The Nigerian media industry and top government officials have continued to mourn the sudden demise of Saturday Editor of the New Telegraph, Mr Waheed Bakare.
Tribune Online reports that Bakare died on Sunday evening after a brief illness, and his remains buried afterwards according to Islamic rites.
In a condolence message, President Muhammadu Buhari commiserated with the media industry, particularly Nigeria Union of Journalists and Nigeria Guild of Editors, over the passing of the Waheed Bakare.
In a message released by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, Buhari described Bakare’s death as a collective loss to the media and the nation that he served passionately with his talent.
He prayed that God would receive the soul of the departed, and comfort all that mourned him.
Various media practitioners have since Bakare’s death, taken to their social media platforms to speak glowingly of the life and times of the late New Telegraph editor.
Prior his engagement by the New Telegraph newspaper, Bakare had a stint with the Punch newspaper and is known as a regular feature on Television Continental (TVC) Journalists Hangout.
A staff of the New Telegraph, Adekunle Olayeni described the demise of Bakare as devastating.
Olayeni noted that he was struck by the news of Bakare’s death just as he was about to put a call through to wish his late editor happy Eid-el-Fitr.
“This is devastating. I never knew you were ill but today, thoughts about you crossed my mind and I was even going to put a call through to greet for Eid-el-Fitr. Alas, it was too late. You bid this world a farewell and began the journey to meet your Creator.
“As the Saturday Editor of New Telegraph, you remained a very pleasant journalist, one of those outstanding professionals I am privileged to work within the industry. May Allah forgive your shortcomings and grant repose to your soul,” Olayeni wrote on his Facebook wall.
In his own tribute, Group Controller, Current and Public Affairs, TVC News, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju saluted Bakare’s brilliance, humility especially whenever he appeared on the “Journalists Hangout” programme on TVC.
“I have had the privilege of sitting with the best journalists in our country to analyse topical issues on Journalists’ Hangout, but Waheed Bakare stood out not just as a brilliant mind but as a gentleman. He was humble and always prepared well for the programme.
“He was not a man of many words, but he made sense with every word out of his mouth. The pain of losing a gentleman is always going to be severe. Tonight, I feel that pain. Your death feels like a kitchen carving knife being twisted in my heart. Good night my younger brother until we meet to part no more,” Kolade-Otitoju wrote.
For Tunde Odesola, a journalist with Punch newspaper, the Nigerian media industry had lost an editor, Islam had lost a servant, humanity had lost a gem and heaven and gained an angel.
Managing Editor, Northern Operation at the Nation Newspaper, Yusuf Alli bemoaned the loss of a fine writer and reliable friend.
Alli saluted Bakare’s courage to rise to the top of his career despite having a fatal accident in 2003 which left one of his hands amputated.
He further recounted Bakare’s several battles to remain alive regardless of health challenges.
“Since we met 20 years ago in Ibadan as reporters, we struck a rare bond. Your brilliance made me drag you from THE COMET to THE PUNCH. My great boss, Editor Bolaji Adebiyi (who was then in charge of the South-West for THE PUNCH) wasted no time in employing you. I thought you had survived the worst.
“While in transit to check me and my family in Ilorin in 2003, you had a fatal accident in Iwo and one of your hands was amputated. As exceptional of THE PUNCH, the management flew you to Germany for the best care. Yet you put up bold courage to rise to the top of your career as an Editor.
“Never trained to complain, you bore your travails with absolute courage. At the last NGE conference in Lagos, I watched you sweating profusely and rushed to the toilet after a meal. I and the Editor of BLUEPRINT, Abdulrahman Abdulrauf were uncomfortable when you didn’t come out on time. You later managed to come out with dizziness. We administered First Aid.
“I remembered Abdulrahman almost being knocked down on the road to a shop opposite the Airport Hotel, Ikeja to buy a drink while I was stabilising you. You later recovered to drive home. We never knew what went wrong with you. But you assured me of seeing your doctors regularly. We spoke about a week ago to compare notes on your career without knowing you will depart so soon. May Allah grant you Aljanna Firdaus,” Alli said.
Another journalist of New Telegraph, Mr Mojeed Alabi also mourned the death, recalling that he had a cheerful conversation with Bakare and family on April 26.
“Saying good night to a beloved editor, Alhaji Waheed Bakare is difficult for me and my wife. That he loved us is an understatement. On April 26, our families including my wife and his spoke extensively on the phone as we laughed cheerfully. He was in my house on December 29, 2019. We were still together in his office not long ago. But God said Alhaji’s time was up. Only Allah knows why. May your grave be expanded, may He grant you aljana fridauz. Too early for you sir,” Alabi wrote.
A former staff of the Punch newspapers, Temitayo Famutimi also mourned the loss of his first boss in journalism.
Famutimi praised Bakare for being painstaking, compassionate and firm.
“He was the great motivation behind my 2012 award-winning 13-part serial on a crudely invasive virginity test conducted by a school principal on 10 high school girls in Ajuwon, Ogun State. He encouraged me to stay on the story and was on hand to provide me with the needed guidance and direction,” Famutimi recounted.
Deputy Editor at Nigerian Tribune, Mr Dapo Falade simply bade Bakare “goodnight” in his own tribute.
Posting pictures of Bakare’s burial, Juliana Francis of the New Telegraph lamented the loss of the newspaper’s English Language Teacher.
“We’re nothing but pencils in the hands of God. A pawn in the hands of our creator. Every day, we’re confronted by the frailties of our human existence. Even now, everything looks so surreal. Unbelievable! Dust to Dust. Adieu Mr Waheed Bakare our English Language Teacher,” Juliana said.
and then