​Bode Alalade: From classroom to TV screen .

Guardian. Lagos. Nigeria. 12.11.12

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NOT many people would know him as Fredrick Francis Burdillon Olabode (Bode for short) Alalade, names he was known by and called at the St. Peter’s Church (now Cathedral of St. Peter) Primary School, Aremo, Ibadan. That was in the late 40s till the early 50s. Bode and I were classmates and those were names we called him and he answered to. It was fashionable then to answer to foreign Christian (Baptismal or Muslims names, which were dropped by some of us in later years due to cultural awareness.
Born into the Christian family of Alalades of Oke Offa Babasale, a part of Ibadan that houses a cluster of families who are early followers of Christ known as “Onigbagbo” and pioneers of Education having imbibed Christianity from earliest times — P.V. Adebiyis, Okuseindes, Adetouns , Alalades, Adeyemos, Aboderins, Bolajis etc out of whom had grown pastors — Canons, Bishops from the early 40s till today.
In fact, the provost of the Cathedral of St. Peter who would conduct Bode’s funeral service, Wale Adebiyi is of the “Agbo ile Onigbagbo”, he (the provost) emanating from the Adebiyi clan. This Christian group in Ibadan has their own family or group anthem “Olorun Beteli” (God of Bethel) which may be sung for Bode either at his funeral service or wake-keep.
Our days in the Primary School with his brother, Laolu, now a Professor and relation, Akintola Aboderin, also a Professor were exciting. Some called him “forcy Ala!” we corrupted one of his names “Fredrick” to “Freddie”.  Whenever I wanted to see his teeth, those were the names I called him. He would call me “ Gani” or “Angle Spirit”, a nick-name I picked on the football field when we played the “work and eat”, a game system that made you the scorer of a goal, the goal keeper, till you are sent out through another goal score.
Our ball was the “Toronto”, today’s lawn tennis ball. That game plan or system developed us into “essential” footballers. Bode played football with his left foot, that also earned him “leftie.”
Brilliant. A good essayist. Bode and James Dadepo went to Hussey College, Warri from Aremo for their secondary education at a time Ibadan believed that Benin regarded as a relation of the Yoruba from Ife was the last post before the “ Man-eaters”.
At that time, most of us did not know that the Itshekiris had a filial relationship with the Yoruba.  At that time, the Principal of Hussey College Warri was Pa Emmanuel Adeyemo, later founder and proprietor of Oke ‘Badan High School, Ibadan.
After  Bode successfully completed his West African School Certificate at Hussey College, Warri, Bode returned to Ibadan to pursue the Higher School Certificate (HSC) course at the Ibadan Grammar School, Molete. He taught there briefly before going to the Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone for his University education. He returned to his Alma Mata, at Ibadan Grammar School to continue teaching.
In September 1968, I went to meet now Professor Adekunle Adeniran of the English Department of the University of Ibadan at the Victoria Station, London. He was in Leeds University for his Masters degree programme. Bode who was in the London University for a Diploma course in Education also surfaced at the Victoria station.
“Angle Spirit, what are you doing here? “ asked Bode.
“Bodii, a course in Advanced Film Editing through the UK Technical Assistance at Victor Govers’”
“You and this your film”
“Yes. Life’s profession.”
The trio went for a bite at one of the restaurants where we reminisced about the past.
Bode returned to the Ibadan Grammar School, teaching. He caught some freelance job with the school’s unit of Radio Nigeria, now teaching on Radio.
He finally joined NBC and was transferred to the Training School at the Broadcasting House (BH) Ikoyi, Lagos teaching phonetics and elocution. He read the News on the Network Service of Radio Nigeria. Later, he was transferred to the presentation Department of NBC Television. His colleagues who cast news were late Ikenna Ndaguba, Julie Coker, Mike Enahoro, Sienne All-well Brown, John Momoh, Sola Omole, Ruth Benamesia-Opia, late Joan Odwyer, Bimbo Roberts, and now Mrs Oloyede. Ron Mgbatogu anchored TV Programmers –Lagoscope and other entertainment Programmes.
Bode Alalade was one of the most relaxed newscasters on both radio and the TV tube. As a teacher of speech, elocution and phonetics, casting news was as easy as learning A, B, C; reading news was in his blood.
At the beginning of a separate network News section with Prince Jide Akinbiyi as Head and later James Audu, Bode had to be a reporter because the then Director-General, Engineer Vincent Maduka wanted to build a corp of Walter Cronkites and Larry Kings — report and cast the news for believability.
Bode got deeply involved in television broadcasting when, as he always wanted, got himself into television programme production. He had the opportunity of a training in programme production in Japan. That training was reflected in a programme he produced and presented; a personality interview programme in the genre of NTA’s Footprints.
My friend never liked to rock the boat. A classic example was when one of our Managing Directors (MD) at NTA directed that the New Nigerian newspaper be supplied to those of us management staff who were entitled to be supplied with a copy of a newspaper daily instead of our earlier choices. I drew the attention of my colleagues to the imposition of a newspaper on us. Bode and others felt it was not necessary to challenge the MD about it. I told them I would.
I confronted the MD in his office. His reason for his action was that  New Nigerian Newspaper was a Federal Government newspaper and as Federal officers, we should read New Nigerian. I asked: Is it a gazette?’ There was no answer. I took the matter calmly with him and educated the MD about the history and ownership of Newspapers in Nigeria. I gave reasons why my daily supply of the Daily Sketch, a newspaper of the Oodua State governments must continue. However, I warned that it would not be funny if the matter was not resolved at the earliest opportunity. The next morning, the MD rescinded his instruction to the Public Relation Section and I received Daily Sketch, the paper of my choice.
When the MD later learnt of my past as a Trade Unionist and “silent” activist, he was careful in taking such moves.
When Bode saw me two days later, he said
“Gani, you‘ve seen the MD?
“Yes Freddie,” I responded.
“You’ve not left your Aremo Ipata (rascality),” he enthused.
“How can and at what age?”
Bode took over from me as the Publicity Secretary of the prestigious Oluyole Club of Lagos — a club of indigenous Ibadan living and working in Lagos. He and a common friend, Barrister R. Mogbonjubola Akinola never spared me; they would pester me with their friendship with my uncle, late Baale Arulogun, Richard Osuntoki-Arulogun who was ten month older than me. They would request me to prostrate for them because “Egbon re, Baale yin, Richard ore wa ni,” so they always argued, they are older than me. They always insisted that I prostrated for them since because if I see him, I must traditionally prostrate for them. The Elders of the club resolved the age matter I never agreed to their equation.
Few people know this jovial aspect of Bode’s life. Because my wife is of the same root, Ijaiye Orile, Bode would expect me to prostrate otherwise he would recall home his ‘sister’. I always told him that it was real time he took her away after “awon gende marun” (after five male adolescents). “Gani o to be nisisinyi” (Gani, it is now time to send her out).
Three days before his death, Bode phoned to remind Prof. Olukunle Iyanda of Caleb University, Imota about his invitation to Kunle to join Emerald Club at the next meeting holding that Sunday at Barrister R. M. Akinola’s home at Onike, Yaba. A week before his passage, he had called Prof. Adekunle Adeniran of Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo reminding him of their planned training for the staff of SPLASH 105.5FM in Ibadan. Training was his forte. That was his strength.
Twice, he managed the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo-State (BCOS). During the Governorship year of Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo in 1983, he was invited and took up the appointment to manage Oyo State Broadcasting outfit. When Senator Rashid Ladoja became the Governor of Oyo State, Bode made his second trip to BCOS as the Sole Administrator.
Before he disengaged from NTA, he went back to school to obtain his Masters degree in Mass Communication at the University of Lagos. I believe he also taught there.
Bode’s career in NTA peaked when he took over the management of NTA Ikeja from Mrs. Ola Edu-Matesu as the General Manager of NTA Ikeja, Channel 7, a station that was killed by politicians.
Bode Alalade was married to Yinka, daughter of Pa and Chief Mrs. Bolarinwa. Mama Egbinola Bolarinwa was the proprietor of Alafia Institute, Mokola, a pioneer private Nursery and Primary school in Ibadan. Bode and Yinka are married with children.
As Bode journeys back on Thursday, November 15, to his home town in Ibadan for his  final passage and funeral service at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo on Friday, the 16th, he will be long remembered as a legend by his students in the classroom and on air as a consummate teacher, and an excellent broadcaster of note by his viewers all over Nigeria. May his soul find eternal repose in the bosom of his Lord and master.
•Arulogun, a former General Manager of NTA; TV Producer and former Commissioner of Information in Oyo State writes from Ibadan.