The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association (NPAN), has described as shocking, the sudden death of Mallam Wada Maida on Monday.
The association described Wada as “one of the intellectuals in the engine room of the Association.”
A statement signed by Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, President of NPAN further described the deceased as “a consummate journalist and dedicated canvasser for a free press,” adding that he “was one of the pillars of our esteemed Association, the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN).”
The statement read further: “His passage is more shocking, coming barely a month after the death of the Life Patron of the Association, Mal Ismaila Isa.
“His life was a testament to public good and service, at both the local and international levels.
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“For instance, until his death, he chaired the Board of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), and served as a member of the Executive Board of of the International Press Institute (IPI), deploying his wealth of experience.
“At the NPAN, he was one of the intellectuals in the engine room of the Association.
“Mal. Wada, who was also a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), was a defender of free press and democracy.
“The nation has lost an icon and the Nigerian and international Press, a strong pillar.
“We mourn.”
Until his death, Wada was also the Chairman, Board of Directors of People’s Media, publishers of the People’s Daily Newspapers.
