Kalu, Publisher of The Sun, gave this assurance yesterday when he paid a condolence visit to the family of Pastor Igwe in Okota, Lagos.
He recalled the sterling role Igwe played in birthing and nurturing The Sun to outstanding success, describing him as a soulmate who gave his utmost to ensure that it attained the great height it has in Nigeria’s media industry.
Turning to Mrs. Obioma Dimgba-Igwe, widow of the late vice-chairman, Kalu said: “I want to assure my sister-in-law that as long as I am alive she will never suffer. These children will remain in school. They will attain any level they want as long they are willing to go to school. They will be able to work in any place they desire. They will go to the best schools, unless they are not ready to study. I will train them in the same best way I am training my own children. I will be avail
able to you at all times, not at some times.”
Acknowledging that Igwe had lived a good life, he noted that many “people die and they have nobody to celebrate them, but we will continue to celebrate Dimgba Igwe for what he did. His death was a very unripe death.”
Earlier in his remarks to welcome Kalu and his entourage to the home of Igwe, former Managing Director of The Sun Publishing Limited, Mike Awoyinfa, had urged him not let the high quality of life Dimgba’s immediate family had enjoyed to fall, saying that children’s welfare meant a great deal to his late friend who was like a twin brother.
His words: “Thank you for coming to commiserate with the family. It has happened, we can’t change it. God knows why it happened. We have shed tears and cried our hearts out for Dimgba Igwe. You know how close we were. Even you have said that we were inseparable. I am seeing you and recalling the days when we started The Sun. Your Excellency, I thank you for the confidence you had in us, me and Dimgba – that we were the two people capable of doing the magic that became The Sun. Looking at what we have done in 10 years, wherever Dimgba is, I am sure he is happy that The Sun will shine till the end of time. The role that Dimgba played, history cannot wash it away. This is not a day for long speeches. All I can beg of you is for the children. They meant so much to Dimgba. For the fact that you are alive, I have a lot of confidence that you will never let them suffer. I have every hope that God will use you to ensure that the standards that Dimgba raised for them will not come down. Once again, I thank you for finding the time to visit the family.”
Elder brother of Dimgba Igwe, Prince Hanson Igwe in his comments expressed appreciation to Kalu for making out time to visit the family and for his comforting words.
During a brief interaction with newsmen after his condolence visit to Igwe’s family, Kalu disclosed his earnest intention to make a special appeal to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola to immortalize the distinguished late journalist.
“I am going to meet Governor Babatunde Fashola and ask him to reconstruct this road (referring to the street where the late distinguished journalist was jogging before his demise) and name it after Dimgba Igwe. And I will ask people to continue to remember him.
Following the hit-and-run incident that led to Dimgba’s death, it would be recalled that about three hours elapsed before he could be taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, after unsuccessful visits to two hospitals (a private medical facility in Okota and Isolo General Hospital, where he could not receive the right surgical intervention, in either place, that could have saved his life.)
On the deplorable state of healthcare services, Kalu said the time had come for the private sector to do more and help revive the comatose healthcare system adding, “the private sector should come up very strongly.”
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