Dr Nwabu Mgbemena, is dead. Mgbemena, 71, died of cancer on April 22 in New Jersey, U.S. He was a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
His death was confirmed by a close associate Chief Tony Idigo on Sunday in a telephone interview. Mgbemena was one of the pioneer editors of NAN, where he rose to serve as managing director for two terms from January, 1985 to January, 1994.
He took over as Chief Executive Officer from Mr Olufemi Adefela, who was then the General Manager of the agency.
Adefela has had a brief stint as general manager after the retirement of Mr Onuora Nzekwu, the pioneer General Manager of NAN. Mgbemena attended Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha and later proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in journalism.
He became a lecturer at UNN, where he rose to become a senior lecturer at the Department of Journalism, which was later re-named Department of Mass Communication.
Mgbemena also obtained a masters degree from the Syracuse University in New York as well as a doctorate from the Texas Southern University in Houston, U.S. After his teaching stint at UNN, he joined NAN as senior editor when NAN was established by the Federal Government in 1978. Mgbemena was one of the `original nine editors,’ employed at the take-off of NAN.
They are Olufemi Adefela, Nwabu Mgbemena, Sani Sambo, Wada Maida, Dave Igiewe, Godwin Omole, Toye Olofintuyi, Willie Bozimo and Chukwura Ezebube. Expressing his grief over the passing of his bosom friend, Idigo said that Magbemena’s era at NAN marked a foray into rural reporting at NAN, with the opening of district offices at Ile-Ife and Nsukka to boost grassroots coverage. Idigo recalled that Mgbemena was at one time, chairman of a pool of news agencies in West Africa with headquarters in Cotonou, Benin Republic, through which regional news agency journalism was developed in the sub-region. He also recalled that Mgbemena served as one of the advisers on media and communication to Chief Jim Nwobodo, during his tenure as the Governor of old Anambra State.
May his Soul Rest in Peace...
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/ex-nan-md-mgbemena-dies-cancer/
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