MY TEN KOBO; LANRE OGUNDIPE@INFINITY

Today I celebrate my brother, mentor, cultural aficionado, Journalist, words smith, labour leader and a prince of Ibadan, Prince Lanre Ogundipe, on his birthday.

For those who think I carry Ibadan on my head,
they have obviously not met the blue blood,
who lives, breathes and eat Ibadan.

For those who think I am a peerless code switcher,
they have obviously not met the veteran journalist, who writes in English and Yoruba with equal proficiency.

And for those who think I can coin a phrase,
they have obviously not met the man who has been cobbling words together for four decades.

Olanrewaju Ogundipe, journalist, poet, social commentator, orator , human rights activist and labour leader, is a man of pedigree creating his own destiny.

Chairman, Oyo State NUJ for two terms,
National President, NUJ during the dark days of Abacha,
President, West Africa Union of Journalists,
Deputy President, African Union of Journalists.
And an alumnus of various prisons during the military regimes of IBB and Abacha.

The Prince, despite his royal pedigree, always lead the fight for justice, especially for journalists, from the front.

A proud alumnus of UI, Lanre Ogundipe was a member of the Governing Council of NIJ, Ogba, Chairman, Governing Council, IIJ, Abuja, Editor in Chief of the defunct Oracle Newspapers and Chairman Editorial Board of the rested Sketch Newspaper.

A soldier for Christ, a leader of the Just.

Happy birthday to you, my brother, Olanrewaju omo Ogun, Omo Oke, omo Onikoyi, Ekun Oko Laitan.

Omo aporogunjo ikoyi , gbera nle Ogun to lo,
Ikoyi omo agbon tii yaarun ote,
Iran Ikoyi kan ki feyin gba ofa , iwaju ni won mu loju Ogun.

Igba Odun, Odun kan, Baba Agba.

Many happy returns of the day.

My Ten Kobo.