Hall of Grace, the
biggest hall at Jogor Centre, Ibadan, was begging for crowd on Monday,
April 2, 2010. The 1,500 capacity hall was less than quarter-filled
about an hour into the 80th year birthday reception of Joop Berkhout,
founder of Spectrum Books, a publishing company, based in Ibadan. It was
not certain whether the low attendance was by design or it was due to
the festivity of the Easter Monday.
However, what the
organisers could not achieve in quantity, they did in quality. Those
gathered at the venue belong to the select group of the movers and
shakers in Nigeria’s socio-political and economic spheres. The list
includes seasoned politicians, successful entrepreneurs, renowned
writers and great achievers, and they all gathered to honour Mr.
Berkhout, an Ibadan-based publisher, whose 8oth birthday was March 31,
2010. Yakubu Gowon, retired General and a former Nigeria’s Head of
state, led the the scanty crowd that witnessed the birthday reception.
Commenced almost
an hour behind schedule, the reception’s high point, was when tributes
were paid to the celebrant. Many of his associates gave testimony about
Berkhout and his contribution to the publishing industry in Nigeria.
But, more striking was the fact that though not Nigerian by birth, he
wielded so much influence in the nation’s publishing industry, and has,
probably, done than any other stakeholder in the development of the
sector in Nigeria.
Poet Odia Ofeimun
said he was fascinated by the celebrant’s ability ‘to make other
people’s problems his own’ and strives to find solutions to them. The
poet praised Berkhout’s efforts in recording Nigeria’s history for the
posterity. “His role is to make books visible in Nigeria. A man who
defends books is a man who defends the right to record history,” Ofeimun
said as he acknowledged the publisher’s well versed knowledge of
Nigeria and its history.
For Kunle Ajibade
of The NEWS magazine, Mr. Berkhout is respected for his business acumen
and good human relations, adding that these qualities were responsible
for why he could stay in Nigeria for over four decades. He informed the
gathering that as soon as he was released from jail in 1998, Berkhout
was the first person to approach him; and persuaded him to write a book
on his experience in prison.
Earlier, a mass
was held in the honour of the celebrant at St. Richard’s Catholic
Church, Jericho, Ibadan. The service was led by Alaba Job, archbishop of
the Ibadan diocese. In his homily, Job charged to be faithful in all
they do. He urged them to always pray to God for his intervention in all
things. “We need the spirit of God to guide us. No one is too big to
pray. Let us learn to be faithful in a token so that we shall be counted
worthy for big things. We should be faithful to our neighbours and our
country,” he counselled as he rained eulogy on the celebrant.
Matthew Hassan
Kukah, fiery catholic priest, who delivered the message of Pope Benedict
XVI to the celebrant, remarked thus: “You must be a holy sinner for God
to allow you to attain the age of 80 years”.
Beyond the
perception of his father by the commentators, what marvels Frans,
professor and scion of the Berkhout dynasty, was Joop’s vibrancy which
often bellies his actual age. “He is a unique person on his own. He is
always busy. He never loses his energy and power. Even when he is old,
he does not lose his power,” Frans remarked.
Donald Duke,
former governor of Rivers State and chairman of the occasion at the
reception, supervised the cutting of the cake.
Born in Armsterdam, the Netherlands, at 23.59 hours on the March 31,
1930, Mr. Berkhout came to Nigeria in 1966, having been brought to the
country by Evans UK to open an office. He has since made tremendous
impact in the industry. His contributions have not only warmed him to
the hearts of many powerful Nigerians, it has also earned him the
national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Okun Borode
of Ife, a title conferred on him by Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Ooni of Ife,
amongst others. His experience in publishing spans almost five decades
and he started his own publishing firm, Spectrum Books, in 1978. After
seeing the company to the zenith in the industry, he sold it out in
2008, itching to retire. Now, he has reactivated Safari Books, which he
is running together with George, his adopted son.
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