•Akirijan Photo: Sun News Publishing

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The Sun Publishing Limited was yesterday thrown into mourning as news filtered in that the company’s Operations Manager, Mr. Martin Akirijan who was involved in auto accident on Thursday had lost the battle of survival in the early hours of Friday.

There was shock and disbelief as the Managing Director of The Sun, Mr. Mike Awoyinfa managed to muster some strength to relay the tale of the incident and how finally Akirijan who was brought into the company premises yesterday afternoon unconscious did not survive the crash.
Akirijan was knocked down at a bus stop by a speeding motorcycle.

In a swift reaction to the incident, the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu expressed shock and disbelief over the death of Akirijan and expressed his condolence to the family of the deceased and The Sun Publishing Limited for the great loss.
He prayed God to grant the family, friends and associates of Akirijan the strength to bear the loss and get over the shock.

Kalu lamented that the late administrator and humanitarian personality passed on under such circumstances and age when he is still needed much by the society.
Also, the management of The Sun, on behalf of the establishment bemoaned the loss of Akirijan and noted that the value the firm placed on his person, life and services to the company was a reason it deployed its medical team to ensure he got the best attention, but regretted that he ended the way he did.

The company used the opportunity to remind the Lagos State government of the increasing menace the unnecessary latitude given commercial motorcycle operators (okada) who operate without regard for the lives and safety of others poses to the city and residents. “It is now time for the government to intensify its action to make sure motorcycle operators operate within rules and the law as the problems they cause the society in loss of lives, incapacitation and sorrows keep mounting”, The Sun Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Dimgba Igwe noted.

In his capacity as the Chairman of the Kirikiri Industrial Association, he called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to see it important to act on an SOS the union sent it over the deplorable state of roads in Kirikiri, which are totally inaccessible. “The man we lost has a car, he lives within the Kirikiri town, but because of the nature of the road which is practically impassable, he prefers to leave his car at home and walk to the office which is nearby, and I might say, it is possible this might not have happened if he had the opportunity of using his car. I would once again urge the government to do something about the roads here now”.

Akirijan, an astute manager and administrator, died at the age of 57 at the Eko Hospital where he was rushed to for adequate attention.
Career
The late Akirijan joined the services of The Sun Publishing in September this year as Operations Manager and had been adjusting to the task of contributing to the growth of the company when ill fate struck.

Before he joined The Sun, the deceased administrator had worked with the Vanguard newspapers between 1999 and 2005 as General Manager. He joined Vanguard from AG Leventis where he was Stores Manager between 1985 and 1991.
He had started his career in Auditing with Audit firms in Lagos where he worked for the first year of his employment after his NYSC service in 1978. He later worked as accountant with four companies including the Apapa Club, Olaiya Fagbamigbe Ltd and an insurance company.

Akirijan had his higher education at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra between 1972 and 1975 where he obtained a BSc. in Administration, majoring in accounting.
The late Sun Newspaper manager was born on January 16, 1951 at Ugboton, Okpe LGA of Delta State and had also his secondary education in Ghana before he came back to Nigeria after his first degree.

Losing a capable workforce
In a chat with the head of Human Resources of The Sun Publishing Limited, Pastor Patrick Enilama, he described the late Akirijan as a worthy hand and dependable expert in his field, and lamented that “the company still had lofty plans on how best to employ his expertise in the future when this misfortune struck.

How I wish he had waited just for some minutes before leaving his office for a short errand, which he did not come back from alive. It sounds painful and unbelievable, but the reality is that he is gone, and it is a fact that we will miss him and all his expected contributions in the company which we had started seeing in his department before the good Lord took him”.

According to The Sun resident doctor, the news of Akirijan’s involvement in the accident was received yesterday afternoon when concerned persons saw him knocked down on the road at Maza-Maza by a motorbike and alerted the company after finding on him his staff ID card.
“We immediately got to the scene of the accident and brought him to the staff clinic unconscious. Efforts were