Tributes galore for Late Communication scholar M’Bayo

Oluwatomisin Amokeoja

Former colleagues, students, mentees and others of the former Head, Department of Communication and Multimedia Design, American University of Nigeria, Yola, Prof. Ritchard Tamba M’Bayo, have mourned his departure, recounting fondest memories of him.

The Sierra Leonean academic and journalist, who as a Fulbright Scholar taught at University of Lagos (UNILAG) between 2006 -2007, died within the early hours of Wednesday after an undisclosed ailment relapse and couldn’t make it to the United States of America family hospital due to the ban on foreign trips.

His former student and the editor, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), Mr. Ajibola Amzat announced M’Bayo’s passage in a tribute to the late academic and politician who contested for the Presidency of his country in a post on Facebook.

Prof. M’Bayo who designed new programmes in Communication and Media Studies at the University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College (FBC), also provided similar leadership in accreditation plans at Bowie State University, USA, and the University of Lagos, Nigeria where he served respectively as Head of Department at both institutions.

He was instrumental to FBC’s staff capacity development at which he coordinated and supervised five doctoral candidates who were recently awarded Doctors of Philosophy.

As a widely travelled journalist and media research scholar, he garnered over 30 years of successful teaching, research and administrative experience at graduate and undergraduate programmes in the United States and Africa.

He authored several books and journal articles and was working on Political Culture, Media and State Governance, (Palgrave-MacMillan) before his departure.

“ Prof M’bayo is a professor of professors. A solid intellectual, an effective teacher, but more importantly, a good human being,” Ajibola stated.

“ I called him three months ago, asking him to be part of an investigative journalism training my organisation is setting up. Prof was excited when I explained what my organisation, ICIR has been doing. He said his university was planning to establish a student society of investigative journalists.  I was excited too. We agree to firm up plans.

“ Then We bantered a little over the old days at the University of Lagos. And his foray into local politics. Prof contested to become the president of Sierra Leone, and I really wanted him to win even though I knew he stood no chance. He was too decent to be caught in the morass of African politics of greed. And I told him so. He gave me one of the most reasonable explanations for his decision.”

In a tribute posted on Facebook, Dr. Ifeoma Theresa Amobi, Journalism and Mass Communication lecturer, UNILAG, noted with a “broken heart that the world has lost an academic giant.”

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She mourned the loss explaining how the Fulbright Programme scholar “touched” her life and others.

“We met during his Fulbright Programme at the Department of Mass Communication while I was pursuing my M.Sc. degree, and developed a friendship that transcended academics. We became family, so much so that he was one of the major reasons we decided to send our daughter to the American University of Nigeria, Yola, where Prof moved to after his sojourn at Unilag.

“Prof added value to so many lives around the world. He never met anyone he didn’t want to uplift. The story of my academic life can never be written correctly without penning down his name in gold.”

She condoled with the M’Bayo family and prayed for strength to bear the loss.

Senior Lecturer University of Lagos, Dr Oloruntola Sunday in his facebook post wrote: Very sad to lose you Prof Mbayo. Your death is a great loss to your family, friends and communication scholars. May God be with the family and friends you left behind. Rest in peace Prof.”

Similarly, Mr Anthony Corsy, old student and mass communication lecturer, among others took to the comment section of Amzat’s Facebook post to offer condolence and share experience:

“Prof is gone. He really mentored most of us back then in Unilag. May his loving soul rest in peace,” Corsy stated.

According to Tijani Alabi Fatai, “He was an enigma to us who didn’t have the opportunity to drink from his cup of knowledge yet, the little we read from his books took us far. He was a scholar’s scholar. May his soul rest in peace.”

Sylvester Allieu said: “He was my lecturer too. A fatherly figure with a reassuring smile at all times. He lectured me Research Theory in MA, Mass Communications at FBC. Rest in Peace Prof.”

Another old student, Darryl Wise said: “He taught me and I will always remember how he could so subtly show you the perspective of other groups and that even though different from the one you might have you would understand their perspective and why they might feel the way they did. He really made you think.”

For Ailende Ativie, “Oh-h, I never met him in person but he edited a book in which my journal article was published in the US in 2012. Like the write up indicated, he clearly was a good conversationalist. I could tell this each time we spoke on the phone while the publication was in press. Please accept my condolences! May his gentle soul rest in peace.”

“Rest in perpetual peace Prof, your scholarly works and legacy shall triumph in your absence… The Department of Mass Communication, Fourah Bay College – University of Sierra Leone will dearly miss you,” Gbla Sulaiman reacted.

Going down the memory lane, Ferdinand Mekx Ekechukwu said: Damn! Professor Ritchard Tamba M’bayo gone the way of all mortals. I remember his days with us. He made learning so easy that we looked forward to his classes. He regaled us with American narratives and his experience. Such that some interestingly interested species amongst us then wanted the gist after class sessions in his official quarters in UNILAG. He was a father and a teacher to many. A very good man. He will be missed by many. What a great loss. May his soul RIP. Adieu Prof!”