Passage
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Oluremi Oyo, first female president, Nigerian Guild of Editors and first female to serve as a president’s spokesperson, dies of cancer-related ailment in London on October 1, leaving family, Nigerian media industry, others to mourn her
| By Olu Ojewale | Oct. 13, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT |
IT WAS not a good week for the Nigerian media industry. While faces were still wet with tears of the passing away of Mike Akpan, editor-in-chief of Realnews online magazine, on September 30, the media was again thrown into mourning with the death of Felicia Oluwaremilekun Oyo, former managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. Oyo died on Wednesday, October 1, in London, United Kingdom, while recuperating from a cancer-related ailment. She was 61 years old.
Oyo’s death reverberated across the country and many Nigerians across different walks of life have been expressing their condolences on the passing away of the media amazon. President Goodluck Jonathan said he was saddened by the death of Oyo, adding that she had, indeed, made her mark in the media. Jonathan said the nation was appreciative of her immense contribution to the media and the nation building through her remarkable contributions. A statement signed by Reuben Abati, special assistant to the president on media and publicity, said: “The president believes that although she was already much honoured in life with accolades and awards including officer of the order the Niger, Dame Oyo will always be remembered and continually honoured in posterity for her exemplary professional life, her inspiring leadership qualities, motherliness and generosity, her immense patriotism and her remarkable transformation of the News Agency of Nigeria during her tenure as the agency’s managing director.”
Similarly, former President Olusegun Obasanjo under whom Oyo served as special assistant on media and publicity, described her as a thoroughbred professional. Obasanjo’s condolence statement said in part: “She was not only dutiful, she was professional and loyal to the core. Not only loyal in terms of being a Nigerian. Her integrity was above board and on no account could you persuade her to do what she considered not be right.” Besides, the former president described Oyo as very “resourceful, trustworthy and conducting herself with humility.”
Najeem Jimoh, former editor of The Punch newspaper, remembered Oyo as brilliant student at the University of Lagos, where she won prizes for being the best graduating student of 1974 diploma class. “Since then, she has done very well in journalism profession in terms of achievements. It is sad we are going to miss her,” Jimoh said. The veteran journalist said he was particularly sad that Oyo died at a time that the media industry just lost Dimgba Igwe, former vice-chairman of The Sun newspaper, and Akpan. “It is really a sad moment for the media. The industry has lost some of its guardians and leaders at the time the nation and industry need them to help to shape the development of the society.”
A statement released by the Nigerian Guild of editors signed by Isaac Ighure, secretary, said Oyo would long be remembered by the Guild “for her exemplary leadership qualities, which brought the Guild out of a near comatose state, with about 200 members, and transformed it into a vibrant association of senior editors with more than 400 members.” According to the NGE, the tenure of Oyo as president marked a new beginning for the association “and laid a solid foundation for its transformation into a force to be reckoned with in the country.”
Also, Femi Adesina, current president of the NGE, said: “Nigerian editors have lost a pillar. She was a pillar to Nigerian journalism and the Guild. She transformed the Guild and will always be remembered.’’ Adesina said he was sad because her death was the third time Nigerian editors had lost three key members in their ranks within a very short period.
“Within four weeks we have lost Dimgba Igwe, the vice-chairman of the Sun Group, we lost Mike Akpan, editor-in-chief of Realnews online magazine, and now Remi Oyo. It is a sad season for Nigerian journalism and editors; we pray God to spare us,’’ he said.
Gbenga Adefaye, former president of the Guild described Oyo as a “fantastic individual, excellent journalist, role model and mentor.” He recalled that everybody desired to take after her when she was president of the NGE, saying she brought sterling qualities to bear on her leadership. Adefaye said the media industry and, indeed, the entire country, would miss Oyo’s excellent leadership, saying it was unfortunate she left so soon.
In a similar reaction, Bonnie Iwuoha, a former president of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and fellow of the NGE, described Oyo’s death as a sad loss to the media industry. Iwuoha described the deceased as a “core professional par excellence. She settled for nothing but the best and encouraged people to put in their best.’’
He said that the NGE was passing through turbulent times, considering the death of three key members, namely, Oyo, Igwe and Akpan. Iwuoha prayed God to protect media professionals in the country and to grant the bereaved families fortitude to bear the losses.
The Oyo family announced the death of Oyo in London on Wednesday. In a statement, issued on Thursday, October 2, Vincent Oyo, her widower, said she died peacefully on Wednesday, in London, where she was recuperating after receiving treatment from an ailment.
Born on Oct. 12, 1952, Oyo, a seasoned journalist, began her journalism career in 1973 in the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, now known as the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, as a reporter. She later joined the NAN as a Desk Editor in 1981 and left in 1985 as a Principal Editor, the first woman to attain such a high position in the agency. From the agency she took up an appointment with Inter Press Service News Agency, IPS, as its Nigerian bureau chief. She later rose to head the West African bureau of the IPS.
Oyo was elected president of the NGE and served for two consecutive tenures from 1999 to 2003. She was the first woman to serve in that capacity, having also served first as secretary of the NGE. Half-way through her second term as the Guild’s president, Oyo was appointed as senior special assistant to Obasanjo from 2003 to 2007
“As President of the Guild, she set up a functional secretariat which still exists today at the NAN complex, Iganmu, Lagos, by the National Arts,’’ the statement said.
Oyo was educated at St. James Catholic Primary School in Ilorin; St. Louis Girls Secondary School, Bompai, Kano, and the University of Lagos, where she studied Mass Communication at the diploma level and graduated with distinction as the best graduating student.
She held a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Canterbury at Kent and also earned a post-graduate diploma in International Relations from the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Lagos.
Oyo served as an appointed member of the 1999 Constitution Drafting Committee. She was a recipient of the national honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON.
She has also received many other awards, including the National Council of Catholic Women Organisation of Nigeria; Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, and the Nigerian Institute of Peace Administrators.
A devout Catholic, Oyo was vice-chairperson of the Parish Pastoral Council of SS Joachim and Anne of the Catholic Church, Ijegun, Lagos. She was also a recipient of Pope Benedict XV’s award – Papal Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great.’ She is survived by her widower, two children and three grandchildren.
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Tags: Felicia Oluwaremilekun Oyo Nigerian Guild of Editors Olusegun Obasanjo
