The Grand Papua Team that you led in 2018. |
FAREWELL 'ICEMAN IRON' NICHOLAS
By BIG PAT
Today is
our last day together.
Tomorrow, we will lay
you under the wet soggy mud of the Koiari people. The Papuan sun under which
you toiled most of your life will watch over you, brother.
IRON, we
called him, sometimes ICEMAN. Others loved you as Yitzak. Someone coined AI EN!
But names
are names, it is the real you that stuck with us, friendly, humorous, always
there to lend an ear, cheerful and willing to go all the way, just for the
masthead.
We started 2020 as the hairless ones: lofty, GK, late Iceman and AS. |
And so you
was and will always be the original one and only our iron man at the
Post-Courier in Lawes Road, Port Moresby to the end.
Until
last week, Isaac Nicholas, was the steely fearless reporter who held us up
front, and firmly led us from the front page as Chief Political Editor and Reporter.
It is not
easy being a political reporter. Few people survive the beat and heat. Your
name is mentioned in the halls of power. You are enemy first and friend second.
Politicians
either fear you or hate you. Either way, Isaac Nicholas, was always wary of his
beat. He played the pollies with a calculated intensity like no-one did. He was
sure fire seeking the truth and quite firm in gaining a story without
compromising the essence of fair and unbiased reporting.
Handing Iceman his Newscorp certificate in 2019. |
He was a
friend to all of them, but getting under their skins, irritating them, made the
Iron a trademark enemy to none.
Some of his
best friends, like the MP for Goilala, criticized him openly when they could
about his reporting, but at the end of the day, he would stand up in the
newsroom and declare, the member just called me, and that was it!
This little man from Himburu village in Yangoru Saussia, aged 52, served our paper and our country faithfully for the past 12 years, going places where few reporters dare, like the mountains of Goilala and the bushes of Telefomin and the croc infested swamps of Vailala.
You can
think of many journos from the Sepik and Isaac Nicholas was among the best.
He was
friendly, good natured and humorous. At the end of a hard day’s news hunting,
our Iron would always retire under his mango tree at East Boroko. How ironic it
was that his favorite cooling off was always with green iron tins under a green
tree.
Looking to pinch one or two strands of hair from Iron. |
His
notebook was filled with names and stories. There’s a box full of them on his
table. That is his life story. Those of us who knew him, walked with him,
talked with him, shared a buai, shed our tears for the loss of a close friend.
A protector
of junior newshounds, a leader of senior scribes. His leadership and reporting
will be missed in PNG journalism.
Life is
such that we make friends without knowing when that friendship will pass. PNG
woke up last Wednesday to the news that our iron man in news making had breathed his
last.
From
Yangoru to Manugoro, Dagua to Kagua, Vailala to Goilala, Malalaua to Salamaua,
Baniara to Honiara, the name Isaac Nicholas Nicholas was a trusted forte of
political drama and consciences leadership.
Without the
generosity of a goodbye, without the curiosity of a farewell, we, his friends
at the Post-Courier find it quite hard to fathom losing such a dear brother,
news leader and best friend.
Vale Isaac, you were truly our IRON MAN! And Post-Courier newspaper will never be the same again.
ISAAC NICHOLAS was born on November 25, 1968.
Last Nov 25, he turned 52 years old. He was from Himburu village, Yangoru
Saussia district of East Sepik province.
He was the loving husband
of Judy, and father to Theo, Arthur, Norma, Darren, Stasha, and late Isaac was a dear
friend to all of us.
Late Isaac Nicholas
completed matriculation at Aiyura National high from 1986 to 87 and completed
his bachelors in journalism at UPNG 1992 - 1995.
Isaac came to Lawes Road in
December 1995 and left in December 1998 after 3 years.
After some time at the
National newspaper, he returned to Sela Haus on July 4, 2012 and had remained here
till his passing last week.
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