Encomium
Veteran journalist, Tolani Adeleke Abatti has chronicled his twenty years’ experience covering the Lagos State House of Assembly since the onset of the fourth Nigerian Republic.
Speaking at the media unveil, Abatti, a former Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, noted that the book, ‘Two Decades Of Lagos House Of Assembly: Face To Face With The Movers And Shakers,’ follows the dynamism the Lagos Assembly has experienced over two decades.
According to him, the book covers a wide array of shenanigans of the house including the pandemonium of 1999 stemming from who should emerge as the Speaker of the Assembly from the different factions of the now-defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) between the late Funsho Williams and the then governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his foreword, Segun Adebolu, ex-Chief Press Secretary to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Abatti’s book is a rare compass in Nigerian politics.
“This book is crucial for anyone who wants to understand better aspects of the politics of Lagos State over the last two decades of sustained civil rule in our land. And beyond this, it gives insights into the mindset, psychological disposition, as well as motivations of those we elected to utilize the power of governance on our behalf,” he said.
According to the author, becoming the Lagos Assembly correspondent for Encomium Magazine gave him an opportunity to cover both politics and private scandals, as well as interview personalities who have been there since 1999 up till 2019 when he wrapped up writing the book.
“It was a nice experience because a lot of them were enthusiastic. The book is a set of interviews of the 58 individuals, both former and serving members of the House, who have passed through the Lagos State House of Assembly, playing a pivotal role one way or the other in the growth of the legislative institution,” he said.
On the decline of the quality of coverage the LAHA has received in the past 20 years, Abatti noted that things have changed significantly in that space of time, especially with the advent of Social Media.
“At some point, I was removed because of my style of coverage but it never stopped me. Doing a manual assessment, today’s journalists do not have such resilience,” Abatti added.
Born in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State on Friday, December 26, 1958, Abatti started his primary school education at St Michael Catholic Primary School, Ijebu Ode before proceeding to Ago-Iwoye Secondary School also in Ogun State for his secondary education.
He attended Times Journalism Institute for his journalism education and training. He started his journalism career with Tempo Magazine. From Fame Magazine, he moved to National Encomium, later known as Encomium Magazine.
The author is the longest-serving correspondent at the Lagos State House of Assembly. He also served briefly as the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. He is presently the Editor-in-Chief and owner of Power Corridor, an online publication.
