Mr. Sunday Areh is as popular as, Nigerian currency, for all the good reasons though, in the entire Delta State, especially in Asaba, the state’s capital city where now resides.
A former media aide to Chief James Ibori, who still remains the best governor and most detrbalised chief executive of state the state 22 years after and who championed the 13 percent resource control from petroleum that all the nine oil producing states in Nigeria are enjoying today. Ibori will also be remembered, forever, as the man who introduced the turn by turn succession system in the state that has made the governorship position in the state to be rotated among the three senatorial districts of Delta Central, Delta North and Delta South, without any rancour.
Areh became a full time resident of Asaba in the 2000s when Ibori head hunted him, from the now defunct National Interest Newspapers owned then by Ideh Igunbor, to become one of his media aides with Oshevere as the main chief press secretary.
This appointment that came the year the twin tower in America was brought down by Acaeda terrorists, was all that Areh who was a classmate of this writer at the Lagos State University (LASU) at that time needed to further show to the world all he learned from the various newsrooms he had worked in, in Lagos.
He distinguished himself meritoriously that Ibori’s successor in 2007, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, retained him as one of his media minders. He not only promoted Areh from special assistance to a senior special assistance (research and documentation, a new office created by the governor). But when Okowa came, the clannish Ika man, not only dropped Areh, but disbanded the office.
However, Areh took all that in his strides, he did not allow the disruption or distraction to shake his resolve to make it in journalism as he began to consult for so many people including the former DESOPADEC MD, the biggest opposition politician in the state among others. He remained unshaken, resolute and kept his eyes more on the ball.
Daddy Nathan, as i affectionately calls him started his journalism career with the defunct Mail Newspapers owned then by the late Mr. Clarkson Majomi before migrating to the Kirikiri Canal based Vanguard Newspapers from where Ibori noticed the star in him and took him to Delta State.
A jolly good fellow who do not spare cost to spoil his pals silly, Areh is one good friend that can stand by his friends in good or bad times.
This writer cannot forget our regular trips to Asaba Golf Club centre behind the government house Asaba each time he was in the state to do one or two stories.
Areh, as you join the elitist editors’ guild, a move you would have made 28 years ago but for procrastination, as you said in you appreciation message in your timeline in Meta, here is wishing you all the good things of life with your induction as member of NGE at the 25 all Nigerian editors’ conference in Abuja last week; after all, it is not how long you have been a member but how impactful your membership will be to NGE.
Congrats once again!
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