Tears Flow as Adebayo is died

 

A former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Jide Adebayo, is dead.

 

Adebayo died in a Lagos at the age of 66 during a brief illness.

In a Statement by retired Maj.-Gen. Lasisi Abidoye, a close friend of Adebayo, confirmed this to News Info.  on Friday in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara.

 

Until his death, Adebayo 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.

 

 

Adebayo was Executive Director in charge of Marketing, Head of Lagos Operations, former Acting Managing Director of NAN, and a Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Kwara State (1999).

Gen. Lasisi described Adebayo as “a fine journalist and a community leader par excellence, who will be greatly missed.

 

Late Chief 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.

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.

Visited many international media organisations in the U.S, UK, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Cairo, Zimbabwe, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Africa before his installed as the Eesa of Omu-Aran on May 11, 2018.

He  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  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.

 

May his rest in peace