WARRI – Ex Assistant Editor of the defunct Concord Newspaper , Mr Richard Ogie has sent an SOS to the Delta State Government to urgently come to his rescue with financial assistance to enable seek proper medical attention within or outside the country.
Ogie who is currently down with ailments relating to kidney failure and prostrate cancer ,said the illness has eating deep into his finances leaving him in huge debts.
The frail looking journalist made the appeal when the Delta State Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) ,Comrade Mike Ikeogwu , in company the Chairman of the Warri Correspondents’ Chapel of the Union, Akpokona Omafuaire and other members visited him at his residents Warri.
While making the passionate appeal, he said,” I have spent over Three Million Naira.”
“I need the State Government to give me help because this has gone beyond my capacity.
“I need State Government’s efforts to help me financially by either taking me to a renowned hospital for treatment within or outside the country and also help me with my children’s school fees and my accommodation,” he pleaded.
His wife, a primary school teacher who also joined in the appeal in an emotion laden voice ,narrated how life has become so difficult for her family since her husband took ill and solicited for assistance from the government and other well meaning Nigerians.
The Edo State born Richard Ogie whose journalism career spans over three decades ,worked with the Concord Newspaper where he rose to become Editor of Business Concord.
Ogie later moved to the Mid-Week Concord where he became Assistant News-Editor from where he joined the Diet as Bureau Chief in Warri.
Ogie also worked as Editor of the Reflector Newspaper in Warri. Because of the numerous challenges in the media profession, he joined the Niger Delta Standard Newspaper where he last worked as Editor for five years in Port-Harcourt,Rivers State before taking ill.
