REMEMBERING ISAAC NICHOLAS

 

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.

BRIEF 

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.