EDO State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole has described the death of The Guardian Publisher, Mr. Alex Ibru as a big loss to journalism in Nigeria.While commiserating with the Ibru family in a statement yesterday, the governor said the country has lost one of the pillars of modern journalism in Nigeria.His words: 'After the epic contribution of the media to the anti-colonial and post-colonial struggle for the building of Nigeria, The Guardian founded in 1983 by Mr. Alex Ibru could be said to have defined the agenda of the democratic struggles particularly from the early 80s.'Also, former Ogun State Governor and family friend of the late publisher Aremo Olusegun Osoba said: 'The news of his departure has hit me badly. I have lost a dependable friend. We started The Guardian together'.Osoba described the late Ibru as 'a first class patriot whose love for the country was boundless' and commended over his contribution to nation building.Similarly, the court-removed former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni has commiserated with the Ibru family, the management and staff of The Guardian newspapers and the Nigerian media as a whole over the death of the publisher.Oni described Mr. Ibru's passage as 'a great loss to Nigeria in general and the media profession in particular.'Oni, in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said: 'I received with shock the news of the death of Alex Ibru, one of the members of the great Ibru Family and I wish to implore the family and Nigerians to take solace in the fact that he lived an exemplary and fulfilled life worthy of emulation by all.'Alex Ibru's contributions to the media profession in Nigeria are monumental and he will surely be missed by all.'If one puts in perspective the quality of life that he lived, especially his contribution to the media in Nigeria, there is every cause for us to celebrate a man with virtues plated in superlatives.'Alex Ibru as a publisher used the arrival of The Guardian newspaper in 1983 to change the character of newspaper publishing in Nigeria with its insistence on conscience and truth as pillars of the trade as well as its emphasis on greater intellectualism in newspaper reporting and analysis.'Noting the 'tremendous impact of not only the intellectual journalism genre foisted by The Guardian, but also the development of different sections and the elevation and glamorisation of editorial discourse by the newspaper,' Oshiomhole said the late Ibru 'has left a void too big to be filled.''No doubt Alex Ibru has left his invaluable imprint on the sands of Nigerian journalism. A mighty tree propelling the development of the Nigerian media has indeed fallen', the governor said.Oshiomhole also recalled 'the flourish of the libertarian tradition championed by The Guardian which opened vistas to the growth of human rights groups like the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and a motley of others.Also drawing inference from Ibru's brief sojourn as Internal Affairs Minister under the military dictatorship of Gen. Sani Abacha, Oshiomhole said Ibru's 'commitment to the democratic ideals made it possible for him not to mortgage the interest of the newspaper during this period.''No doubt he was not rewarded gladly by those who wish to clobber the democratic rights of the people, but his contribution for making The Guardian not to buckle under at a defining moment in the nation's political history stands him out as a colossus', he said.While expressing his grief to the Ibru and The Guardian family, Oshiomhole said they should take consolation in the fact that Mr. Alex Ibru 'offered meritorious service to his country and trod a path golden to behold'.'As a philanthropy, he used his Trinity Foundation as a vehicle through which he gave support to the poor and the needy. And as a religious person, he used his Ibru Centre to promote ecumenism and religious harmony in Nigeria. Also as minister of Internal Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and member of the highest Provisional Ruling Council, PRC, from 1993 to 1995, he introduced far-reaching reforms in the management of Nigeria's prisons and the Immigration Service.'The irony of life however, is that no matter how long and fulfilled they lived, we do not ever wish to lose our loved ones. We therefore implore the family to take solace in the fact that Alex Ibru's life was a model, a brand that symbolised excellence, honesty, hard-work and absolute dedication to worthy courses.'On behalf of my family, I express my heartfelt condolence for the loss of such a distinguished statesman and wish the entire family, The Guardian newspaper and members of the media profession the continued support and guidance of the Almighty God,' Oni said.
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