Alex Ibru's passage painful, shocking, say Uduaghan, Ajimobi

GOVERNOR Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and his Oyo State counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday expressed shock at the death of Mr. Alex Ibru.Reacting to the news of the publisher's death, Uduaghan said it was not only shocking but also painful, given his pedigree and capacity, especially in the private sector.According to the governor, Alex Ibru was a man of many parts who excelled wherever he found himself, leaving behind trails of credibility and integrity.'I am shocked and pained by this death. A man of humility, credibility and high integrity has passed on,' he stated.Uduaghan noted that the late Ibru was a pride to the Urhobo and Delta State, who promoted peace and unity of Nigeria particularly with the Ibru Centre, an international ecumenical centre founded by him to enhance inter and intra-religious affairs.Besides, he said that Ibru established The Guardian, which has become the flagship of the Nigerian media, and revolutionised the industry with theinjection of the academia into the media, thereby compelling the intelligentsias to play part of the critical role of the watchdog of the society.The governor also recalled Ibru's tenure as minister of Internal Affairs, stressing that in spite of the public office, Ibru did not interfere even when The Guardian was critical of the government he was serving.According to him, this was 'an exceptional mark of integrity and discipline on the part of the late publisher.'He condoled the Ibru family, The Guardian and the friends and colleagues, urging them to take solace in the fact that Alex Ibru lived a peaceful and fulfilled life.On his part, Ajimobi said that with Alex Ibru's passage, the commune of patriots was fasting thinning out.Ajimobi, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, recalled Ibru's patriotism, his sterling devotion to Nigeria's togetherness and what he called Ibru's stellar forthrightness.
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