From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Monday in Lokoja described the death of the Leadership Reporter in Kogi State, Mr Sam Egwu as a painful and great loss.
In a Press Statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Mohammed condole the family of the late journalist, the management, staff of the Leadership Newspaper and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the sudden death.
Bello also described the late journalist as a man of truth and fairness who practised journalism with professional ethics.
He said that Journalism has lost one of its dedicated and upright members noting that the late Egwu will be remembered for his objectivity, diligence and hard work.
The Governor prayed God to grant the soul of Sam Egwu eternal rest and members of his family the fortitude to bear the loss.
“The Man Sam Alfa Egwu was born in Awo-Akukunda village, Ankpa. Local Government Area in June, 1955. Had his Primary education at the Native Authority Primary School, in same community between 1963 and 1969.”
“He was at St. Charles College, Ankpa for his secondary education from January, 1972 to June, 1976.”
He cut his journalism teeth with “The Message Newspaper”, the first community newspaper in Kogi State, run by Barr Joshua Igonoh in Idah, and moved on to Lagos in 1992 after his National Diploma in Journalism at the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos.
Egwu later joined Hallmark Newspapers as a sports reporter, under Late Emeka Obasi in Lagos and covered international sports tournaments in Algiers (Algeria) and Cairo (Egypt).
He left Lagos in 2004 for Lokoja where he joined Daily Trust Newspapers as Kogi State Correspondent.
The veteran journalist later moved to Peoples’ Daily Newspaper upon threats by the then government in power to truncate his career.
Elder Sam Egwu left the Peoples’ Daily after about two-year stint and anchored his ship of experience on the shores of Leadership Newspapers, his final stable, as Kogi State Correspondent in Lokoja before he answered the divine call.
“Egwu will be buried on Friday at Awo-Akukunda, Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi after Lying In State at NUJ Press Center, Lokoja.”
