Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde has described the death of the veteran sports journalist, Mr. Akinloye Oyebanji as depressing and sad for sports journalism in Nigeria.
In a condolence message yesterday to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the Oyebanji family and Nigerian Journalists in general, Makinde said the news of his demise was shocking.
The governor said he received the report of the death of the sports journalist with sadness and shock, noting that Oyebanji was excellence personified in sports reporting, while in active service.
He said: “I received the news of Oyebanji’ death with sadness and shock. His demise at this trying times of our sports development in our country amounts to a sad day for sports journalism.
“His death is equally a great loss to Journalism profession, the NTA Family and all lovers of the good sport. I commiserate with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and sports journalists around the globe for the loss of one of their own.
“Those of us who followed his career progression will not forget in a hurry how he used his expertise to shape sports journalism at the NTA, Ibadan, the First Television Station in Africa and at the network stations of the NTA. To say the least, Sports Journalism has lost a gem.”
He, therefore, prayed that God Almighty would condole his immediate family and give his colleagues, the sporting world and journalism, in general, the fortitude to bear this great loss.
He, equally, urged his widow, children and members of his immediate family “to remain strong in their determination to actualise the unfulfilled dreams of the departed.”
