- NGE Opens Condolence Register
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday extended his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Abia State, as well as the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) on the death of the former NUJ National President, Comrade Bonnie Nwoha.
President Buhari commiserated with the family and friends of the veteran newsman and well-respected member of Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), who was a one-time Managing Editor/Head of Editorial Department, Daily Times Nigeria Plc, 1991-93; Commissioner for Information in Abia State and a Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of Abia State, a position he held until his demise.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President identified the remarkable legacies of late Bonnie Iwoha to include his passion to mentor young and upcoming journalists, his tireless work to champion a free press, and the interests of members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
The President prayed that God, in His infinite mercies, should grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
A Christian, Preacher, and Minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, late Iwuoha, who held various leadership and professional positions in the Media industry, led seven (7) Presidential Monitoring Teams to seven (7) states of the federation on inspection of Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI) projects.
Editors Mourn, Open Condolence Register
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on Tuesday opened a condolence register at its Secretariat in Lagos after announcing the sudden death of the former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State, and a Fellow of NGE, Bonnie Iwuoha.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the President, Mustapha Isah, and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the NGE described the death of Iwuoha as “devastating, painful and huge loss” to the Guild and journalism profession in Nigeria.
The statement said; “Mr Bonnie Iwuoha was a committed Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He served in various committees and was the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of NGE on several occasions, including our last convention in May 2021 in Kano.
“His last outing in the Guild’s activities, was the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Abuja two months ago, where he was a discussant at the conference. This was typical of him. He never missed any of our activities. He was a man of deep conviction, honest, very principled, and lively.”
According to the Guild; “Just last week, the former President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) called some Standing Committee’s members of NGE, including the President and the General Secretary, to discuss the affairs of the Guild.
“He said he was very proud of the present leadership of NGE, and advised us to keep up the good work and never to relent. That was how dear our professional body was to Mr Iwuoha. He was an accomplished administrator, unionist and humanist – who struggled for over three decades to improve the welfare of journalists in the country.’’
“If the earth that will cover Bonnie Iwuoha will be light, it is because he represented humanity, love, and kindness while he lived. We will miss Mr. Iwuoha greatly. As a mark of honour, the NGE has opened a condolence register at our Secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos. Fare Thee Well, Comrade Bonnie Iwuoha”, the NGE statement said.
