Our all-media brand, BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA, turned two decades last Tuesday, the 25th. On and off air as well as on and offline, one could see and hear our humongous impact -even if we say so ourselves. This therefore serves to thank everyone who in one way or the other contributed to our success hitherto. Many thanks, Engr Emmanuel Akpan, Bishop (Dr) John Ekong and the NACOM family; Dr Udeme Nana and wife, My dear; Deaconess Chrtisy Obot and the NTA 12 family; Treasure Island; Sen. (Dr) Aloysius Etuk and the Fortune Schools family; Assur Electronics; Josi Furniture; Umonams Electronics; Engr Aniebiet Umana and AEC Works Ltd; Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation; Kapital 92.9 FM, Abuja; Radio Nigeria; Comfort 95.1 FM, Uyo, Atlantic 104.5 FM, Uyo; XL 106.9 FM, Uyo; Onyinye Agiriga, Kings’ Kids Schools, Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma and the NICO family.
Surely, those are not all. We also remember Governors Victor Attah, Orji Uzor Kalu, Godswill Akpabio, Adams Oshiomhole, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and Udom Emmanuel -as they then were. In that premier league also belong Pastor Tony Obi and Christ Chapel International Churches, Bishop (Dr) Gabriel Nkenang and Word Tabernacle, the late Hon. (Pastor) Oyong Asuquo, Arc. Ezekiel Nya-Etok, Global Ba’aba -Dr Abel Damina and Power City International, Sen. Effiong Bob, Mr Pius James Ekpenyong, Sen. (Dr) Chris Ekpenyong, Engr Patrick Ekpotu, Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, Mr Moses Ekpo, MFR, Mr Umana Okon Umana, Dr Barth Ebony, Obonganwan (Mrs.) Maria Nyong Etim Udo and Union Bank, Sen. Ita Enang, Engr (Chief) Ben Ukpong, Engr Etido Inyang, Pastor Uwem Andrew-Essien, Mr Don Etim, Dr Glory Edet, Pastor Kufre James Ekpenyong, Dr Dominic Ukpong, Pastor Ray, Mr Ekerete Udoh, Dr Frank Udo Ekpenyong, the late Chief Fidelis Etim, OFR and SUBEB, Dr Eddie Etim and Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Barr. Asuquo Unuyu, Prof. Mbuk Mboho, Dr Nathaniel Adiakpan, Dr Martin Akpan, Hon. Chris Udofia, Dr Uwemedimoh Udo and Uyo Local Government, Mr Eddy Ekpenyong -my mentor, our staff, old and new, Mrs. Mercy Raymond Edet (UfanBUSH) and of course the last and the greatest -my family. Then, there’s no forgetting the immediate past president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA has been greatly helped by God and man enough to remain eternally grateful. It’s amazing how something that started like child’s play has grown into a global phenomenon. In 20 years, BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA has produced human, physical and virtual fruits. Apart from all sections of Nigeria, it has broadcast from Detroit, Chicago, Connecticut and New York in the United States and from London in the United Kingdom; connecting the people and adding tremendous value.
For me, the joy of being at the centre of all of this as both the visioner and the executor knows no bounds. It is true that only God ensures increase but you cannot stop Paul who planted and Apollos who watered from feeling and celebrating that their efforts paid off big time. Parents, preachers and farmers can relate. The adult who’s doing mighty exploits was once a baby who came from a sex cell that combined with egg cells or ova. A bountiful harvest comes from just a seed, a seed that died in or on the ground.
Nature is mystery and mysterious. No matter how big someone or something is today, they started small yesterday. Something small or single must die (read give) to generate big or multitude. Stop procrastinating and over-analysing stuff, get up now and plant that seed, that idea: in time, God shall take care of the rest.
So, now, what next? Sorry, this is not about BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA or me. This question is about you. Before we delve more into it, let me tell you how this came about.
During the BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA 20th anniversary window, I spent all of the week receiving guests and calls. I found each of the visits or the discussions that arose per time quite nostalgic and remindful. Some talked about this or that of our media servings while others harped on what and how we taught them some things. It felt really good to confirm firsthand that in the last 80 quarters we have not been wasting our precious energy, time and resources in the name of educating, informing and entertaining people, most of whom we didn’t, we don’t and we may never know.
In particular, it was really good to hear fans and friends of The House The Lord Himself Buildeth talk about our developmental journalism approach. Yes, that’s our house style: to never malign anyone. Broadcasting and indeed journalism should never be about pulling anyone down. We use our mouths and our pens complete with our cameras and microphones to build; never to destroy.
We swear that we shall never change. We swear, in addition, that the global outpouring of gratitude we received for our efforts of the last two decades will empower and encourage us to do even more and better as we begin counting the second 20 years of BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA. So, help us, God.
Back now to the question of the day. So, now, what next? This poser arose in the course of the anniversary during one of the few visits that had nothing to do with our milestone. Jemima Asuquo and Edidiong Bassey had come to invite me to the premiere of their television series.
Our no-holds-barred session had then gone philosophical after I talked at length about one of those series I once brought up on Facebook and here in this space. What if this? What if that? What if your parents are not your parents; what if you had been switched at birth?
What if the man at the gate that you insult every time is your biological father? What if the man you think is your father knows this truth? What if you are actually Ibibio or Yoruba or Hausa or Igbo or one of those tribes you hate so terminally? What if your life would end once you exhaust your deposit or number of words nature alloted you; would you still talk this much per minute?
That is how we landed at so now, what next? You go to school and work hard; you graduate and pick up a good job, earning regular promotion with good pay; what next? You are a successful judge or leader or pastor or teacher or trader: after that, what next? You buy a car or cars, you build a house or houses, you fly or sail abroad on holidays every year: so what next?
You are an actor, a broadcaster, a footballer, a singer or a filmmaker who has hit stardom and fortune: so, now, what next? If you are nobody and the world sees you as nothing, you are dying to become somebody for the world to see you as something: after that, what next? If you are single or childless, you soon get married or have a child or children: after that, what next? If you were a failure that nobody was friends with and now a succcess with a thousand and one friends: so, now, what next?
Dear People of God, sit down and listen to The Boss. Run helter-skelter all you can, achieve all you want and enjoy all the wealth and all the fame but never forget to remember a couple of lines. One, that there’s no end with or for man and two, that it’s all vanity upon vanity upon vanity. Finally: so, now, what next?
God bless Nigeria?
Dear Governments: Please don’t ignore that fire
And, in God’s Name or in the name of anything you believe in, don’t ignore what looks like a small fire. What’s gathering is no small fire. Plus, it’s spreading towards our tank farms.
Oh, how I miss Cup of Coffee, one of the most compelling apartments of BUSH HOUSE NIGERIA. Dear Self, stop joking. And, please bring back our Cup of Coffee!