Tribute to Bethel Njoku (1934- 2017)

Recently, Nigeria lost one of her indefatigable and consummate administrators in the person of Mazi Bethel Njoku whose death occurred on August 17, 2017 in the United Kingdom at the age of 83.

With his demise, the media and corporate world have lost an indefatigable genius whose motivational streak in the workplace would be hard to replicate in a long time to come. No doubt, his death has added another sad chapter to the increasing number of patriotic citizens who have fallen victims to the cold hands of death in recent times.

Born in 1934 in Ezinihitte, Mbaise, Imo State, the late Bethel Njoku was a child prodigy who after secondary school education in 1956 was recruited to teach at the famous Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS), Onitsha, Anambra State.

But ever hungry for higher education and academic excellence, young Bethel in 1957 sat for and gained admission into the then University College Ibadan (UCI) and later University of Ibadan (UI). In 1960, he graduated with honours in Geography and was later employed by the oil multinational, Shell BP as personnel officer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

It did not take long for the oil giant to discover the prodigious talent of this administrator which in 1964 culminated in his promotion as personnel manager and eventual deployment to Shell headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands and later to Kampala, Uganda in an executive capacity.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-70 intervened to disrupt the meteoric rise of Bethel Njoku in Shell BP, thereby forcing him to hurry back home. Following cessation of hostilities in 1970, The Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN) in 1971, headhunted Bethel Njoku for the position of Manpower Development Controller. That move was to change the fortunes of The Daily Times for good and establish it as the foremost flagship of the print media in Nigeria.

Not only did Bethel Njoku transform the Times Press, Niger Park and other subsidiaries, he brought his corporate ingenuity to bear on the conglomerate that eventually turned it into a formidable media colossus both as first choice of readers and advertisers.

As a result of the roaring achievements, the late Bethel Njoku was transferred to the United Kingdom as General Manager of The Daily Times, London, which remit included coordinating the organisation’s activities in Europe and the Caribbeans. Before long, the publishing outfit became the darling of London media denizens and glitterati. For those who knew the late Njoku, his success in London did not come as a surprise, especially given his rare gift in turning once moribund enterprises to successful corporate giants.

There is no doubt that his tenure at The Daily Times has since become a reference for anyone who ventured through the corporate corridors of the media house. No doubt, in all life’s endeavour, there is no denying the fact that hard work is like a light that cannot be hidden under a bushel. It therefore was not surprising that in 1981, the board of directors brought Bethel back to Nigeria and promoted him to the position of Deputy Managing Director/Executive Director Administration with focus on consolidating the huge gains made in the industry.

During this period, he birthed ‘Times Leisure Services’, while expanding the marketing and sales of the popular ‘West African Magazine’. With the coming of the military on the political scene, the late Njoku took a bow from The Daily Times and left for London where he was hired by Gemini News World as Managing Director. In 2004, at the age of 70, late Njoku retired from active journalism and administration into private life.

There is no denying the fact that his death will leave a giant vacuum that would be hard to fill. But we take solace in the fact that he left a lasting legacy for the present and future generations. Adieu.