In the last 26 years of his robust News hunting without break, Friday Olokor’s name has become a household name, synonymous to journalism which he practice daily.
Born in Abavo, Ika South LGA of Delta State, he attended Ekuma Primary School, Abavo, where he had his Primary Six First School Leaving Certificate in 1981. From Primary Three, he started to participate in many quiz competitions organised by the then Bendel State Government with many laurels.
His interest in Journalism became reinforced in Saint Charles College, Abavo where he got inspiration in 1985 from a teacher in English & Literature who was also senior Journalist with DAILY TIMES, Ndubuisi Ogbeide.
OLOKOR got his School Certificate/General Certificate of Education (GCE), Ordinary Level in 1986.
While at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile -Ife in Osun State, he became a regular feature in several Newspapers and Magazines including TELL/DATELINE, The NEWS/TEMPO, AFRICAN CONCORD and THE WEEK that were thorns in the flesh of the military.
His first published article appeared in NIGERIAN TRIBUNE in 1992 and between then and 1996/1997, his name was already a brand in campus politics and journalism. He was Public Relations Officer (PRO), National Association of Ika Students (NAIS), OAU Chapter and was a member of the Electoral Commission which conducted a flawless Students Union Government (SUG) election in 1994.
He took a Bachelor of Arts (B.A Honours) Degree in Literature In English with Second Class Honours (Lower Division) from OAU Ile-Ife in 1997 and between 1997 and 1998, he did the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the College of Education, Ekiadolor in Edo State, from where an NGO, Exam Ethics Project (EEP) conferred on him an award in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the promotion of examination ethics.
He also holds a Masters Degree in English (Literature) – 2002 from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
OLOKOR has been in active Journalism practice for the past 25 years without break; his experiences span across popular brands including The NEWS/TEMPO/PM News, National Interest, DAILY TIMES, Financial Standard, Champion Newspapers and The PUNCH, where he was, until November 5 2023, Group Politics Editor, sourcing for stories and bringing political personalities for interviews, before berthing in Arise News, an international TV News Channel in Nigeria and is currently on the Politics Desk.
He joined THE PUNCH Newspapers on March 10 2009 and was deployed to be covering Judiciary. Barely six weeks in THE PUNCH, he was among the seven-man team (popularly called Ekiti Bombers) deployed to cover the governorship rerun election in Ekiti State. It has not happened in the history of THE PUNCH that a new staff would be deployed for that assignment. He was in Omuo, Ekiti East LGA and had a bitter pill from political thugs.
On January 26, he was transferred to Benin, Edo State capital, as correspondent and barely four months and because of what THE PUNCH management described his superlative performance), OLOKOR was transferred to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and had reported judiciary, EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
He was redeployed from the Judiciary beat and was made a “Utility Reporter”, in charge of Religion, Politics, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Health, Education, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Labour/Industrial Relations, amongst others. He also led The PUNCH who covered the 2014 National Conference held at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Abuja.
One of the most controversial stories written by OLOKOR was published on Monday December 30 2014 edition of THE PUNCH, with the headline: “My Certificate with Military – Buhari”, which was a report that the then Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 general election, then Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) – later President Muhammadu Buhari, did not declare his academic credentials before INEC.
OLOKOR was transferred to the Plateau State office of THE PUNCH on May 1 2017 and mastered the terrain, breaking stories on the incessant crisis between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers, and many other functions. For the authenticity of the casualty figures and other details, he became a suspect among security agencies. Although no single rejoinder was written to contradict his stories, he was detained for 48 hours by soldiers in 3rd Division of Nigerian Army, Rukuba Barracks in Jos and has been severally brushed by overzealous security agencies, even in Abuja .
He was the only journalist, from over 30 requests, from local and international media, who had an interview with the German Chancellor, OLAF SCHOLZ during his visit to Nigeria in October 2023.
Sunday PUNCH October 29 2023
He is married with four children.
Awards/Certificates/Workshops
***Certificate in “Reporting Corruption/Anti-Corruption for National Development: Emerging Trends for Media Relations and Protocol Management”, held @ Holiday Inn Express Hotel, Jumeirah Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2012
***Second Runner-up in Health Reporting category of the Diamond Award for Media Excellence (DAME) with the story: “National Hospital rejects accident victims in anticipation of bomb blast victims”, published in The PUNCH, October 4 2011 (2012)
***Participant in a workshop on “Writing skills for the 21st century journalists: Telling a compelling story on deadline”, organized by CIEL Communications, Australia (January 26 – 17 2004)
***Participant in a workshop on “Security consciousness and awareness for media Reporters in Abuja and environs”, organised by the Special Services Office (SSO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) (2014)
***Certificate in Development Journalism Course, organised by Rotary International District 9125 Nigeria (2015)
***Certificate in gender sensitive reporting and promoting women’s political participation through the media organized by Women in Politics Forum (WiPF), USAID, UKaid, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
***Only journalist from Nigeria who participated in the launch of “Arise Africa Campaign” which held in Lome, Togo, between September 1 – 3 2023 with 26 countries in attendance to draw global attention to the persecution of christians in the West African sub-region through killings, abduction, destruction of churches, violence and rape of women by suspected Islamic terrorists.
Source: Discoverer Nigeria
