Before him, there was Azuka Jebose Molokwu. Azuka, the fearless one bequeathed the two Saturday Highlife (entertainment) pages to him. Before then, Azuka had made the pages a must read for musicians, lovers of music news and others; a kind of a big shoe that many thought was too big for Femi Akintunde Johnson variously known then as FAJ, godfather among other pet names. But how wrong they were; FAJ made the pages hotter, made Punch Newspaper on Saturday a must read for the generation next of those days, the pages became the USP of Punch, especially on Saturdays as he capped it up with award especially that of Performing Musicians Employers Association (PMAN) organised music award.
That in brief, is part of the history of FAJ at Kudeti where Punch operated from before he sought the proverbial greener pastures at the late Sunny Ojeagbese’s Climax Magazine edited by Mrs. Moje Danisa, (‘the queen of junk,’) as she was known then by those the weekly stories of the magazine made uncomfortable. From Climax, FAJ joined other like minds to establish Fame Weekly
Faj
that shook the nation every Tuesday with earth shaking ‘gossip’ stories. Even at Fame, FAJ still remained hot until one thing led to another, and he opted out, established his own Treasure Magazine, became a ‘follower of Christ Jesus, became more mature in age and naturally, the fire began to burnt out.
After being there and done that, FAJ is now a trainer of would be scribes at Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ). It was there this writer met him and the chat that led to this write up ensued.
According to him, he left active reportorial journalism in 2001 and it would be unfair of him to preside in judgement against those he left behind when asked to compare and contrast the entertainment writing/reporting of yesteryear and the present.
” I left the scene 2001 and so it will be infair for me to…., he continued.”…
