GUARDIAN Newspapers Limited (GNL) was thrown into mourning Thursday as its newly promoted ace Assistant Political Editor based in Abuja, Mr. John-Abba Ogbodo, died in the line of duty.
Ogbodo, last week, was elevated for his hard work and professionalism.
Reactions to his demise came swiftly with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and The Guardian Editor, Mr. Martins Oloja, under whom John-Aba Ogbodo worked as Abuja Bureau Chief for more than a decade, described the deceased remarkable journalist.
Ogbodo, who hailed from Adoka in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, died in a ghastly motor accident on the Anyigba– Ankpa road in Kogi State, while on an official assignment to Awka, Anambra state. He was confirmed dead at the Catholic Hospital, Anyigba where his body has also been deposited at the morgue.
He was among a team of journalists travelling to cover the Nnamdi Azikiwe Annual Lecture to be delivered by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
The last story he wrote captioned, “PDP can present Jonathan for 2015 polls, says Tukur,” led The Guardian on Thursday February 28, 2013, the day he died.
Kola Ologbodiyan and Paul Mumeh, Special Adviser andChief Press Secretary to the Senate President, as well as Paul Ibeh of the Atiku Media Office were some of the early callers at GNL’s Abuja Bureau office.
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abuja Chapter Chairman Mr Chuks Ehirim, also led some of its executive members to the Abuja Guardian office to express condolences.
Ehirim described Ogbodo as a very hard working journalist that would be sorely missed by not only The Guardian but the entire NUJ and the Media industry in the country.
Chairman of the Senate Press Corps, Mr. Cosmos Ekunobi said : “The death of our dear colleague, Mr John Abba-Ogbodo I would say was the greatest shock I have ever received in recent time. It is shocking because I was in touch with Ogbodo a few hours before the sad incident occurred. They said Ogbodo was supposed to have travelled with me the next day. We arranged to meet somewhere in Lagos. In fact, I was about to buy a ticket for him for the same trip before somebody called that this was no longer necessary. It was a very big loss not only to The Guardian family, but to all of us his colleagues. He was a very amiable colleague that all of us would continue to miss.”
Fighting back tears, Oloja noted: “John will be missed by his colleagues. He is a detective on the Senate, Police and PDP beats which he covered so remarkably.
“Above all, John was an ethical journalist who would not seek crumbs from the tables of sources he covered after the events.”
Atiku condoled with the family of Ogbodo and GNL saying: “It is sad receiving the painful news of the death of John, an erudite, young and dedicated journalist who over the years had covered the National Assembly and the politics of our dear nation in a manner that I have personally come to admire his style of writing and the credibility of his reports.
“Being in the National Assembly for a long while now and working for the flagship of Nigeria media – The Guardian, tells a lot about the work ethics and the strength of character of this great journalist who died serving his country.”
Atiku prayed God “to accept the gentle soul of the departed; protect and console his family and grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable and sudden loss.”
The former Vice-President urged The Guardian family and all journalists to “take heart, be prayerful and not to be discouraged by the death of their colleague as only God the Creator knows everything and will help them overcome this painful loss.”
Atiku also condoled with the Senate, NUJ particularly its Abuja chapter and the Senate Correspondents Corps.
He wished all the other journalists who survived the crash and are receiving medical attention speedy recovery.
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