Veteran journalist and former Commissioner in Kwara State, Chief Jide Adebayo is dead.
Adebayo died at a Lagos hospital on Thursday at the age of 66, the President of the Omu-Aran Development Association, Major General Olayemi Lasisi Abidoye (rtd) said on Friday.
Abidoye said: “Chief Eesa was a promoter of peace and unbiased community leader.
“He was an epitome of a good leader, a honest and God fearing fellow.”
According to the statement, Chief Adebayo was a former Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture in Kwara State (1999).
He described him as a fine journalist and a community leader per excellence, who will be greatly missed.
Adebayo, until his death, was the Eesa of Omu-Aran, second-in-command to the traditional ruler of the community, which is equivalent to the position of Prime Minister of Omu-Aran.
Adebayo who served as Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria and one time Executive Director, Marketing of the agency, had his elementary education at the SIM/ECWA Primary School, Agamo, Omu-Aran from 1960 to 1968.
His Secondary Education was at Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran (1969 to 1973).
He had International Diploma of the International Organisation of Journalism, Julius Fucik School, Prague, Czech Republic (1987) and Masters degree in International Journalism at the University of Cardiff, United Kingdom in 2004.
He holds the News Reporting Course certificate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos (1978) and University of Lagos Diploma in Mass Communication (1979).
Chief Adebayo, began his journalism career at The Herald Newspapers in Ilorin in 1974.
He served the organisation as a Proof Reader, Reporter, Senior Reporter and City Editor in Ilorin, Kaduna and Akure till August 1980, when he joined the News Agency of Nigeria as a Correspondent.
He was a one-time Secretary-General, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kwara State Council (1981-1983) and Chairman NUJ, Niger State (1985-1987).
Chief Adebayo had received honorary chieftaincy titles of Otun Gbobaniyi of Omu-Aran (2003), Otunba Gbadero of Ollaland (2011) and Maiyegun of Ogidi Ijumu, Kogi State (2014).
He was a two-term President of the Omu-Aran Social Club in the 80s.
He is survived by his wife, Alice Ifedun (nee Adeleye), and blessed with children and grand children.
