By Peter Dada and Dele Bodunde
“When beggars die, there are no comets seen, the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes, says William Shakespeare, the world’s pre-eminent English poet in one of his books–Julius Caesar.
The expression is apt to describe the passing on of Dame Felicia Oluremi Oyo, the immediate former Managing Director (MD) of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Following her death on Oct. 1, the media world convened on Oct. 21 in Lagos, to pay the last respect to their own, who unarguably is the best female journalist the country had had so far.
As an accomplished journalist and extraordinary public relations expert, the media world organised a “Media Afternoon of Songs and Tributes’’ to honour her at the NAN Media Centre, Iganmu, Lagos.
Oyo, as the MD of NAN, built the centre to increase the internally generated revenue base of the agency.
In a unique manner, Oyo died on Nigeria’s 54th Independence Day in a London hospital, barely two weeks to her 62nd birthday on Oct. 12.
She was the first female presidential spokesperson, the first female President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the first female MD of NAN.
The Usi-Ekiti born daughter of a carpenter and petty trader mother, Oyo attended Universities of Lagos and that of Kent at Canterbury on scholarship due to her brilliance.
She was awarded the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the Nigerian government and was made a Papal Dame by Pope Benedict XVI for her contributions to the preservation of her Catholic faith.
Oyo was also recognised and appointed a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee in 1998.
Paying tribute to her, the President of the NGE, Mr Femi Adeshina, said: “Oyo broke through the glass ceiling.
“In a profession where the glass ceiling for women is bullet proof, she simply shattered it.
“ Today, Dame Oluremi Oyo is known for many firsts, the first woman to lead NGE for two terms with panache and decorum,’’ he said.
Adesina recalled Oyo’s efforts at transforming NAN into a household name within the Nigerian media industry and the world.
“What do we say of her work in NAN as MD? Another glass she shattered in style.
“Her foot prints are indelible in the agency in terms of professional, human capital and infrastructure developments.
“These works will follow our dear Dame and be a testimony that an Amazon was here,’’ he said.
The NGE, in a tribute signed by Mr Isaac Ighure, the Secretary-General of the Guild, stated that Oyo would be remembered by the Guild for her exemplary leadership qualities.
“These brought the Guild out of near comatose state, with about 200 members, and transformed it into a vibrant association of senior editors with more than 400 members.
“Her tenure as the NGE president marked a new beginning for the Guild as she laid a solid foundation for its transformation into a force to be reckoned with in the country,’’ Ighure said.
Sharing similar view, Mr Gbenga Adefaye, former President of the NGE, said that Oyo showed the light for others to follow in the leadership of the Guild.
“The greater impression for me came from her performance in office as spokesperson for former President Olusegun Obasanjo and later as the Managing Director of NAN.
“In office as Obasanjo’s spokesperson, it was a job she did diligently and to the applause of many; for me, it was a new definition of loyalty, faithfulness and sense of responsibility.
“It was no surprise that Oyo made me to feature more in the public interrogation of the president, even when she was not expecting friendly questions,’’ he said.
Another former President of NGE, Baba Dantiye said: “Oyo’s death is painful to me, members of my family and indeed all my friends who knew of our relationship.
“She impacted so much on my life by taking me and treating me as her younger brother,’’ he said.
In the same vein, Mr Jide Adebayo, the Executive Director, Marketing and Head of Lagos Operations of NAN, lauded the achievements of Oyo while she was the MD of the agency between 2007 and 2013.
“To NAN, Mrs Oyo was everything and knew everything about the agency,’’ Adebayo, who said he worked with her cumulatively for 30 years, recalled.