By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Ali Garba, the Correspondent of the New Telegraph Newspaper, in Bauchi State is dead.
He died at the age of 45 on Monday night from diabetes related complications.
He was first admitted at the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi before he was later transferred to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
He left behind a wife and three children.
The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said that the death of the journalist was as a great loss to the media profession.
The governor, in a statement signed and made available to journalists by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Muhktar Gidado, described Garba as a “veteran journalist” who worked with passion, commitment and professionalism adding that his contributions to the advancement of journalism profession will always be remembered.
“Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State expresses his deep condolences to the family of late Ali Garba, a journalist and correspondent of the New Telegraph Newspaper who died yesterday in Bauchi after a brief illness.
“Governor Mohammed who commiserated with the deceased family, the Correspondents’s chapel of the union and the entire media family in the state , described the demise of the journalist as a great loss not only to the media industry in Bauchi State but to the National leadership of the NUJ and the people of the State.
“Governor Bala Mohammed described late Ali as a veteran journalist who worked with passion, commitment and professionalism and his contributions to the advancement of journalism profession will always be remembered,” he stated.
The statement added that: “The Governor on behalf of himself, the Government and people of Bauchi State condoled with the leadership of the correspondents chapel, NUJ Bauchi State Council, friends, colleagues and members of his immediate family to bear the loss with fortitude and also prayed that God will accept the soul of the departed and comfort his loved ones.”
Similarly, the Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, described the news of the death of its member as very shocking.
The State Chairman of the Council, Umar Sai’du, in a statement made available to journalists in Bauchi on Tuesday said: “We regret to announce the postponement of our earlier resolve to hold our congress meeting on Wednesday, 23rd 2020 due to the death of our member, Ali Garba of the Correspondents chapel.
“Another date will be fixed and communicated in due course, please. The council received with shock, the death of the very humble, friendly and complete gentle journalist.
“May he rest in peace and may God give his immediate family, members of the Correspondents chapel and the entire NUJ family in the state the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Adieu Ali G.”