NAGAFF mourns late MARAN president

THE National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has described Monday`s death of the President of Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), Mrs Ifeanyiwa Obi, as a great loss to the industry.

NAGAFF`s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Stanley Ezenga,  told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that NAGAFF was saddened by her death.

He described Obi as a resourceful reporter whose reports had helped to advance the course of the industry.

“We are saddened by the death of Obi, who did a lot to make impact on the industry with her resourcefulness and her well-thought-out stories.

“She was a friend of the house as she had a good working relationship with us. We condole with the entire MARAN family for this great loss.

“We pray to God for the peaceful repose of her soul and we ask that the Almighty should grant the family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” he said

NAN reports that Obi died in the early hours of Monday during an undisclosed illness.

The late MARAN president was until her death the maritime correspondent of the Vanguard Newspapers.

Obi was elected the president of the association on Nov. 7, 2014.

The late journalist, who was the first female president in the 29-year history of MARAN, had served as vice- president of the association from October 2011 till November 2014.

The Vice President of MARAN, Mr Funso Olojo, also expressed sadness over the sudden death of Obi.

According to him, the news of Obi’s death came as a rude shock, given the fact that she anchored the one-day seminar organised by the association on April 6.

“Naturally, I felt devastated when I heard the sad news of Ify’s death.

“We were together on Thursday during our seminar at the MARAN Secretariat in Apapa.

“Although, she took ill, she told me she was getting over it, only to hear the sad news from her relatives,’’ Olojo told NAN.

He said that MARAN members would miss Obi for her leadership qualities and passion to bring members together.