Posted by By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
Following the death of the Senate Correspondent of African Independent Television (AIT), Ms. Phil Shiminenge Sende, the Senate President, David Mark, who cut short his trip and returned to Nigeria in the early hours of yesterday has offered to take over the educational sponsorship of the two kids left behind by the deceased.
Following the death of the Senate Correspondent of African Independent Television (AIT), Ms. Phil Shiminenge Sende, the Senate President, David Mark, who cut short his trip and returned to Nigeria in the early hours of yesterday has offered to take over the educational sponsorship of the two kids left behind by the deceased.
He made this known yesterday when he paid a condolence visit to DAAR Communications office in Abuja.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, which he noted forced the Nigeria's delegation to the 117th International Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting, in Geneva to stop further participation at the meeting in honour of the late reporter, Mark said 'the National Assembly will take full responsibility of flying the corpse of the late Ms. Sende home, as well as arrange to give her a befitting burial.
"On personal basis, I know that she has got two children, I have already decided that I will take over scholarship of the two children until they finish their university.
"After cutting short our participation at the IPU, some of us came back yesterday, others are behind to see to the conclusion of all formalities so that we can fly the body home as quickly as possible.
"As a mark of respect and honour for her, I was supposed to address the IPU yesterday, but even at that, I decided I should not do it as a mark of respect for her.
'What has happened is God's will, we cannot question God's will, we cannot decide when to be born and we cannot decide when we would die.
But we also have to give glory and honour and thanks to God that we are alive to bury our own dead. I travel on the road quite often and so very often I see corpses on the road with nobody to attend to them," Mark added.
In the condolence register opened by DAAR management, Mark wrote that "may your soul rest in peace. Your devotion to duty and your patriotism will be remembered for long."
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Director, DARR Communication, Mr. Ladi Lawal, who said that the incident was unfortunate, maintained that they all have accepted the incident as the will of God which could not be influenced by anyone.
"The death is unfortunate and an act of God which cannot be questioned. The entire media world not only Nigeria will definitely miss this gem of a reporter. I will deliberately use the present tense to say that, this is a patriotic Nigerian.
'I urge all of us that she has left behind to carry on with the principles and ideals that she lived for and died with, as a mark of honour to her.
'She is everything to the family. She carries the responsibilities that three men should ordinarily carry. She is not extravagant; she is humble and lived virtually for her family members, including members of her extended family."
At the home of the deceased, where the Senate president was received by the father of the late reporter, Mr. Sende, he told Mark that the late Phil was the bread winner of the family, saying that 'she has done a lot for the family but she has equally left several other projects unfinished. For now, I don't have anything to say other than to thank all of you for your concern and support."