I lengthen my warmest congratulations to Mr Oyinlade “Ladbone” Bonuola, veteran journalist, prominent editor, and previous Managing Director of The Father or mother Newspaper, on his eightieth birthday.
This milestone birthday reminds us of your enduring contributions to journalism, your skilled excellence, and your dedication to growing Nigeria’s media trade.
Recognised through media friends and mentees as a craftsman par excellence, Bonuola started his profession on the Day-to-day Occasions in February 1971 as a trainee sub-editor, rose in the course of the ranks, and joined The Father or mother in 1982 as pioneer editor, later serving as Managing Director until 1999. He later co-founded the defunct Comet newspaper, the place he served as Managing Director. He additionally served as Managing Director of Nigerian Compass.
At 80, you stand tall as one in all Nigeria’s most useful figures in journalism, a person whose skilled excellence, editorial braveness, integrity, and dedication to the reality have left a long-lasting imprint at the country’s media panorama.
As probably the most twentieth century’s outstanding editors, your contributions to Nigerian journalism stay indelible. Via a long time of devoted provider, you contributed to shaping the language of media reporting, uphold accountable journalism, and give a boost to the media’s function as a very important pillar of democracy and a keeper of factual data. Your dedication to accuracy, equity, integrity, and public duty is a worth that continues to be integral to the media’s accountability to tell electorate, hang public establishments responsible, and give a boost to democracy.
On the Day-to-day Occasions, your weekly column, Stuck Out, used to be a must-read for working towards newshounds, scholars and the general public at massive.
As former Managing Director of The Father or mother and co-founder of The Comet, which later turned into The Country newspaper, you demonstrated outstanding management, highbrow intensity, and a prepared figuring out of the click’s energy to construct a simply, knowledgeable, and modern society.
Your profession displays a profound trust that journalism should serve the general public hobby, hang leaders responsible, and provides electorate the guidelines they wish to make knowledgeable choices. Your affect extends past the newsrooms you led.
As we have fun this exceptional milestone with you, I recognize your legacy of professionalism, mentorship and repair to our nation. We have fun your precious contributions to Nigeria’s democratic adventure.
Your existence and profession remind us that journalism’s enduring worth lies no longer simply in reporting occasions however in shaping concepts, nurturing knowledgeable electorate, and conserving the reality for long run generations.
On behalf of my circle of relatives, the Govt, and the folk of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I want you a contented eightieth birthday and plenty of extra years of fine well being, peace, fulfilment, and endured provider to our pricey country.
Would possibly your exceptional legacy proceed to encourage generations of newshounds and media practitioners.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Leader of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
October 25, 2026