President Goodluck Jonathan has commiserated with the family of the late Alade Odunewu, a respected veteran journalist, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 85.

The President said that the late Odunewu would be remembered as a nationalist and patriot whose notable contributions to national development extended well beyond his chosen profession.

He urged the present generation of Nigerian journalists to emulateOdunewu’s exemplary qualities of forthrightness, fairness, patriotism and moral rectitude.

“Allah De”, the name given to the late journalist derived from his ‘Allah De’ columns written when he worked with the Daily Times of Nigeria, also headed the Nigerian Guild of Editors, an association he co-founded.

He also served as the president  and pioneer chairman of the National Press Council, NPC.

In 1956, he was managing director of the Nigerian Tribune and later worked with the Allied Newspapers of Nigeria as the editor-in-chief.

In 1964, he moved to the Times Group where he became the editor of the Daily Times and rose to become Editor-in-Chief.

He served as a commissioner for tourism in Lagos State in 1973 and was later a member of the Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO.

He was also appointed as Sole Administrator of Eko Today, a newspaper published by the Lagos State government during the administration of Muhammed Marwa, Brigadier-General.

Odunewu served as the president of the Nigerian Media Merit Award, a project that is designed to reward excellence in journalism.

He also published the book, ‘Winner Takes All’, a compilation of some of his writings.

An indigene of Ikorodu in Lagos State, he will be buried today at Vaults and Gardens Ikoyi, Lagos.