Paulos
Gnogno: The Search engine of his time
BY WORKU BELACHEW
·
Book review
Author: Dereje Tizazu Title: Paulos Gnogno
Genre: Biography Pages: 308
Illustrations: More than 80 Publisher:
Artistic publishing
Date published: 2006 E.C. Price 84.00 birr (USD 24.00)
If formal education were the only approach to build a human
intellect, we would not have a journalist and author called Paulos Gnogno. Paulos
had neither gone to a college, nor to a high school. Unlike others who stepped
up the ladder of career through their traditional church education, Paulos was unlucky
in this regard too. He was just a 4th grade dropout, if you like. Completing this grade level guarantees a plain
understanding of very few yet concrete phenomenon around us, but it has nothing
to do with abstractions. A journalist should, however, at least figure out the
political, economic and social structure of a country where they do their jobs.
Even that is not enough. Analyzing issues and making them fit in the
diversified interests of readers is also the least a journalist can do. This
obviously demands good observation and exposure to modern education. So, how
did Paulos managed to build such a career devoid of the latter? That is one of
the reasons for readers to deal with Dereje Tizazu’s biographical work, Paulos
Gnogno. But, in general terms Paulos taught himself through reading and
inquiring. That why one can confidently describe him as an extraordinary
person.
The author probed between the frontiers of Paulos life,
from birth to his last breath, to browse the best from the journalist’s works
and has presented it so nicely. Both the qualities and limitations of his
(Paulos) works have been objectively surveyed, I can say.
As it has been pointed out in the introductory note of
the book, winning the race against time— when it comes to finding eye witnesses
who can tell about Paulos’ life and work— is among the objectives of writing this
book. It seems that a question may ring in the mind of most of us: “Why not
Paulos himself did prepare his autobiography. Reading between the lines of this book looks
like to provide with the answer that could suffice. One time a private solider named
as Girma Tessema sent a question to Paulos: “Could you please tell me a biography
of one high-flying journalist?” And Paulos had this to say. “Journalists’ biographies
have already entertained during their lifetime. They investigate earthshaking
issues and make them public. They receive
either appreciation or condemnation right away. That is what I know.”
Paulos won the hearts of readers with his famous
column: “I have a question” which readers from all corners of Ethiopia sent questions
and got satisfied with his apt answers on diversified issues, first in Ye
Ethiopia Demtse and later in Addis Zemen newspapers. He was Google of the time, he unfailingly
responded to thousands of questions. He broadened the horizons of citizens’
mind with his valiant pen. He entertained questions from young and adult, men
and women, near and far.
Dereje tried to summarize the nature of questions Paulos
dealt with: “He appropriately answered questions which he used to receive in
bulks. Readers perceived him as a sack
of knowledge. He even got questions too difficult to answer. “Most questions required
expertise from clergymen, physicians, teachers, engineers, public officials, agriculturalists,
philosophers….” According to this author he even treated questions that thieves
should answer. In a nutshell he was a human search engine of the time. Is that
exaggerated? Dear reader, please delay your verdict and go through the content
of the book.
As anyone could agree, the biography of journalists has
much to do with the political space where they do their jobs, particularly when
it comes to freedom of speech and expression. Paulos’ life and work was,
therefore, entwined with two regimes—the monarchical and unitary. Generally, the
two regimes did not create a comfortable environment for journalists. This biography
of Paulos has objective evidence to prove that. Let you read many of such
proofs but for the surprise of everyone it is important to translate this into
English. Once Paulos received this question: “Why his
Majesty (Haile-Selassie) does refer himself in the first person plural, ‘we’?”
Paulos looked into history and came up with a possible answer. “This way of
referring oneself is common in the royal family across the world. But, a king who
ruled China from 266-210 B.C. started the trend.” Sadly but, Addis Zemen did
not carry the answer for it was rejected by the censorship body. The reason was
rather funny. They said, “It is insane to ascribe a trend that the people of
Ethiopia attached with his majesty.”
Paulos as a journalist particularly for then Ye Ethiopia Demts, Amharic
weekly, and Addis Zemen (still in circulation) faced with challenges of assorted
kinds. The challenges did not start off only from regimes, but few dissatisfied
readers too; professional associations also gave him a tough time. The regimes
were allergic to criticism. During Emperor Haile-Selassie’s period, it was
forbidden to criticize policies or to write criticizing countries that have
similarity with Ethiopia in one way or another. In short, he and other writers did their jobs risking
their lives. They exercised journalism staying between fires.
Practicing journalism in its truest sense and trying
to crash the heels of backwardness is not an easy task, indeed. To make matters
worse, Paulos and his colleagues had walked through risky roads of series of events—Ye
Tisas Gir gir, (attempted coup on Emperor Haile-Selassise), a famine which claimed
the life of hundreds of thousands, the dethronement of Emperor Haile-Selassie, Edget
Be Hibret (Ethiopian students campaign to eradicate illiteracy and backwardness),
intera alia had been few of them.
Life is too short. Mankind has still no wisdom to
forecast the date and cause of one’s death. Today’s world warns possible earthquakes
or torrential rain in advance. We plan our
days referring to calendars. Of course, science is not short of foreseeing a
cause or causes that potentially ends/end one’s breath. In this context, the
medical history of Paulos proved that bone cancer was responsible for his
death. Dereje, however, suggested as a cold room in which he was working in for
days, while digging for sources to prepare a piece for 100th
anniversary of Addis Ababa, instigated the cancer. I wonder if physicians support
this argument!
Derege’s unique style of writing which he has accumulated
as a journalist in various local media such as Walta Information Center, Tsema
Tsedk, and Zemen Megazine makes the three hundred and plus pages journey, which
help know who Paulos was, so relaxing. As many would agree, this extraordinary journalist’s
life had several dimensions. He passed through different trajectory of life. He
was not only a journalist, but a veterinarian, nurse, author, critique …. These
all and yet a lot more are packed together in the book, Paulos Gnogno.
It is otherwise innocence to consider Dereje’s book
only a biography. In fact, a biography is the social, economic, political
interaction of a person’s life, isn’t it? Let’s agree to agree on this point.
This book is a supplement for researchers that focus on the social and
political system which Ethiopia had been through over the years of the
monarchical and military rules.
Most hopefully, the tiny bugs of proofreading errors which
are too dwarf compared to what has been done, will get no place in the next
edition of the book. I hope that readers comment and their inputs will make
substantial upturn and the next edition can have new versions of Paulo’s life.
In the final analysis, this generation is eager to understanding
social, political, and economic interaction of past governments. The
autobiography and biography of people’s responsible for making various decisions
that have long-term impact for the better or worse can have a role in shaping
the way forward. In this regard the author deserves appreciation!