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 4^th 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 100^th 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!