Dr Ndaeyo Uko courtesy Monash University
I had his book in front of me and decided to contact him by email from the University of Westminster Library in London. He allowed an 'online' interview but I was surprised because some people didn’t. I unintentionally gave him the impression that I was a man due to formality…but he was very intelligent and probably guessed that I was a woman by something he said. I was flabbergasted by his humble attitude…
That was a few years ago… He is an Assistant Professor of Journalism at Monash Univeristy, Australia. Who else could he be but the one and only ‘enfant terrible’ Ndaeyo Uko? He was the controversial journalist who demanded to see the former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida of Nigeria. When he got to Aso Rock he was 'dumbfounded' for a few minutes but became the only journalist to get a 'personal' interview with IBB. It was so funny… His newspaper column was what readers could not wait to read weekly. He was bold and 'lampooned' the government with his witty style of writing. How to romance a gun? Please ask the satirist because he is an expert…
According to Monash University:
Ndaeyo has worked for major newspapers in the United States , Nigeria and the United Kingdom . In the US , he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, California , and the Daily News, St Thomas . He edited two national newspapers in Nigeria and covered Nigeria for The Independent (UK ). As Rotary International's Goodwill Ambassador for tertiary journalism teaching (2003 2004) he introduced and taught narrative at the University of Ghana . He was awarded the British Chevening Fellowship (Journalism) and the Hubert Humphrey Fulbright fellowships.
