The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor of Taraba State on Media, Sylvanus Giwa, is dead.
He was reported to have died after collapsing at Government House, Jalingo on Friday.
Described as the reference point and the one who gave the leadership of the state its voice on the radio, television and campaign rostrums, Giwa said to be a fine journalist.
In a tribute titled “Giwa: Exit of a Golden Elephant,” by Emmanuel Bello, he was described as one who would be sorely missed.
The tribute reads: “He was simply the franchise. He was the best of Taraba’s journalism and its ultimate golden voice. A giant by any standards, Chief Sylvanus Giwa, bestrode the media landscape like the Greekan Collosus. He was the reference point and the one who gave the leadership of the state its voice on the radio, television and campaign rostrums.
“In a sense, we can conclude that SY Giwa has been the REAL DEAL all this while as far as the media business in Taraba is concerned.
“Blessed with an angelic voice that could have been deployed to music and could simply rival that of Bob Marley or even Michael Jackson, he chose rather to bless the media with it.
“And so a voice was born. It was that voice that has dominated the airwaves for decades now. One of the nation’s best, Giwa’s voice would forever ring in our ears. It is voice of thunders and drumbeats of heaven. The angelic choir just got one more tongue.
“I refuse to mourn but to celebrate this great son of Gahwetun ward, Takum LGA, Taraba State, Nigeria, Africa and the entire globe. A jovial soul, I once teased him on an issue. He then gave me that sweet smile of his, playfully hit my chest and said in that deep baritone: “Emma, you are right and you are wrong!” I just stared at him. It was a perfect answer. Since then, all I have for my lord is a certain kind of awe: his determination, push, creativity and passion. My Lord SY (that’s how I call him) was always full of life and lively ideas.
“As Commissioner for Information, I spent hours just listening to him and taking notes. His grasp of the history of the state, his profound understanding of issues, his leadership and discipline; all of these have been my motivation and mental aphrodisiac through the years.
“I really can’t tell what others would miss but I would miss a big brother, friend, a gentle giant, a humble man, a good father to his kid and a fantastic husband to his wife.
“Honorable SY Giwa blessed Taraba State with his voice, instinct, and expertise. We must now preserve his legacy by keeping it alive. An elephant just left his foot prints on this path. Please, no one should pretend they could step into them. Good night, sir. And sweet dream.”
