By Amaka Amaka
Tributes have been trailing the news of the passing away of a veteran broadcaster and retired On Air Personality at
the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Mr Kelvin Ugwu.
Ugwu reportedly passed on during a brief illness
He was a popular voice on the network service of Radio Nigeria, reading news and hosting one of the Corporation’s star programmes, POLICE DIARY for many years.
He recently bowed out of FRCN having clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60.
His death was announced by one of his former colleagues in FRCN, Mr Solomon Iorpev on his Facebook page.
Mr Iorpev wrote:
“Big brother Kelvin Ugwu, the golden voice on Radio, if anyone told me your time was up, I would have drawn daggers, but at Las, my pastor, my artist, my brother, my uncle, my colleague my boss, my friend.
“Sleep well big brother. You were indeed a BIG BROTHER!”
Veteran broadcaster, Salem Akindele-Rock wrote on his Facebook page:
“My heart is too heavy, Big Brother Kevin Ugwu.
“I was to help you review some Yorùbá songs you received from your dream as usual, so what is this I’m hearing?
What a sad loss to the whole of humanity!”
Also on Facebook,Greg Odiakosa, Deputy Director of Programmes, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Enugu National Station wrote:
“KELVIN UGWU…what a way to go! What a time to go! Shocking! You just retired! You were full of life! You released an album to celebrate your 60th birthday and retirement from the services of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.
“So why would death knock now?”
Veteran journalist, Ngwuoke Ngwuoke wrote:
“Kelvin Ugwu, dead? What a shocking news.
“I remember vividly when we attended an 8-week course together at the Radio Nigeria Academy in Lagos in 2012. You were such a lovely guy. We returned to Abuja together and the relationship blossomed at Radio House. My story in Abuja can not be complete without Kelvin Ugwu.”
Practicing journalist in Enugu, Dennis Agbo wrote: He was one of my fancies, ones of my favorite DJs in ABS Radio, Sunrise Fm. That was when the Fm stations started debuting. It was music all the way with good voices. The voices included: Chuzzy Iboko, NG Aniagboka, Helen Bassy and of course the Big Brother on Radio, KELVIN UGWU. They used to make my days, sticking on the Radio just to hear their voices talk about different music and artistes.
“Kelvin scaled up to Abuja and I was glad to hear his voice again resound in Radio Nigeria network news hours. Later I saw his handsome and ever smiling face on the screen, acting out some roles. I was glad and kept being a fan. The voice on Radio and face on screen gradually vanished and I was told he had become a ‘Boss’. And now this sad news…
Rest on Big Brother!
