Peter Ajayi DADA

Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos and Bishop John Oyejola of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo led over 150 other Catholic priests from various dioceses in Nigeria to celebrate the funeral Mass for Very Rev. Msgr.  Gabriel Sunday Osu on May 28, 2026 at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos. He died on May 8, 2026 after a prolonged illness.

The Holy Mass which started at 10.00 a.m. prompt also had in attendance: Rev. Sisters from the various religious congregations, Papa Knights and Medalists, parishioners from various Catholic Churches from the Archdiocese and other neighbouring dioceses, friends, members of the Osu family led by Mr Paul Osu from Ubulu-Uku in Delta State, the representatives of the Boy's and Girl's Brigade, and well- wishers alike. The weather on that day was clement after the early morning downpour that confirmed that the heavenlies welcomed the late Msgr. Osu's soul into their midst. 

Very striking and worthy of note at the Mass were the gentlemen of the press led by the CAMPAN Chairman for Lagos Archdiocese, Mr Philip Nwosu. Majority of them had arrived the Cathedral as early as possible to pay their last respect to a great friend of the pen profession for almost 45 years. After the priesthood which was Msgr Osu's primary vocation and ministry, his second constituency must have been the Social Communications Apostolate of the Catholic Church which afforded him the unique opportunities to have interacted with many old and young journalists. I shall return to his oddysey in this apostolate very shortly in this piece.

Very Rev. Fr. Paul Ijasan, the  Administrator of Holy Cross Cathedral led in the chanting of the Sequence in Látìn, the official  language of the Church, to the spiritual edification of all present. Representatives of the various parishes where Msgr.Osu had served God and humanity during his lifetime mobilized themselves in large numbers to pay their last respect to an annointed man of God who impacted their lives spiritually and in other social strata of life. 

The Episcopal Vicar for Lekki Region, Very Rev. Fr. Paschal Nwaezeapu delivered a touching and spiritually deepening homily where he described the late Msgr. Osu as a charitable man who helped the needy and the less privileged during his life time. Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins in his post-communion remarks also dwelt on Msgr. Osu's life as a believer in human rights, equity, fairness and justice for the downtrodden through his public commentaries and condemnation of ill-treatment to the less privileged.

The Archbishop recalled that were Msgr. Osu was to be alive that day he would have condemned the coordinated raiding of schools in  Ahoro-Esin-Ile, Yawota and Alawusa rural communities  in Oriire Local Government Area Oyo State by suspected kidnappers where they kidnapped about 45 children on May 15 respectively.

Back to Fada Osu's association with the Pen Profession. Symbolically and providentially coincidental is that, that day marked a great reunion among old and new members of the Social Communications Apostolate of the Catholic Church under the aegis of the Catholic Ecclesiastical Provinces of Lagos and Ibadan (CEPLI) and the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN).

Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Adebayo Lewis, the incumbent Rector of St. Albert the Great Major Seminary at Idowu Offoran in  the Catholic Diocese of Abeokuta, who in the 1990s was the Director of Social Communications for  Abeokuta Diocese and Rev. Francis Femi Adetunji, a one-time Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of  Osogbo were among the concelebrating priests during the funeral Mass. Dr. (Mrs) Grace Achum, the AIT/Ray Power  team, the Catholic Herald team, and several others media practitioners and contemporary online publishers came in their large numbers to bid late Msgr. Osu goodbye.

In 2018, he used his good office as the Director of Social Communications in Archdiocese of Lagos to appeal to Archbishop Adewale Martins to host the first national Congress of the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN) after its inauguration in 2017 by the then  CBCN Bishop Chairman, Bishop Godfrey Onah of the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka in Port Harcourt during the tenure of Very Rev. Fr. Christian Anyanwu as the national Director of Social Communications Directorate  at the  Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN). After the inauguration, history was made with the election of my good friend, Patrick Osu as the national president while I, Peter Ajayi Dada, was elected the National Secretary. Thank God that CAMPAN national is waxing stronger and stronger today in promoting and publicizing the activities of the Catholic Church as an arm of its Social Communucations Apostolate under a new leadership led by Sir Chimdi Oluoha from Umuahia Diocese.

It is on record that Archbishop Adewale Martins had an interactive session with the CAMPAN members during the Congress while the then CBCN Bishop Chairman, Bishop Chidi Denis Isizoh, the then Auxiliary Bishop of Onitsha Archdiocese and the current Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Aguleri was physically present as the Chief Celebrant at the opening Mass held at Saints Philips and James Catholic Church, Lekki then. We all had a spiritually fulfilling period at Lumen Christi

Also, Very Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku as the President of SIGNIS Nigeria, Director of Social Communications  for Abuja Archdiocese and Director of Catholic Television of Nigeria CTV), Rev Fr Christian Anyanwu, the then National Director of Social Communications whose office  facilitated the birth of CAMPAN alongside Fr Francis Femi Adetunji attended the historic national Congress. Patrick Osu and myself had the unique privilege of sitting at table for lunch with Msgr Osu and Fr. Alumuku then. They relished with nostalgia on their infancy days as priests, recalling some their contemporaries and how they were faring in the priestly ministry. With the turn-out of Bishops, priests, the religious, the various lay and voluntary organizations for the funeral Mass,

It is indeed accurate to conclude that Msgr or ' Fada' Osu was indeed a great friend if the media in his life.

May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed continue to rest in peace. Amen.