A one-time Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Kwara State, Chief Jide Adebayo, is dead.
ABN TV learnt that Adebayo died in a Lagos hospital on Thursday at the age of 66 during a brief illness.
Retired Major-General Lasisi Abidoye, a close friend of Adebayo, confirmed this in a statement on Friday morning.
Adebayo, until his death, was the Eesa of Omu-Aran, second-in-command to the traditional ruler of the community, which is equivalent to the position of Prime Minister of Omu-Aran.
He was Executive Director in charge of Marketing, one time Head of Lagos Operations, former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), and a Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture, Kwara State (1999).
Abidoye described Adebayo as “a fine journalist and a community leader per excellence, who will be greatly missed.
“Chief Eesa was a promoter of peace and unbiased community leader.
“He was an epitome of a good leader, a honest and God fearing fellow.”