Akinwale Martins Oshodi, a former Special Assistant (SA) on Electronics’ Media to Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, is dead.
A family source told SaharaReporters Mr. Oshodi died Sunday morning at an unconfirmed hospital after battling an undisclosed ailment over the past three months. He is survived by a wife and children.
Early last week, there were rumors he had already passed but his close friends were able to prove he was still alive.
Before his appointment to the governor’s staff, he was a Media manager with the Ondo State Radio Vision Corporation (OSRC), where he headed the Crime beat. He was known for his fierce coverage and passionate reporting, as well as his engaging style of delivering the early morning ‘Newspaper Review’ at the radio arm of the station.
Oshodi was appointed Special Assistant on electronics media by Governor Mimiko during his first term to coordinate many of the Labour Party’s government propaganda programmes both within and outside the state.
On account of his wide experience, Mr. Oshodi was used as a link between the state governor’s Press Crew and journalists, mostly the electronics’ journalists, who reported the activities of the government to their outfits based outside the state, particularly in Lagos.
He ensured that the programmes of the state government were well-reported, and monitored the coverage and activities of the outside station journalists in the crew, vetting their reports before they were filed with their mediums.
Despite his hard work for the present government, Oshodi did not survive the second term axe of Governor Mimiko, as he was dropped on account of his health, and neglected until his death.
A close friend of Oshodi told our correspondent, “Akinwale was mostly used and dumped by the greedy administration of the already collapsed Labour Party government in the state.”
Mrs. Oshodi, who spoke with SaharaReporters from an undisclosed hospital, said her husband was “writhing in pains till he gave up the ghost”.