THE PUBLISHER/EDITOR .
Tony Nwabuisi Iweka is the Publisher/Editor of Unique International Magazine, UIM and the Chief Executive Officer of TONY IWEKA PRODUCTIONS LIMITED,TIP, Publishers of Unique International Magazineand DIPLOMATIC WORLD Television series which is also a special column in UIM.
He was also a part time Presenter/Actor with the NIGERIA TELEVISION AUTHORITY, NTA between 1979 and 1985. Tony was the Presenter of some programmes e.g. CAREERS and CITIZENSHIP. They were weekly magazine series on the NTA. He acted several NTA Drama series e.g. PLAY OF THE WEEK, TELEMOVIE, POT- POURRI and a Stage Actor with the TAWO GROUP led by veteran Actor, LARI WILLIAMS.
After a short period of working with INSIGHT COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED, Tony Iweka left with the intention of going into freelance Journalism but as fate would have it, he appointed by the then High Commissioner of Tanzania, His Excellency, WEIDI MUASAKAFIUKA as PRESS ADVISER to the High Commission, a position that Tony held until 1996. It is interesting to mention that the successor of H.E. MUASAKAFIUKA ( late) in the person of LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SILAS PETER MAYUNGA, a serving officer of the TANZANIAN ARMY at the time, retained the servi ces of Tony Iweka.
Another interesting side of the story is that in 1986, the news of Tony Iweka’s good job spread like wild fire to the other embassies and high commissions. Some of the diplomatic missions requested for the services of Tony who had become familiar with the various ambassadors and high commissioners resident in Nigeria. He also became a regular face at the Diplomatic Corps events even some very exclusive ones.
The Broadcaster/ Journalist helped to improve the relations between the Diplomatic Corps and the Nigerian Media especially the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA with regards to CULTURAL AGREEMENTS signed between Nigeria and other countries.
The aspect of CULTURAL AGREEMENTS in the relationships between one country and another was not fully understood by the network station and majority of the Nigerian populace until Tony took out time to explain it to them. Tony’s counterparts in the Media especially the NTA gave him a nick-name ‘ AMBASSADOR TONY IWEKA ‘ out of respect for his influence in the DIPLOMATIC CORPS.
His primary job in the missions was to foster good relationship between them and the Nigerian Media, inform the public on events in their various countries through PRESS RELEASES, PRESS CONFERENCES and facilitating COURTESY VISITS to the MEDIA houses by the Envoys . But with time, his job included visiting some of the countries to film and produce documentaries on them transmitting the materials on the NTA-the only television station at that time-during their national day celebrations.
Iweka’ also accompanied some ambassadors and high commissioners to their PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIAL CERMONY TO THE PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF NIGERIA. The ceremony which includes a special Nigerian Army BRIGADE OF GUARDS Parade is to officially welcome the envoys to Nigeria. If an envoy has not performed that ceremony, he will be addressed as AMBASSADOR DESIGNATE and therefore cannot participate in any Nigerian government function.
The ceremony is personally carried out by the President, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chief of Protocol in the Presidency especially during the military era. The ceremony is very sensitive in nature, security and otherwise. The ambassador allowed protocol to be accompanied by his deputy and a very senior diplomat to the exclusive event. A non citizen of that country cannot attend the function.
But it is on record that TONY N. IWEKA accompanied some ambassadors and high commissioners as a PRESS ADVISER to the STATE HOUSE, Marina, Lagos, the official venue for the ceremony when Lagos was the capital of Nigeria during the General Ibrahim Babangida government. His name was always sent to the Protocol before the days of the event and approved by the MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS-General Ike Nwachukwu and the Presidency. No back door business.
The delegation is official introduced to the president with their designations properly mentioned and received a presidential hand shake. To buttress the point, only a few instances will be mentioned. TONY N. IWEKA accompanied AMBASSADOR JOSEP FILIPOVIC of POLAND to submit his credentials to GENERAL IBRAHIM BABANGIDA. He also accompanied HIGH COMMISSIONER OF GAMBIA. OMAR SECKA to submit his credentials to Babangida.
IWEKA was the only one that accompanied AMBASSADOR PTER KONSTANTINOV OF BULGARIA to pay OFFICIAL FAREWELL VISIT TO PRESIDENT BABANGIDA in his office at the DODAN BARRACKS, Lagos in 1991. The ambassador did not go to the DODAN BARRACKS with any Bulgaria diplomat but TONY IWEKA. As a matter of fact, only person were at event aside from STATE HOUSE PRESS CORPS.
The four persons were President Babangida, Chief Matthew MBU who represented General Ike Nwachukwu, the External Affairs Minister because the latter was out of the country. The other two people were Ambassador Peter Konstantinov and TONY IWEKA.
The two visitors to THE PRESIDENT had earlier met with one Nigeria’s highly respected elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule, was also in the DODAN BARRACKS for a meeting with President Babangida. Alhaji Maitama told the duo a brief but an interesting story about his participation in Nigeria’s First Republic. He also mentioned how he planted the Almond fruits at No 1 OKOTIE EBOH STREET, IKOYI, which was his residence before the 1966 Coup that dethroned the first Republic.
