The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, has expressed grief over the demise of a prominent son of Rivers State, Prof Tamunoemi Sokari David-West.
Prof David-West, who was Nigeria’s first Professor of Virology and former Minister of Petroleum, died on Monday at the age of 83.
The Rivers State NUJ, in a statement by its Chairman, Stanley Job Stanley and Secretary, Ike Wigodo, described Prof. David-West as a scion of Ijaw nation and one of the greatest icons in Rivers State who contributed immensely to the progress of the country.
The Council also described the Kalabari born Professor as “a man of truth and honour, an epitome of uprightness and courage whose contributions to the oil economy of Nigeria and Africa were unquantifiable.
“There is no way the history of petroleum industry in Nigeria and Africa will be written without unique references to the late professor.”
The statement noted that Professor David-West was a news delight and a great source of information to Nigerian journalists, saying the late academic would be missed by not just the academia and the Niger Delta, but also by the Press.
“The death of the foremost Professor of Virology is not just a huge loss to the academia, the Niger Delta and Nigeria, it is also a painful loss to the Nigerian Press”, the statement said.
The NUJ, however, prayed God to grant the deceased’s family, the Kalabari Kingdom, the entire Ijaw nation and Rivers State the fortitude to bear the loss.
