Sen. Emmanuel Onwe, Ebonyi Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, has rued the incessant deaths in the state-owned media, Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC).
Onwe expressed the regret on Sunday in Abakaliki while addressing the management and staff of the corporation over the death of Mr Samuel Nweke, the late Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and a staff of the corporation, killed by suspected armed robbers on Saturday.
Onwe noted that though such deaths were recorded directly and indirectly at the corporation, none of its staff had experienced such brutal, wicked and lawless fate.
“The gentleman attended an official function and had every confidence of returning home in one bit.
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“Having traveled so far, he was within minutes of getting home when wayward, devil-possessed animals inflicted such horrendous attack on him and this warrants all of us to bow our heads in his honour.
“This is due to what has befallen his family, the corporation and Ebonyi as a whole as I feel we should gather to understand that whatever we do here, every single minute and hour spent here counts.
“We will individually be grieving for Nweke, and praying for his family and that such tragedy be averted for every of us in the corporation,” he said.
“Nweke was a dedicated and industrious journalist who paid his dues and acquitted himself creditably in the profession,” he said.
He had ordered the suspension of normal operations of the corporation between 6.30 p.m. of Oct. 6 to 6.30 p.m. of Oct. 7, to promote a brief programme on Sam’s life and times to honour him.
Gov. Umahi had in a reaction, condemned Nweke’s brutal killing and urged security agencies to unravel the circumstances behind his death.
Umahi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Uzor, noted that his death was a great loss to the media profession, his family and the entire state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nweke, was among delegates from the state attacked by suspected armed robbers at Nkalagu Ebonyi on their way back from NUJ National Delegate Election held in Abeokuta, Ogun.
Nweke until his death was a principal reporter with the EBBC. He was born on Sept. 24, 1979.