radio station broadcasting 75% to a global and mobile audience while 25% would be for local listeners. At a meeting to review contents and programs, Willy made it clear that everything would be how to make businesses grow. He would use digital broadcast to spread his message to businesses. He understood that 1s and 0s are the languages of a computerized and digitalized world and he was willing to embrace binary language to reach his audience. He was in full support of the National Broadcasting Commission’s policy of radio digitalization since television broadcasting has since gone that way. His podcast, Atunto(Reset) is a recent program with focus on “Advocacy, Conservation and Good Governance,” while Straight Talk concerns itself with “social issues and impact on business, community and humanity.” Some of us who were part of the initial “core group,” know that Willy spoke with the confidence of a skilled instructor and his visions were so lucid that he was inspiring to listen to.
My inspiration for a short story came from sitting at a meeting with him on 25th June at around noon last year. He spoke with an insider’s knowledge about an often over-looked sector and its obstacles that I began to see pictures for a fictional story. His speech had all elements of a good narrative: protagonists and antagonists, minor characters, detours and so much conflict. I flipped my laptop and took down notes, and when the meeting was over with Willy graciously offering us tea and snacks; I went home and began writing a short story which now runs close to five thousand words. He offered the mental photograph, a sort of ekphrastic challenge for me to write. My gratitude remains endless for the impulse he gave to write that fiction, and I suspect one is not the only person grateful to this great man. Animals are also thankful!
With the United Nations designating 15th February as World Pangolin Day, and this decade as one for conservation and protection of Biodiversity, Willy Thomas got into the frenzy and coordinated the event in Nigeria, keying into the noble idea that Pangolins needed to be shielded from extinction. He gave out his wide contacts for free and got key stakeholders in agriculture, conservation and government involved. He didn’t also leave out traditional rulers in Abeokuta, and was soon speaking animatedly about the Pango-Grasscutter project and the launching of Akinale grasscutter model farm. He was so passionate about Pangolins that he once reminded me accordingly about the Friends of Akika social media group: “It’s said we only allow issues related to pangolins.”
Willy Thomas was an inveterate Pangolin advocate and believer in the Pangolin Crisis Fund. It’s noteworthy that Prof. Ray Jansen in South Africa has since named an “absolutely stunning and incredibly powerful” Pangolin after our great conservationist. And Paul Thomson at the Pangolin Crisis Fund has indicated that the fund will remember him in some kind ways. One only hopes that the tributes will never cease for this rare broadcaster and inveterate lover of animals. Sleep where the good ones do, Willy Thomas.
P:S: Steve Ogah is a writer and lover of animals. www.steveogah.webs.com
