Bankole Timothy
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Bankole Timothy (3 July 1923 – 20 June 1994)
was a Sierra Leonean journalist. He was also an author and biographer of Albert Margai
, prime minister of Sierra Leone
(1964–1967), and Kwame Nkrumah
, president of Ghana
(1960–1966).
.
Emanuel Bankole Timothy, who died at the age of 70 on June 20, 1994 after a short illness, was born in Sierra Leone on July 3, 1923.
He attended the Methodist Boys' High School in Freetown where, as senior prefect, he was already establishing himself as a journalist by writing for the Sierra Leone Weekly News. In 1941, he became a clerk in the confidential branch of the Colonial Secretary's Office where, among many other issues, the question of illicit diamond buying was one of the major concerns. Unbeknown to Bankole, the diamond industry would become very much a part of his life when he later joined the Diamond Corporation West Africa Limited (DICORW AF).
After school in 1943, he attended the University Tutorial College in London hoping to prepare himself for a career in dentistry, a vocation which his father was keen for him to
follow. His guardian then was the famous Methodist minister, the Reverend William Sangster. During this time, Bankole Timothy began freelancing articles and also acted as London correspondent for the Sierra Leone Weekly News, Ashanii Pioneer and some Asian newspapers. In addition, he gave interviews on current affairs for the BBC and broadcast some of his poetry. In 1945, he joined the Daily Express where he was given a trial assignment, before the proprietor at the time, Lord Beaverbrook, thought that such a man would fit in well as a general reporter. The Daily Express gave Bankole a great deal of international experience as his assignments involved travelling to North Africa and Jamaica.
In 1950, the Daily Express appointed Bankole a parliamentary reporter for the paper in London. It was during this period that he was able to secure an exclusive interview with the late Sir Seretse Khama who at that time was in dispute with the British Government. Bankole looked back upon this period working for Lord Beaverbrook as one of the many highlights of his life.
His second great journalistic experience was when he was appointed to Ghana's main newspaper, The Daily Graphic, in 1951. The then head of the Mirror Group, Mr. Cecil King, who was responsible for starting this Ghanaian paper, felt that Bankole was ideally suited for this particular post. Bankole's writing and features became well-known and he travelled extensively in Ghana. At this time, not long after Ghana's independence, the situation started to deteriorate for the Government and, as a result of his writing, much of which was critical of the Government, Bankole was deported since it was decided that his presence "was not conducive to the public good". This confirmed Bankole as a commentator who was not prepared to compromise his ideals.
On August 2, 1951, Bankole left Ghana for Freetown. After a short stay there, he returned to London in order to further his journalistic career. He eventually became assistant editor of the Central Office of Information Magazine, Commonwealth Today, and during this time he was invited to attend the famous Tashkent conference of African writers in the Soviet Union. In 1959, Bankole Timothy decided to return to Sierra Leone where he joined the Government's Information Services and was eventually appointed its head. He toured Sierra Leone widely and was in charge of training junior staff. He was responsible for the setting up of the publications department and he also had special responsibility for overseas publicity. His great triumph was the Queen's visit to Sierra Leone in 1961 when he coordinated the press arrangements and he was later awarded the MVO (Member of the Victorian Order) for his work during this important visit. In 1965, Bankole was appointed to the Diamond Corporation West Africa Limited and, after a brief period in the public relations department in Freetown, he was transferred to London. Senior management recognised Bankole's unique communication skills and his understanding of problems and issues relating to developing Africa. His appointment was designed to strengthen DICORWAF's relationship, as part of the Central Selling Organisation (CSO), with the major producers in West Africa and he rapidly took to his role of helping to brief senior management on West African affairs until his retirement in July 1993.
Bankole was well liked by all his colleagues because of his jovial and easy manner which were very much his hallmarks. It was felt that his major contribution whilst working for the London Diamond Companies was the work that he did with the African correspondents of the UK press and the excellent contacts he established in UK and foreign diplomatic circles. This helped to create a more favourable environment for the London Diamond Companies.
Bankole published several books during his lifetime, notably Letters to Youth published in 1949, The Gold Coast & The Constitution, which he co-authored with J H Price, and his major achievement which was the biography of Kwame Nkrumah, first published by AlIen and Unwin in 1954 and later produced in a second edition. Bankole was very much an Africanist. He joined the Anglo Sierra Leone Society in 1962, chaired it from 1979 to 1985, and was appointed its chief patron in 1992. Bankole was a tireless supporter of this Society and was responsible for ensuring that it received a great deal of support from the London Diamond Companies. Bankole's work in the Methodist Church was always central to his life and he was well known in UK Church circles. He worked initially as a local preacher at Methodist Central Hall and then later became secretary of the circuit meeting. Bankole eventually transferred to the Hinde Street Methodist Church where he was appointed circuit steward. He preached throughout the UK and was described as "a great and generous advocate".
Bankole, popularly known as "Tim", will be sadly missed by all his friends and colleagues around the world.
(Guardian Newspapers Ltd) 25 June 1994
BANKOLE TIMOTHY, who has died aged 70, was in his day an important figure in West African journalism. Even though he left in the 1960s for the calmer waters of public relations, he retained his abiding interest in the world of the press up to the end of his life.
A Sierra Leonean by nationality, born and educated in Freetown, he came to Britain in 1943 intending to become a dentist, but journalism was making siren calls. Legend has it that he presented himself at the black glass building of the Daily Express in Fleet Street with a sheaf of cuttings and Lord Beaverbrook himself took the decision to take him on as a reporter in early 1945. It was another newspaper tycoon, Cecil King, who recruited him starting in 1951 to go and work in the Gold Coast on the Daily Graphic, a newspaper that formed part of King's recently acquired West African newspaper empire. As Assistant Editor and later Editor, he made a name for himself with his controversial work 'Bankole Timothy's Notebook'.
When he was deported in 1957, soon after the Gold Coast's independence as Ghana, it was a blow both to press freedom and, in a way, to West African unity. The reasons were never fully explained, though the Ghana government said his presence, and that of two other West Africans, was 'not condusive to the public good'. He never let it become a cause celebre and, to his credit, never knocked Ghana for having done it in a sensational way. After a further spell in journalism in London, and five years in the Sierra Leone Information service (where he ended up as Director), at the time of independence in 1961, he took the plunge into the world of business, doing public relations for the West African side of the major diamond mining and marketing operation run by De Beers. Like many public relations practitioners, he remained a journalist at heart, writing for 'West Africa' and other publications, as well as producing a number of books, such as one of the first biographies of Kwame Nkrumah, and general books about the African condition. The post-independence decline in his own country distressed him greatly, and, although a convinced democrat, he took heart from the new spirit that the present young military rulers seemed to generate.
Although afflicted by tragedies in his personal life, he bore them with fortitude, retained a lively and mischievous sense of humour, and entertained a wide circle of friends. In later life, his fluency with words became increasingly directed, in his role as a lay preacher of the Methodist Church, to the composing of powerful sermons.
Emanuel Bankole Timothy, born July 3, 1923; died June 20, 1994.
was a Sierra Leonean journalist. He was also an author and biographer of Albert Margai
Albert Margai
Sir Albert Michael Margai was the second prime minister of Sierra Leone and the half-brother of Sir Milton Margai, the country's first Prime Minister...
, prime minister of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
(1964–1967), and Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, president of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
(1960–1966).
Career
Bankole Timothy was in his day one of the most important figures in West African journalism. He was for many years editor of the Daily Graphic in AccraAccra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.
'The Diamond Man'
Andrew Lamont of De Beers pays tribute to an old friend.Emanuel Bankole Timothy, who died at the age of 70 on June 20, 1994 after a short illness, was born in Sierra Leone on July 3, 1923.
He attended the Methodist Boys' High School in Freetown where, as senior prefect, he was already establishing himself as a journalist by writing for the Sierra Leone Weekly News. In 1941, he became a clerk in the confidential branch of the Colonial Secretary's Office where, among many other issues, the question of illicit diamond buying was one of the major concerns. Unbeknown to Bankole, the diamond industry would become very much a part of his life when he later joined the Diamond Corporation West Africa Limited (DICORW AF).
After school in 1943, he attended the University Tutorial College in London hoping to prepare himself for a career in dentistry, a vocation which his father was keen for him to
follow. His guardian then was the famous Methodist minister, the Reverend William Sangster. During this time, Bankole Timothy began freelancing articles and also acted as London correspondent for the Sierra Leone Weekly News, Ashanii Pioneer and some Asian newspapers. In addition, he gave interviews on current affairs for the BBC and broadcast some of his poetry. In 1945, he joined the Daily Express where he was given a trial assignment, before the proprietor at the time, Lord Beaverbrook, thought that such a man would fit in well as a general reporter. The Daily Express gave Bankole a great deal of international experience as his assignments involved travelling to North Africa and Jamaica.
In 1950, the Daily Express appointed Bankole a parliamentary reporter for the paper in London. It was during this period that he was able to secure an exclusive interview with the late Sir Seretse Khama who at that time was in dispute with the British Government. Bankole looked back upon this period working for Lord Beaverbrook as one of the many highlights of his life.
His second great journalistic experience was when he was appointed to Ghana's main newspaper, The Daily Graphic, in 1951. The then head of the Mirror Group, Mr. Cecil King, who was responsible for starting this Ghanaian paper, felt that Bankole was ideally suited for this particular post. Bankole's writing and features became well-known and he travelled extensively in Ghana. At this time, not long after Ghana's independence, the situation started to deteriorate for the Government and, as a result of his writing, much of which was critical of the Government, Bankole was deported since it was decided that his presence "was not conducive to the public good". This confirmed Bankole as a commentator who was not prepared to compromise his ideals.
On August 2, 1951, Bankole left Ghana for Freetown. After a short stay there, he returned to London in order to further his journalistic career. He eventually became assistant editor of the Central Office of Information Magazine, Commonwealth Today, and during this time he was invited to attend the famous Tashkent conference of African writers in the Soviet Union. In 1959, Bankole Timothy decided to return to Sierra Leone where he joined the Government's Information Services and was eventually appointed its head. He toured Sierra Leone widely and was in charge of training junior staff. He was responsible for the setting up of the publications department and he also had special responsibility for overseas publicity. His great triumph was the Queen's visit to Sierra Leone in 1961 when he coordinated the press arrangements and he was later awarded the MVO (Member of the Victorian Order) for his work during this important visit. In 1965, Bankole was appointed to the Diamond Corporation West Africa Limited and, after a brief period in the public relations department in Freetown, he was transferred to London. Senior management recognised Bankole's unique communication skills and his understanding of problems and issues relating to developing Africa. His appointment was designed to strengthen DICORWAF's relationship, as part of the Central Selling Organisation (CSO), with the major producers in West Africa and he rapidly took to his role of helping to brief senior management on West African affairs until his retirement in July 1993.
Bankole was well liked by all his colleagues because of his jovial and easy manner which were very much his hallmarks. It was felt that his major contribution whilst working for the London Diamond Companies was the work that he did with the African correspondents of the UK press and the excellent contacts he established in UK and foreign diplomatic circles. This helped to create a more favourable environment for the London Diamond Companies.
Bankole published several books during his lifetime, notably Letters to Youth published in 1949, The Gold Coast & The Constitution, which he co-authored with J H Price, and his major achievement which was the biography of Kwame Nkrumah, first published by AlIen and Unwin in 1954 and later produced in a second edition. Bankole was very much an Africanist. He joined the Anglo Sierra Leone Society in 1962, chaired it from 1979 to 1985, and was appointed its chief patron in 1992. Bankole was a tireless supporter of this Society and was responsible for ensuring that it received a great deal of support from the London Diamond Companies. Bankole's work in the Methodist Church was always central to his life and he was well known in UK Church circles. He worked initially as a local preacher at Methodist Central Hall and then later became secretary of the circuit meeting. Bankole eventually transferred to the Hinde Street Methodist Church where he was appointed circuit steward. He preached throughout the UK and was described as "a great and generous advocate".
Bankole, popularly known as "Tim", will be sadly missed by all his friends and colleagues around the world.
Obituary of Bankole Timothy
By Kaye Whiteman(Guardian Newspapers Ltd) 25 June 1994
BANKOLE TIMOTHY, who has died aged 70, was in his day an important figure in West African journalism. Even though he left in the 1960s for the calmer waters of public relations, he retained his abiding interest in the world of the press up to the end of his life.
A Sierra Leonean by nationality, born and educated in Freetown, he came to Britain in 1943 intending to become a dentist, but journalism was making siren calls. Legend has it that he presented himself at the black glass building of the Daily Express in Fleet Street with a sheaf of cuttings and Lord Beaverbrook himself took the decision to take him on as a reporter in early 1945. It was another newspaper tycoon, Cecil King, who recruited him starting in 1951 to go and work in the Gold Coast on the Daily Graphic, a newspaper that formed part of King's recently acquired West African newspaper empire. As Assistant Editor and later Editor, he made a name for himself with his controversial work 'Bankole Timothy's Notebook'.
When he was deported in 1957, soon after the Gold Coast's independence as Ghana, it was a blow both to press freedom and, in a way, to West African unity. The reasons were never fully explained, though the Ghana government said his presence, and that of two other West Africans, was 'not condusive to the public good'. He never let it become a cause celebre and, to his credit, never knocked Ghana for having done it in a sensational way. After a further spell in journalism in London, and five years in the Sierra Leone Information service (where he ended up as Director), at the time of independence in 1961, he took the plunge into the world of business, doing public relations for the West African side of the major diamond mining and marketing operation run by De Beers. Like many public relations practitioners, he remained a journalist at heart, writing for 'West Africa' and other publications, as well as producing a number of books, such as one of the first biographies of Kwame Nkrumah, and general books about the African condition. The post-independence decline in his own country distressed him greatly, and, although a convinced democrat, he took heart from the new spirit that the present young military rulers seemed to generate.
Although afflicted by tragedies in his personal life, he bore them with fortitude, retained a lively and mischievous sense of humour, and entertained a wide circle of friends. In later life, his fluency with words became increasingly directed, in his role as a lay preacher of the Methodist Church, to the composing of powerful sermons.
Emanuel Bankole Timothy, born July 3, 1923; died June 20, 1994.
Publications
Bankole Timothy's publications include:- Albert Margai of Africa, Bankole Timothy
- Kwame Nkrumah: His rise to power, Northwestern University Press (1963)
- Missionary shepherds and African sheep: how does Christianity as preached and practised by Europe and America appear to Africans? Daystar Press (1971)
- Africa: dawn or darkness? Davison Publishing Ltd (1976) ISBN 978-0-904130-08-9
- Kwame Nkrumah, from cradle to grave Gavin Press (1981) ISBN 978-0-905868-06-6
- Yesterday's Africans Delta of Nigeria (1982) ISBN 978-978-2335-95-1