Buhari salutes journalism doyen Mike Awoyinfa

President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with frontline journalist, editor and author, Mike Awoyinfa, as he turned 70.

The President recalled with delight the more than four decades Awoyinfa has devoted to journalism, informing, educating and entertaining the public with the best of prose and literary prowess.

Awoyinfa, who clocked 70 on Saturday 23 July plied his trade with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Concord Press, The Sun Newspapers, and publishing the Entertainment Express, among others.

Buhari equally saluted the journalist’s foray into book writing, in a statement released by media adviser Femi Adesina.

Buhari encouraged many more journalists to toe the same path, “since books virtually live forever, and reading makes a full man.”

President Buhari congratulated the Awoyinfa family, the media profession at large, and specifically the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), on the landmark occasion.

He wished Awoyinfa longer life in good health, “and greater contributions to a profession he loves so much.”

Awoyinfa was born on 23 July 1952 in Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana to Nigerian parents.

He attended Anglican Primary School, Tarkwa, and Methodist School, Aboso, followe dby Anglican Middle School, Prestea.

He began his secondary education in 1965 at Sekondi College and later attended Axim Secondary School.

After his school certificate, he relocated to Nigeria in 1969 following the Alien Compliance Order by the government of President Kofi Abrefa Busia which triggered the exodus of other nationals from Ghana.

That gave him the opportunity to visit for the first time his country Nigeria and his hometown of Ijebu-jesha, in Osun State.

He continued his education at Ijebu-jesha Grammar School, passed his Higher School Certificate Examinations, and went on to study Mass Communication at the University of Lagos in 1974.

He graduated in 1977 majoring in broadcasting.

But he was to spend decades of his career in print journalism.