TOM ADABA: Celebrating a broadcast mega icon

My late mum, Mrs Josephine Amodu, laughed heartily, letting her body go as she giggled her way to the dining table. There was a half-eaten garden egg in her hand, the seeds dotted across her face like a beauty pattern. She was still giggling when I walked in. She was in the company of one she fondly calls Onyaram…my brother in Ebira. It was always like this, banters, laughter, childhood stories, food. The entire family histology across the Adaba and Lawal, aka Lani Boyis (my late grandfathers) family, was well known. Intricately linked, well woven across generations. It was a case of mi casa, su casa. A strong family tradition. Dr. Adaba could bring my mother to laughter and drive her to tears as they fondly recounted their childhood dreams and aspirations. It was beautiful to watch them as they remembered one detail or the other in Okene. We, the unwitting beneficiaries, enjoy the stories and the jokes. They shared each other’s joys and sorrows and watched out for each other’s families. Every time my mum was in Dr. Adaba’s presence or vice versa, the stories never stopped, and the laughter was always warm and genuine. Their spouses came to understand this strong family bond, and I would hear Mrs Adaba say to her husband whenever my mom visited them, Your sister is here. And my dad understood that this brother, together with Uncle Sule, Uncle Yusuf Lawal, and Uncle Patrick Adaba, among others, was very special to my mom. And they ensured their children understood it. Generationally, we carried it forward, and we bonded with all my cousins in the same way our parents bonded.

As my daughter-in-law marched into church for the wedding ceremony with my son, I saw my uncle from the corner of my eye. He really took his seat and watched the proceedings. He came, although he was not feeling so well on the day. He showed up principally for his late sister and for me. Grandfather duties.

Dr Tom Adaba respected media and broadcast icons to the world, but to me, he was not just a role model, but my mother’s personal person, and a very special uncle. We learnt so much from him, his newscasting, his broadcasting, his interviews, his production, his administrative prowess, his academia, and breaking new grounds where people with lesser vision dared to tread. Uncle Big, as my children called him, was the man to follow in all these areas if you wanted to learn. His mentees across the world are as plentiful as you could count the stars.

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On Sundays were family visits, children, in-laws, grandchildren, and everyone showed up on Sundays to his greatest joy. Ever so proud of me, he would call after every outing of mine as Director of Ceremonies, an area where he had conquered many years ago and was a leading light as an authority in the communication sector.

My uncle and my spouse had a special relationship, and the banter was unending. My husband would tease him to see who had the last laugh, and my uncle was always up to the task, always asking, How did we let you marry this character? upon which everyone would fall into a heap of laughter. Dr Adaba was a humour merchant, and because my husband shares this trait, they always had so much to laugh about, never mind that they are also both Tom. Dr Adaba would famously say, Who even gave you that name? and all of us would again be seized by peals of laughter. After this, my husband will exclaim Kwakwa, mimicking my uncle, whose favourite Ebira expression for surprise was Kwakwa, sending us all into laughter heaven. Unable to catch him, my uncle would say jocularly, Look at this foolish Igala man. Eugenia comes and takes your husband away. More laughter.

Uncle Tom Adaba, whose traditional title was the beaming light of Ebiraland, touched many lives during his beautiful lifetime. His legacies are there for all to see at NTA, NTA TV College, where he had been Principal, and NBC, where he became pioneer Director General. In that role, he led the deregulation of the broadcast industry and gave the industry the impetus to become better. The competition led to better content, a leap in the economy of the broadcast sector, and multiple choices for the ever-increasingly knowledgeable Nigerian audience. Post-retirement, he ran an incredible communications company and provided advisory at AIT. Veterans of Veterans, fondly called Teacher, Dr Tom Adaba remains an Iroko in the broadcast industry, with many industry children everywhere across the world.