Dalung rues Jide Fashikun’s death

By Albert Akota

Barrister Solomon Dalung has expressed deep shock at the death of one of Nigeria’s foremost investigative reporters Olajide Fashikun, who died early today Sunday 27th January 2019 at the Federal Medical Center Jabi, Airport road Abuja.
The Minister of Youth and Sports lamented the death, describing the loss as colossal to Journalism and the Sports industry.
“It is a very sad day for sports journalists and athletes in the country.
“Jide created a platform to support athletes and stimulate performance through his mobilization of training funds to assist athletes. This made us look forward to a better podium performance in the years ahead.
Today, the curtains have been drawn on that project.”
Barrister Dalung paid glowing tribute to the publisher of Gong News who excelled not only in sports reportage but also politics and investigative writing.
“Jide was a dedication journalist who went far to uphold the truth. He was a fighter, fearless, thorough and an epitome of investigative journalism while contributing immensely to grassroots sports development.
His love for grassroots sports informed his personal effort to raise funds for athletes to train with and prepare for future Olympic Games. Now, Jide is gone. I pray that God will receive him and give his wife and family the fortitude to bear this loss.”
Olajide Fashikun initiated the Nigeria Sports Development Fund
to raise funds for athletes to prepare for 5 sports at the Olympics. He was an ex -international in handball and athletics and a stakeholder in all sports.
Fashikun was a one-time Chairman of the Kwara State Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Sports Editor of the Herald newspaper, Managing Editor of Gong News, a senior Sports correspondent at ThisDay and a former lecturer at Kwara Polytechnic.
He was aged 54.