The Nigerian media community on Thursday mourned the death of Mrs Oluremi Oyo, the immediate past Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who died on Wednesday.
Oyo, aged 61, died in the UK, where she was recuperating, after receiving treatment from an ailment.
Reacting to the news, the President of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr Femi Adesina, 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.’’
Oyo was NGE president from 1999 to 2003.
Adesina said these were sad times for Nigerian editors, who had lost three key members in their ranks.
“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.
In his reaction, a former President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Bonnie Iwuoha, described Oyo’s death as a sad loss to the media industry.
Iwuoha described Oyo as a “core professional par excellence. She settled for nothing but the best and encouraged people to put in their best.”
He echoed Adesina’s statement that the NGE was passing through turbulent times, going by the recent death of three key members.
Iwuoha prayed God to protect media professionals in the country and to grant the bereaved families fortitude to bear the losses.
The Publisher of Realnews, Ms Maureen Chigbo, described Oyo as “a good women and a mother.
“She uplifted NAN when she held forte and she lived a good life. I pray God to grant her eternal rest.”
The President of NUJ, Malam Mohammed Garba, described Oyo’s death as “shocking” and described her as a “very senior colleague and a veteran,” who was very acting in the journalism profession.
Mohammed said Oyo “related very well with the media even when she was a Special Adviser on Media to President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Nigerian Guild of editors.
“She believed in professionalism and the ethics of the journalism profession.
“We will continue to remember her for her good works in service and the programmes she initiated in NAN when she was the MD and continue to learn from them.”
