20/09/2022
A Tribute To Chief Timawus Mathais.....................,........................................
remember my first encounter with Chief Timawus Mathais up close. I was a young trainee News Director in NTA Yola and on that fateful day I was to direct the news in place of Mr. Bala J Victor. I came in the afternoon to meet the crew at the makeshift studio. The control room was in a small OB Van a few meters away from the studio. We all got the studio set.
A little later a man we only saw from a distance breezed in. He was already a legend. He anchored the popular election results programme, “Verdict 83” on NTA Network, so everyone knew him very well. We had earlier heard that he was appointed our new General Manager but we didn’t know he had arrived in Yola to assume duty.
For me, I knew him much earlier as the guitar playing presenter of a popular Children’s programme on NTV Kaduna while staying with my uncle in the city of Kaduna. Seeing him that close I remembered the song he played very well. “Children listen to what I say, you be careful when crossing the road” And it was from him I got to know about the traffic light. His song lyrics said “Green says go, Red says stop. And the Amber light says get ready to stop or go” it’s been knowledge I valued till today.
Anyway, back to the day he arrived to read the news and take over as General Manager of NTA Yola the next day. He came straight to the studio and took his seat on the Newscaster’s table. I quickly sent word to the Newsroom that the studio was ready and the newscaster was on seat. Nehemiah Shimfe was the News Producer. He was engulfed in some arguments and forgot it was time to go to the studio. My message jolted him and he took off in a hurry. But something dramatic happened.
In those days everything was done using Umatic tapes. Big, complex and for every news clip you edit it on a different tape. (It was not only analogue but actually clumsy) Then the tapes were labeled one, two, three and so on as they are meant to appear. Each tape had a jacket where the labels were written. As Mr. Shimfe rushed to meet up the urgency of time he tripped and fell, all the tapes came down and out of their jackets. In the haste to get to the studio it became difficult to arrange them back properly. So the tapes came to us mislabeled. The Newscaster, in this case our new General Manager, Chief Timawus Mathais, was already seated. The signature tune was running. We had no time to rearrange the tapes. I simply hit the button and the news commenced. That day we were all very proud. A truly National Broadcast Hero was reading our news.
Then the unthinkable happened. The first story was expertly and almost melodiously introduced. The Newscaster introduced the Reporter and picked the jacket of tape one, the engineer played it. To everyone’s horror it was a different story. We pulled it out, asked the caster to apologize and he did.
The second story went well. Then we repeated the first. By the time we got to the fourth there was another mix up. Chief Timawus Mathais was naturally angry. As General Manager he was being embarrassed. As a newscaster, he was being ridiculed. When I asked that he apologised, he said he would not. I told the floor manager to tell him that my responsibility was not just to him alone but to the viewers at home. I said if he didn’t apologize I would stop the News and play music. He realized I was dead serious. He apologized and the news continued. At the end of the news when I launched the next programme, he called me out. He said I should see him in the office the next day. The crew were expectedly worried for me.
The next day I went to the office unsure of what to expect. It was his first day in office. I waited for over three hours. He saw many other Senior Management staff and others before I was called in. He called my name in full and asked me to sit down. I sat down. He enquired about my qualifications and years of service. Then he shocked me. He said “yesterday you were quite professional. When you are on the controls and I am on that seat, you are the boss, but for God’s sake always remember that in reality I am your boss.” I said thank you sir. Seeing a near friendly opening since the invitation was not an indictment, I told him how proud we were to have him read our news coming from NTA Network. He shocked me the second time by saying I too made him proud for standing up to what was professionally right without fear of what he could do to me.
Since that time we developed a close relationship, which he cultivated with every staff member that showed some degree of hard work, commitment and diligence.
He was no doubt a very hard task master. He expected you to work beyond limits. If you satisfy Chief Timawus Mathais then you could satisfy anyone. They were three icons we had; himself, late A A Tafida and Engr Joshua Hassan. If any of them said you are good, then take it to the Bank, you are indeed good.
One area we were all afraid of falling into his trap was to write a script for a documentary that Chief Timawus Mathais would do the Narration. Not one error of a simple coma will pass by. It has to be as excellent as humanly possible.
On the 31st of December, 1983, then Major General Muhammadu Buhari overthrew the Government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, which emerged after an election that received one of the most professional coverage by the NTA. The Anchor of the superb coverage was Chief Timawus Mathais. Every day and night for the whole period he was on NTA Network service with “Verdict 83.”
He became a National Broadcasting icon. Immediately after the coup, the then acting Brigade Commander, one Lt Col Kalu Okpi came to NTA with a lorry load of Armed soldiers. They looked stern and unfriendly. We were all fearful and apprehensive. However, as soon as they saw Chief Timawus Mathais they started shouting “verdict man, verdict man!”
We thought they would be hostile to him. But in reality, they were admiring him, hoping to catch a smile and acceptance from him. No cell phones back then, otherwise they would have asked for a selfie.
That was indeed Chief Timawus Mathais. Very warm, highly committed, extremely professional and above all, an inspiration.
There are many things to say about this iconic figure. He had the greatest impact on all that served in NTA Yola. He was to all of us Uncle Tim. Even those who were older than him called him “Uncle Tim,” because he was a mentor, a leader, a professional guide and most importantly, a man who puts his mind, body and spirit into the job.
No excuses, no half measures and no “ifs” or “buts”. For Chief Timawus Mathais, The Job must be done, and done well.
While we mourn his death, we are proud that NTA Yola, the place where he inspired many talents, has been named after him.
In Journalism and Broadcasting, Chief Timawus Mathais is far above a General. He is a “Field Marshall”
Adieu Uncle Tim. Rest in peace in the Bosom of the Lord.
Ahmad Sajoh, a proud product of Uncle Tim’s Mentorship at NTA Yola writes from Abuja
