I knew Yinka Craig.

He was friends with my mentors Tunde Fabgenle and Segun Odegbami, who introduced me to him around the mid 80s.

Fresh out of school and having completed my National Youth Service, my life was to change when he introduced me to his sibling Ladun Craig of elf oil Nigeria Ltd who gave me a chance to write the oil company’s aptitude test.

I was to join elf oil in August 1988 from Complete Communications (Publishers of Complete Football Magazine, Complete Sports Newspaper and Climax Magazine) where Big Seg was an Executive Director.

Of course the rest is now history.

Prior to my departure from Lagos to Ondo then, I frequented Yinka’s office at the NTA in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Yinka, Magnus Onyibe and The Newsline crew came to my hometown Orieagu Nsu to cover my “initiation into manhood – Iwakwa – ceremony” in January 1990.

Yinka Craig was a man of many parts like David has outlined in his piece here, a talented and renowned broadcaster and a man who was at home with so many musical instruments.

He was very well read and could take you on a variety of subjects and topics.

He also had a very great sense of humour.

Above everything else, Yinka Craig was ahead of his time.

He seemed in a hurry to accomplish as much as possible.

He was a pioneer in the field of broadcasting.

I knew a man who was a true Nigerian, who was blind to race or tribe, he was kind to a fault.

Eventually we all have to pass on at some time in our stay on planet earth. No one knows when this time will be.

Yinka Craig came, he saw, he conquered and he left his foot prints on the sands of time.

David I never met you, and don’t know when I will as I continue to leave outside Nigeria on self imposed exile; but I want you to take solace in the fact that your father fought a good fight and impacted so many lives including mine.

May his soul continue to rest in the bossom of the Lord. Amen.

http://www.thescoopng.com/david-olamide-craig-tribute-to-my-father-yinka-craig-five-years-on/

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