18th October, 2017
Mr Emma Ndukuba, Senior Editor, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday bowed out the service of the agency, having put in over 32 years in public service.
Ndukuba, until his retirement, was the State Correspondent of NAN in Anambra.
Speaking at a send-off ceremony organised for him in Awka, Mr Tony Nezianya, also a former staff of the agency, described Ndukuba as a committed and hardworking member of staff.
Nezianya,who was head of Sports Desk of NAN but now a media aide to the Governor of Anambra, Willie Obiano, said Ndukuba contributed to the success of the Sports Desk of the agency.
“He was a committed member of staff the agency, we were together in Lagos and when he was moved out of Lagos he was very useful to us as he continued to file good reports.
“My advice is that he should write book on practical journalism because there is much to learn from him by young reporters,” he said.
He described Ndukuba as belonging to the old generation of journalists with a lot of information that could be useful to young reporters.
Nezianya, said retirement was not the end of the road especially for those who still had enough energy and zeal but a new beginning for greater opportunities.
Also speaking, Mr Felix Nwadioha, Enugu Zonal Manager of NAN said Ndukuba was a friend and a worthy colleague who exhibited passion for the job.
Nwadioha prayed that Ndukuba would enjoy his retirement and apply his post-service life resourcefully, adding that the retiree was healthy and physically strong.
Charles Onyekammuo, a senior journalist based in Awka, said Ndukuba was a team player who was able to provide good leadership to the Correspondents’ Chapel as chairman.
Onyekanmuo congratulated the retiree and urged him to extend the virtues and decorum he exhibited as NAN staff to the larger society.
In his remark, Tony Okafor of Punch Newspaper said though retirement had been described as a good thing, it was not a bed of roses.
According to Okafor, Ndukuba is now available to serve in other capacities and urged those with useful information on relevant opportunities to avail him, assuring them that the retiree still had much to offer.
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Earlier in his address of welcome, Francis Onyeukwu, State Correspondent of NAN in Anambra said it was not easy to serve one’s fatherland for 35 years and bow out in good health.
In his response, Ndukuba thanked God for the privilege of working in the agency and meeting all the friends and associates he had while in service.
He said his actions were guided by the demands of the job, noting that whoever he might have offended in the course of his durty should understand that he meant no harm.
“I am overwhelmed by this show of love, I never knew it will be this colourful, it simply shows that this is where I belong,” he said.
Ndukuba, a graduate of Nigeria Institute of Journalism joined NAN in 1982 in Lagos before serving as District Correspondent in Onitsha.
He later moved to Owerri office from where he moved to Aba as District Correspondent and lastly in Awka as State Correspondent in Anambra.
He is a member of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) a board member of Anambra Football Association and he covered many national and international sports competitions.
One of the competitions was the World University Games in Palma Mallorca, Spain in 1998.