The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Thursday said it is utterly shocked and deeply saddened by the death of Francis Sasu, the Head of News and Current Affairs of Atinka Media Village.

A statement issued by the GJA, and signed by its President, Mr Affail Monney, said Mr Sasu reportedly died in the afternoon of Wednesday, November 21, 2018, after a short illness.

Before joining Atinka Media Village in 2016, Francis Sasu, affectionately called ‘FS’, spent a long period of his four-decade professional career at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) where he retired in 2011. Later, he worked with ZTV from 2014 to 2016 as Head of News.

“Francis Sasu contributed immensely to the growth and development of the media in Ghana, particularly, the grooming of many of the new generation of journalists in the country,” it said. “He was very dedicated, committed and diligent to his duty, apart from being respectful to all persons, irrespective of their age, rank, race or any other inclination. For many years, he served as a member of GJA’s Media Awards Committee with utmost dedication.

“It is for these reasons the GJA finds the death of Francis Sasu a big loss to the media fraternity in Ghana and the country as a whole.” The GJA expressed its condolences to the bereaved family, especially his wife and children as well as the Management and Staff of Atinka Media Village. “We pray that the good Lord would console and grant them strength to go through these difficult moments in their lives until we put our departed brother and colleague to eternal rest.”

Meanwhile, a delegation from the GJA, led by Mr Monney, today visited the Atinka Media Village and the residence of Francis Sasu at Asofa-Ofankor, near Accra, to commiserate with the co-workers and his family, respectively. The Association said it would jointly organise the One Week celebration of the death of ‘their departed brother’ in collaboration with the Management of Atinka Media Village, on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

It invited friends and sympathisers to sign the two Books of Condolences it had opened at the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC) and Atinka Media Village, respectively, in honour of Francis Sasu.