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From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The Sun Publishing Ltd has lost its Assistant Sales Manager, Ibadan, Oyo State, Mr. Najeem Soaga. He died on Sunday evening at the age of 58 after a prolonged illness.
Soaga was buried on Monday according to Islamic rites, amid tears and tributes from colleagues, friends, family members and stakeholders in the newspaper industry.
Chairman, Newspaper Distributors Association of Nigeria (NDAN), Oyo State chapter, Mr. Babatunde Abdul-Rashid Abimbola, described Soaga as “a disciplined, religious and highly committed professional, who devoted his life to the newspaper business.
“He was a very good person, very religious, very hard-working and very pleasant. That’s one of the facts. We’ve been together for over 35 years.
“In this newspaper business, we worked together from Monitor, Frontline and eventually The Sun newspapers. He remained with The Sun till the end of his life.
“His death is something that is natural. It is an inevitable end. Nobody is free from death. Whatever the cause, it is only God that truly knows. Death is death. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”
The deceased’s only son, Olawapelumi, described his father as a loving and caring man, who was deeply cherished by everyone around him: “He was a very good person, a loving person. Everybody loved him. You can see the crowd here,” struggling to hold back tears.
The young Soaga revealed that his father had plans to support his return to school this year. A promise he is determined to keep but expressed dismay over his painful loss.
“If I start talking, tears will start falling from my eyes. He was planning to send me back to school this year. Unfortunately, he’s no longer here. But I will still go back to school because I promised him I would.”
Human Resource Manager, The Sun, Mrs. Jessica Oje-Humphrey, spoke with Temitope, lawyer and the first child of the family on phone on Monday to offer condolences.
The Sun also paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family conveying “its deepest condolences.”
A delegation led by multiple award-winning journalist, Mr. Oluseye Ojo, said: “The demise of Mr. Najeem Soaga on Sunday evening is a rude shock. I worked closely with him as Oyo State Correspondent of the company.
“He was very respectful, easy-going, dedicated and committed to his job. He was a good family man. He was a gem and we shall sorely miss him. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”
