Chris Okolie and His New Times

“Getting into the business of magazine was not an accident for Chris Okolie. He had just returned from the United Kingdom where he took a diploma course in advertising. He went to Lintas for a job and, after five interviews, he says, people at Linta advised him to start a business of his …”

 

Chris Okilie is at it again. Exactly one year to the day that his fortnightly, Newbreed, was banned, the 32-year-old magazine publisher will launch another fortnightly that he is calling New Times. New Times is not an original name, and Chief Okolie (he is a traditional chief, the Ihaza of Okpanam, near Asaba in Delta State) agrees. A monthly in the United States is called by the same name, but Chief Okolie says he is not inspired by the magazine. “I take the American Time and Newsweek and combine their names to get New Times,” he says.

As the advertisement announcing the birth of New Times says, “the editorial of (the magazine) will be hard-nosed reporting, vigorous news analysis, personality in interviews “and so on. Chief Okolie, who is the editor-in-chief of the magazine which is planned to become a weekly in about three months, says that New Times is not a replacement for Newbreed which was banned for two years. He says he is not bitter against the government for banning Newbreed, but he adds: “I was angry that I was singled out for rather harsh treatment.” “In my view,” he says, “New Nigerian and Punch were guilty of whatever indiscretion I might have been accused of.” Asked to substantiate, for example, a case of indiscretion that the New Nigerian might have been guilty of, Chief Okolie says that the newspaper is known to have incited students to riot against decision of JAMB. He says, however, all that is in the past now and he is turning his energy towards producing New Times and that definitely Newbreed will return in a new format to compete with New Times for readership. Chief Okolie’s denials notwithstanding, readers will probably see New Times as Newbreed reborn and, as such, they may transfer their interest in Newbreed to the new magazine. Newbreed, after only four years in circulation, became popular with young readers who seemed to like its gloss and irreverence. Some people even say that Newbreed was sometimes reckless, but Chief Okolie says he disagrees.

“New Times,” he says, “Will be as glossy and irreverent and vigorous.” He says it will be a better magazine than Newbreed because he will not repeat his past mistakes. When Chief Okolie launched Newbreed in 1972, he was a mere 26. At that age, he was the youngest publisher in Nigeria. Getting into the business of magazine was not an accident for Chris Okolie. He had just returned from the United Kingdom where he took a diploma course in advertising. He went to Lintas for a job and, after five interviews, he says, people at Lintas advised him to start a business of his. But that’s not what really started him in Newbreed. He says he had thought about the magazine in ’69 – ’70 when he felt that he was no longer getting joy from promoting shows. Chief Okolie says he knew that starting a magazine was challenging and refreshing and “I enjoy challenges. Running a magazine is tough …. Many people have tried and failed although some of these people are acknowledged journalists.” He dismisses with a wave of the hand suggestions that he was getting foreign backing for his Newbreed Organization ventures. “I personally raised the money for Newbreed,” his face contorted with contempt. “Even the Nigerian Government investigated me and found that I was clean as far as was concerned.”

He says the reason he prints his magazines abroad is the same reason that other publishers, including the Daily Times Group, print their magazines abroad. He says printing facilities here are poor and costly.”If I can find good price and quality and can get my magazine out in good time in any printing organization in Nigeria,” Chief Okolie says, “then I will print in Nigeria.” He says his effort to build a N2.7 million printing factory for his organization is bugged down in Lagos State Government’s bureaucracy.” And the N250, 000 to launch New Times comes from the Newbreed Organization’s funds,” Chief Okolie says, cleaning his grandpa’s glasses.   

©Daily Times, June 13, 1979
(Pp. 22-23)