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By Christy Anyanwu
Mr. Vincent Maduka, a retired engineer, who turned 87 recently, was the first director-general of the Nigerian Television Authourity (NTA).
A very genial and forthright manager, Maduka put the television network on a firm footing with beautiful, entertaining, educative and informative programmes.
He was recently honoured by Lagos Doyen Lions Club District 404A on October, 28, 2022, for his leadership role and selfless service to Lions Club International, particularly for his deep commitment to, and exhibition of lionism in District 404A Nigeria during the fundraising/ installation ceremony of the club’s 57th President, Lion Jude Obaro Onohwosa, held at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos. After the award, he spoke with Sunday Sun at the venue.
How do you feel about this award?
I joined the Lions Club around 1985 but I have slackened up. I should probably have more time now. Since retirement I have gone slow in social activities. This award is supposed to be for the services I have rendered in the past. I have been president of Victoria Island Lions Club. I reckon it is also an attempt to get me back. So, it’s a mixed feeling. It is a kind of recognition will bring me close to the club.
Now that you have retired, what are you doing, as I believe you are not tired?
I took plenty of time writing a book which was presented to the public two weeks ago. I am not doing much really. I read because I enjoy reading. I enjoy watching television. None of which is healthy. Now, I will try and do some exercise now.
What is the book all about?
It’s a memoir. My career through broadcasting. I spent 16 years in WNTV, Western Nigeria Television, the first in Africa and nine years in Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). The book is about the ups and downs of the people I met, and generally the politics of running a public service, any organization, and in this case a media organization. In all cases, a manager of a media organ is really at the end of the day running it for the owner. You can’t go far away from what the owner wants unless you persuade him as to what he should want in his own interest. Otherwise, his own idea of running it is like his own mouthpiece and when you tell him it’s not the best thing, if he has enough sense to take your advice you might get on for a while but not always. If he doesn’t have enough sense, he probably will just fire you. It’s for his own interest because if people come to realize that the media organ is not reliable, he’s wasting his time. But they don’t think like that.
What would you like the TV operators to do better if you were to advise?
I’m not sure it has to do with the operators. I’m thinking of the owners. Those who are doing the broadcasting, I think they have got to work hard. Working hard means you read. How do other organs run, both in your country and abroad because there are models in everything? If you want to be a great sprinter there are marks for being a champion. You can’t just say I can run because you can run 100 meters. In what time do you run it, how well do you run it.
Particularly in our country where we tend to run our things down, I’m not sure anyone is trying to say, ‘I want to be the best reporter, I want to be the best newscaster, I want to be the best interviewer.’ To be any of these you have to work hard, you have to read, you have to be ahead of your colleagues before you can be the best. But if you are doing the minimum, it doesn’t matter, they don’t pay me well, why should I stress myself, then you yourself are not good. If you say your boss is not paying you well that means your boss is not good and you are not striving, then you got to try and be the best. If this boss does not pay you well the next boss will pay you. Somebody will say, ‘come over here because you are good.’ So, don’t say they don’t pay well, why should I strive then you are not better than the man who is not paying you well. You do your part.
Tell us some of your memorable moments as the DG of NTA?
Go and buy my book (laughs). I was a manager. I did engineering. The engineers are behind the scene, behind the camera. As a manager, I’m behind the camera but I influence what is in front of the camera to a large extent. At the end of the day when the public don’t like what you are doing you are wasting your time. You are broadcasting to yourself. Memorable can be negative. I had a situation where the government in power, Chief Awolowo’s party was the opposition to the government in power under Shehu Shagari and the minister wanted anything good about the opposition to be taken out. On this particular occasion, Awolowo was going to address a press conference and the minister came and said NTA must not cover that event. I said why should we not cover the event? He said everybody knows what Awolowo was going to say. I said we don’t presume, he insisted that we should not cover it and he went away. I told the reporter and the camera man, go and cover and bring me the tape. I won’t run it yet. The minister doesn’t want it broadcast, he doesn’t care if we record it but what he doesn’t want is us broadcasting anything Awolowo wants to say, which is to criticize the government. That was in 1980. But then, somebody leaked out to him that I said the camera crew should still go. He came to me and said he has to deal with me, that he gave me an instruction and why did I want to cover? I said I can cover anything. He said you can’t cover, you can’t broadcast, and that is my ruling. And I withdrew. As soon as the event took place I was sorry. I should have insisted and told my staffers to go and cover it because these things are archival materials. I wish I had covered it. I said to myself, why did I yield to this man?
What lessons have you learnt about life?
I turned 87 years on October 5, 2022. I’m grateful for my health. I have seen a lot in life. However, do your work, be satisfied that you try your best, even in human relations, should I make enemies or make friends? And if you hurt me should I take offence? For starters, I don’t have the physical power to hit you back, so you might get away with it. Basically you have a choice in life. You can be nasty, you can be very good, and you can be neutral. Not just in human relations but in everything. How do you dress, do you dress very nice, do you dress very bad, do you dress indifferently? When you do your work, do you do your work as well as you can or you are indifferent to personalities? I try to be the best in everything, it doesn’t mean I win.
We had beautiful faces reading the news during your time as NTA DG. Did appearance have anything to do recruiting staff at that time?
TV is a glamour business, will you go and put ugly people in front of camera? Will I get more support, and will the station be more popular without beautiful people? If I have 10 announcers and they all have equally good command of English, and some are good looking. Not for me but for the audience. How do I get audience? Some glamour. If I now make glamour more than substance that is where there is problem. You must have substance. The viewer at home wants to see some glamour. If I make glamour more important than substance then there’s problem. So, the newscaster must have the substance. It is the cover of a book; it has to be designed to look attractive. If you have glamour without brains that’s fake. There are qualifications for every job. Some people when they open their mouth you shut your TV. Take a book for instance: it is the cover of the book and title that attract you. It’s not favoritism. For newscasters, we want a good microphone voice, it’s not easy to define but you must be very clear in your speech and you must have a good understanding of spoken English. If I hire you and as an Ibo lady, you are saying raid shirts when it’s red, you won’t be on air. Or as a Yoruba lady you say sif when its chief you won’t be on air. Or a Hausa man, you say reforter, you won’t be on air and if somebody has hired you and I saw it I will call the manager and ask, ‘What the hell is going on?’
