The Managing Director of Radio Kano, Malam Umar Sai’d Tudun Wada, is dead.
He died in a car crash on Sunday, when returning from Abuja with one of his wives and a daughter, both of who survived.
The Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, Mr gbemiga Ogunleye, confirmed the incident in a Facebook tribute while the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journslists (NUJ) Kano State Council, Malam Abbas Ibrahim, also confirmed it to the news Agency of Nigeria.
Ibrahim stressed that only Tudun Wada died in the incident around Kura Local Government Area of Kano while his wife and daughter were currently receiving medical attention at a hospital.
Before his death, he was an ace broadcaster who worked for various media outfits both at national and International levels.
Some of the media organisations he worked for included, CTV Kano, Voice of America (VOA), Radio Deutsche Welle, Freedom Radio and Radio Kano.
He had also experienced the print media as he was a one time Editor of the Concern Magazine in Kano.
Tudun Wada also served as the Secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and as the Special Assistant and Director, Press to two Governors in the state.
Turbanned as the Danmasanin Tudun Wada, his hometown,the deceased left behind 21 children and four wives amongst whom is the incumbent Deputy President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, Hajiya Aishatu Sule.
He has since been buried in accordance with the Islamic rites at Tarauni cemetery in Kano metropolis.
In the tribute, Ogunleye said:
I LOST A FRIEND AND BROTHER: UST
Umar Saidu Tudunwada UST, Deputy President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, is dead. He died in a car accident, today on the Kano-Kaduna road, while returning from a meeting of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria in Abuja.
Umar, a former Managing Director of Radio Kano and General Manager of Freedom Radio Kano, will be terribly missed. Easy going fellow, he was a decent guy and a gentleman in the true sense of the word.
The last time I saw in was on May the 8th in Kano.
When I told I was coming to Kano for a training programme, he promised to visit me at the hotel.
He kept his word, came to pick me at the Tahir Guest Palace and we went to his house to break the Ramadan fast, in company with his wife, Aisha and Comrade Abdulkadir Ahmed.
He was the perfect host!
Our paths crossed about two decades ago at one of the conferences of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
We kept in touch and became close friends at social and professional level.
A thorough-bred journalist, he was at the NTA and was at various times the Hausa Correspondent of the VOA and Deutche Velle- Voice of Germany.
His wife, Aisha who is a former Deputy President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, daughter and driver are still in the hospital.
Please join me in praying for their speedy recovery.
May Almighty Allah grant UST Jannah!
AAA/CHOM/MTM
