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At 47, Humility Still Remains Bako's Strength
EVEN as the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (between 1999 and 2002), Mallam Nasir Danladi Bako was indifferent to outlandish way of marking birthday anniversaries. This attitude is borne out of humility and modesty. He would always say that such occasion should be a moment of sober reflection rather than engaging in flamboyant merry-making.
That is not to say that Bako did not appreciate the blessing that his Creator has showered on him. For him, contributing to the upliftment of the less privileged in the society, would be a dignified way of not only acknowledging God's countless favours, but also facilitating more blessing.
Now that Bako is more engrossed in politics, the same spirit of low key birthday celebration is still very much with him. That perhaps explained why his 47th birthday, (on Wedneday, September 1), nearly passed unnoticed.
But with just few days before the fifth edition of the International Conference of African Broadcasters tagged AFRICAST 2004, Bako will remain in the minds of his colleagues, admirers and critics alike.
It was on the platform of the same AFRICAST, two years ago, that Bako announced his resignation as the NBC Director-General.
Even the big toast came from the then Information and National Orientation Minister, Professor Jerry Gana, who summed up Bako's qualities in these words: "I wonder why Mallam Bako is leaving the commission. He is a wonderful director to work with, and I was hesitating to approve his resignation letter. But when I enquired about his next line of action, I was told that he was responding to a call from his people to come and serve them, I was a little bit relieved. Then, I asked, on which platform? Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the response. At that point, I could not hide my feeling, because his case is similar to mine. I was called too and I hope I have been serving well (general laughter)".
Indeed, Bako's exploits at the NBC would remain valid till eternity. His accomplishment within those three years could be encapsulated in the popular slogan of 'he came, he saw and he conquered'. Right from the time of his appointment in 1999, he cut a figure of somebody who had a deep grasp of what he intended to achieve.
When a newspaper commentator then wrote that the shoes of his immediate predecessor, Dr. Tom Adaba, were big for him to wear, Bako did not take offence. He simply said: "I am not coming to wear anybody's shoes. So, the question does not arise as to whether a shoe is too big for me or not. I have an assignment and I am here to carry out the assignment. I don't know and I don't care where the next job will come from. So, I have to do this."
No doubt, Bako did the assignment. He did not only make the public and stakeholders in the nation's broadcasting industry respect the position of government on issues that affect broadcasting in the country, he also made his a policy that the laws guiding the profession should be strictly followed by all and sundry.
In the process, he, as he said, attracted to himself a number of enemies who believed that he was all out to send them out of business.
But one fact is incontestable about Bako. He is no stranger to broadcasting-both as an operator and later as a regulator. In 1973, as a young school leaver, he was employed in Rima Radio, Sokoto. He was 16 years old then.
"Those were days when broadcasting was what it should be, even with very limited technical support. Then people were committed and they loved the job. It was unlike today when people who should not even be at the gate of a radio or television station are now before cameras and microphones."
He must have planned to make a difference as a lot of resources were committed to the intellectual empowerment of both NBC staff and the practitioners alike. Not only were series of training programmes organised, there was also a deliberate effort to ensure that veteran broadcasters of the older generation passed on their wisdom, experience and expertise to young and up coming journalists.
As if he had the privilege of knowing what providence has in stock for him, Bako did not stop at learning on the job principle, he armed himself with the required academic qualifications. In 1978, he obtained the Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Three years later, he picked up a Master's degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos.
Thereafter, he was posted to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) headquarters in Lagos and by 1986, he was producing one of the leading soaps in the country then, Mirror in the Sun. This was in addition to his duty as the station's Director of Programmes.
Perhaps, the high point of his career as a broadcaster could be attributed to the pioneering of the nation's first live television talk show, Morning Ride, in 1988. Surely, the programme did not only bring him fame and popularity, it did open doors as he admitted that some of the friendships and relationships he built then have been helpful up till today. Surprisingly, at conception stage, the programme was seen as a crazy idea.
"When I mooted it, the then head of NTA said I must be crazy. He said you want me to give you a live programme where people like Wole Soyinka will come and abuse Babangida and people will have the opportunity of phoning in? He said no."
The rest is now history as the management of NTA later gave in and he started the programme. Besides Morning Ride, however, he has the credit of initiating another programme at the time the nation's crazy for soccer was reaching its crescendo and Nigeria was on the verge of securing its first World Cup ticket.
Tagged: Master Sports, a one-hour television live show, the programme gave sports reporting and coverage a new dimension, as it particularly took care of current trends in world soccer. Like Morning Ride, the programme has endured until today.
Unknown to Bako, his efforts at that period were been documented and they later became passport to greater height; for he was later asked to serve the nation in bigger capacities.
After NTA, and more as result of in-house intrigues, he was posted to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on secondment. No sooner had he settled at his duty post as the head of the Maiduguri zone of the NBC than he secured another appointment. This was, perhaps, on account of his ingenuity as TV programme producer.
He narrated the story: "When I got to Maiduguri, I was called again to the Sports Ministry when the then Minister of Sports, Jim Nwobodo, appointed me as his Personal Assistant. A letter was even written to the NBC that I should be released, but as expected, there were intrigues and hence throughout my stay as Nwobodo's PA, I did not pick salaries."
He would later jokingly recall that experience by saying "If Dr. Adaba really knew I was going to succeed him as NBC director-general, the relationship would have been more cordial. My being posted to Maiduguri was really to frustrate me."
But Bako survived all the intrigues and his profile was just rising. In 1999, he was appointed the secretary of the media sub-committee of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Nigeria '99, and he did not disappoint too as it was shortly after that responsibility that he was appointed the acting Director-General of the NBC on July 29, 1999.
Bako's tenure as the head of the NBC was eventful both in the development of the organisational structure of the commission and in its regulatory functions. More operators were given broadcast licences including specialised licensees with focus on French and Sports broadcasting stations.
It was during this time that the University of Lagos got a licence to operate an FM station right on the campus as part of learning logistics.
Bako brought a lot of innovations to the hosting and packaging of the one-in-two years international conference, AFRICAST.
But he took his close associates who are mainly journalists by surprise mid 2002 at a retreat in Minna, Niger State when he secretly announced that he was done with the NBC and that the only thing he was waiting for was AFRICAST 2002 edition.
And he meant his words as he bowed out on October 31, 2002 shortly after the three-day conference to aspire to become a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the second legislative era which was inaugurated in June 2003. He contested elections in Sokoto State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He lost in what he termed 'questionable circumstances'.
"The circumstances of my loss are better not discussed. Thumb-printed ballot papers were found on Friday before the election. But I chose not to push for legal redress because if I were the one needed to strengthen democracy, I mean the sacrificial lamb, so be it."
But Bako is not a man that gives up easily just because he could not achieve his desire. He has remained with the Sokoto State PDP and his involvement has been most beneficial to the party in the state. Alongside the state party chairman, they have built a very strong party. Though in opposition, theirs has been a voice that is duly respected.
Who dares Kogunna Sakkwatto, the chieftaincy title Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Maccido bestowed on him in 2001 in recognition of his selfless service to humanity and Sokoto community in particular? Happy birthday!
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