Kwara Gov mourns ex-NAN Executive Director, Chief Jide Adebayo
By Felix Ajide
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the Omu Aran community and the media fraternity on the death of former Executive Director (Marketing) and Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Jide Adebayo, calling the development a huge loss.
The former NAN chief, who was also the Eesa of Omu Aran (Prime Minister), and former Commissioner for Information in Kwara State, died on Thursday at the age of 66.
In a statement on Friday, the Governor said the death of the veteran journalist is a great loss to the media industry and the people of Omu Aran whom he served diligently as a consummate community leader.
“I join the media community, the Omu Aran Development Association (ODA), His Royal Highness Olomu of Omu Aran Oba Abdulraheem Oladele Adeoti, and the immediate family to mourn this great human being.
“He will be sorely missed. Chief Jide Adebayo, who was until his death the Prime Minister of Omu Aran, lived for his people and he represented a great example of hard work, excellence, consistency, and community service,” the Governor said.
“I pray Almighty God to repose the soul of the late Eesa and comfort all those that mourn him,” the governor said.
However, Retired Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Abidoye, a close friend of Adebayo, also the President of Omu-Aran Development Association (ODA), confirmed his death in a statement on Friday in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara.
Adebayo, until his death, was the Eesa of Omu-Aran, second-in-command to the traditional ruler of the community, which is equivalent to the position of Prime Minister of Omu-Aran.
He was Executive Director in charge of Marketing, one time Head of Lagos Operations, former Acting Managing Director of NAN, and a Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Kwara State (1999).
Abidoye described Adebayo as “a fine journalist and a community leader par excellence, who will be greatly missed.
He added that “Chief Eesa was a promoter of peace and unbiased community leader. He was an epitome of a good leader, an honest and God-fearing fellow.”
Adebayo had his elementary education at the SIM/ECWA Primary School, Agamo, Omu-Aran from 1960 to 1968 and Secondary Education at Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran (1969 to 1973).
He had News Reporting Course Certificate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos (1978); the University of Lagos, Unilag’s Diploma in Mass Communication (1979); International Diploma of the International Organisation of Journalism (ION) Julius Fucik School, Prague, Czech Republic (1987) and Masters Degree in International Journalism (MAIJ) at the University of Cardiff, United Kingdom (UK) in 2004.
Adebayo began his journalism career with the Nigerian Herald Newspapers in Ilorin in 1974.
He served the organization as a Proof Reader, Reporter, Senior Reporter, and City Editor in Ilorin, Kaduna, and Akure till August 1980, when he joined the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as a Correspondent.
Adebayo held many editorial positions as Bureau Chiefs in Ilorin and Minna; Desk Editor (National News), Head of Sports Desk, Director of Marketing, Executive Director of Marketing/Lagos.
Operations and later Acting Managing Director before his retirement in August 2015, after 35 years in service.
As an international journalist of repute, Adebayo covered many international assignments including the FIFA Under-21 World Cup in Saudi Arabia in 1989, Inter-Continental FIFA Championship in Saudi Arabia in 1995, FIFA World Cup in Paris in France, in 1998 and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, UK in 2002.
In the course of his journalism career, he visited many international media organisations in the U.S, UK, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Cairo, Zimbabwe, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Africa before his installation as the Eesa of Omu-Aran on May 11, 2018.
Adebayo had received honorary chieftaincy titles of Otun Gbobaniyi of Omu-Aran (2003); Otunba Gbadero of Olla Land (2011) and Maiyegun of Ogidi Ijumu, Kogi (2014).
A Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (FNGE), Adebayo was General Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kwara (1981 -1983) and Chairman NUJ, Niger (1985 -1987).
He was a two-term President of the Omu-Aran Social Club in the 80s.
Adebayo had also served as Secretary-General and Director of Socials and Publicity of the Club.
He is survived by his wife, Alice Ifedun (nee Adeleye), and blessed with children and grandchildren.
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