Rivers State Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has expressed shock and regret over the death of renowned journalist, Pastor Dimgba Igwe.
In a mail to the management of The Sun Newspapers, made available to The Tide, yesterday, Governor Amaechi described the late Igwe as one of the leading lights of Nigerian journalism.
According to the Rivers State Governor, Igwe was “passionate and painstaking. One of Nigeria’s brightest and best.”
He called on the police authorities to do their utmost to bring the killer of Pastor Igwe to book.
He expressed the sympathies of the government and people of Rivers State over this great loss, and assured the Igwe’s family, and friends of the prayers and support of Rivers people.
The message reads in part: “I received with shock today the news of the sudden passage of your dear colleague and one of the leading lights of Nigerian journalism, Pastor Dimgba Igwe.
“Dimgba was passionate and painstaking. A thorough bred professional and one of Nigeria’s brightest and best.
“His demise at this time when our nation is in dire need of men of Honour and courage and when his younger colleagues need his steadying hands to guide their practice is most painful.
“We in Rivers State feel a deep sense of personal loss because of our close relationship with Pastor Igwe.
“We wish to call on the police authorities to do all that they must to ensure that the driver who knocked down and killed Pastor Igwe is found and brought to book.
‘“It is unfortunate that this great man was cut down in what is unarguably his prime as life only just begins at 40.
“While we wait for justice to be done, we want to assure the family of Pastor Igwe and those of you his friends and colleagues that we share in your grief.”
Meanwhile, The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), has joined the family of the late Dimgba Igwe and other sympathetic Nigerians to mourn the passage of the frontline journalist on Saturday in Lagos.
Igwe, 58, a renowned journalist, author and a Fellow of the Guild, reportedly died of wounds he suffered when he was knocked down by a careless and cowardly hit-and-run driver.
A statement by the General Secretary of the guild, Isaac Ighure, said that Igwe was until his death, a peaceable gentleman.
According to the statement, Igwe was said to be jogging near his Okota home at about 10 A.M to keep fit, when the fatal incident occurred.
He later gave up the ghost at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) where he was rushed for medical attention, the statement indicated.
“It is painful to recall that only recently, between August 27 and August 31, Mr Igwe was in Katsina, where he actively participated in all activities at the 10th All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC). His death, therefore, has dealt a great blow to the journalism profession to which he and his inseparable colleague, Mr. Mike Awoyinfa, had made invaluable contributions.
“Igwe was deputy to Awoyinfa when the Weekend Concord hit the newsstand in 1989. The partnership was replicated when the Sun Newspapers came on board in 2003, and the various books that they co-authored,” the statement added.
The guild also used the opportunity to urge the security agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force, to fish out the cowardly driver who committed the dastardly act and inflicted this pain on the Igwes and the Nigeria media.