Over a week since he was killed by a hit-and-run driver in the Okota area of Lagos State, the stream of tributes for the Vice Chairman of The Sun Publishing Limited, Pastor Dimgba Igwe, has continued to flow.
More eminent Nigerians gave different accounts of the deceased’s invaluable contri­butions to the development of journalism in the country at the weekend, describing him as one of the most prolific and virtuous newsmen in the nation.
Aliko Dangote
In a letter to the Manag­ing Director of The Sun, Femi Adesina, President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote de­scribed Igwe as one of the finest journalists in the country.
He wrote: “I received with shock, news of the sudden and tragic loss of Mr. Dimgba Igwe, the Vice Chairman of The Sun Publishing Limited in his prime. Please allow me, on behalf of the board, manage­ment and staff of the Dangote Group, to extend my deepest sympathies to you, manage­ment and members of staff of Daily Sun Newspapers, and the entire Igwe family, over this sad incident.
“Igwe was one of the finest journalists in the country. He was a master of words, a fear­less writer and a thoroughbred professional, who analysed is­sues of national significance with candour mixed with a touch of wit.
“Igwe and his bosom friend, Mike Awoyinfa, took journal­ism in Nigeria to unprecedent­ed heights when they started the popular Weekend Concord Newspaper. They replicated this same feat in Daily Sun Newspapers, which has become a household name. Beyond his professional calling, Igwe was a worker in the Lord’s vineyard. His unfortunate demise is a loss not only to the journalism pro­fession, but also to the nation as a whole.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you and his family at this difficult time. May the Al­mighty God give you the forti­tude to bear this loss.”
Godswill Akpabio
Akwa Ibom State Gover­nor, Godswill Akpabio, who paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family in Lagos, said the deceased was a God-fearing gentleman with deep intellect.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, the gover­nor prayed God to grant Igwe peaceful repose.
Ganiyu Solomon and Abike Dabiri-Erewa
Senate Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon and Chairman, House of Repre­sentatives Committee on the Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, however, said the inci­dent should spur the organised private sector to lead a campaign for a radical change in the provi­sion and management of emer­gency medical services in the country.
The lawmakers, who spoke with newsmen after paying a condolence visit to the Igwes in Lagos, said a lot needed to be done to restore the nation’s past of quality healthcare services.
According to Solomon, the three-hour delay experienced before Igwe resorted to appro­priate surgical intervention at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja underscored the enormity of the rot in the na­tion’s healthcare system.
“Apart from this incident, we know that we have to do a whole lot more about our healthcare system. When an incident like this happens, it further amplifies that need. We have to do a re­view of our healthcare delivery system. Every level of govern­ment, from federal, state to local government, should complement one another. In a situation where one level is burdened to the ex­clusion of others, you will see some gaps that need to be filled. So, we should intensify our ef­forts. What that points out is that we need to do more,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Dabiri-Erewa insisted that inef­ficient emergency medical ser­vice contributed to Igwe’s death, saying it was time the nation did something about the situation.
Her words: “When this in­cident happened, he could not get immediate medical help. Of course, if there had been ad­equate healthcare, I am sure Mr. Dimgba Igwe would probably still be alive today. And it only shows the state of our medicare today in Nigeria…
“There are many areas we have to declare a state of emer­gency in the country, particu­larly in health and education. Government has to create an enabling environment for our medical professionals to func­tion and excel. You wonder why Nigerian doctors leave the country and excel abroad, but do not perform optimally at home. The simple reason is that the enabling environment is just not there. Dimgba Igwe’s demise was an avoidable death – if the healthcare system had been ad­equate and really functional. He didn’t have to die if he got help at the right time. It is a so­ber reflection on the state of our healthcare.
“When you look at the hun­dreds of millions companies spend on entertainment, if they can join hands with the govern­ment in healthcare delivery ser­vice, I think that would be more beneficial to society.”
Newspaper Distributors As­sociation of Nigeria
Members of Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Newspaper Distributors Association of Ni­geria (NDAN) also visited The Sun office in Uyo to pay their condolences, saying the vacu­um created by Igwe’s passing would be difficult to fill.
Chairman of NDAN in the state, Bright Ewoh, who spoke for the group, urged The Sun to be consoled by the fact that the deceased quit the stage a fulfilled man and left worthy legacies both in journalism and in God’s service as a pastor.
“We are sad that the vacuum created by this journalist par excellence can never be filled, either in the journalism profes­sion or in his family or even in his church.
“We are short of proper words to use to express our sin­cere condolences, but we urge you to take solace in the fact that he died a fulfilled man, having left an indelible mark in the sands of time. May the Al­mighty God grant you and your management the grace to bear this irreparable loss and grant the departed soul rest in the bosom of the Lord,” Ewoh said.
The Sun Chief Correspon­dent in the state, Joe Effiong, who received members of the group, said Igwe was too or­ganised to die the way he did, saying the deceased never tol­erated any form of indiscipline.
The Sun Muslim Commu­nity
The Sun Muslim Com­munity (TSMC), however, described Igwe’s death as the “loss of a Muslim brother from the Christian faith.”
In a statement signed by the Chief Imam of TSMC, Alhaji Abdur-Razaq Bamidele, the group said, “From our days in Concord to our days in The Sun, our boss, master, mentor and role model, Pastor Dimgba Igwe, never discriminated against us on ground of our religion.”
Regretting the suddenness of Igwe’s passing, TSCM add­ed: “We take solace in the fact that writers, authors, teachers and moulders of life like him never die, but remain alive forever, as their works and students will keep their names perpetually in the present and not in the past.”
The community prayed Al­mighty Allah to grant the soul of the departed repose and give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.
Igwe’s neighbours
Igwe’s neighbours and fel­low joggers, Chima Okeke and Tobi Ogare, also paid their trib­utes. Saying he was devastated by the incident, Chima recalled that it was the involvement of the late journalist that moti­vated him to join the group of those exercising their bodies every Saturday in Okota area.
Ogare, however, said he was disappointed with the state of hospitals in the country, stress­ing that if there were adequate medical facilities, Igwe’s life would have been saved.
Also commenting, rights ac­tivist, Richard Akinola said the journalist’s death was shock­ing. He prayed God to grant the deceased perfect peace.

Akpabio, Dangote others recount Igwe’s contribution to journalism development