The Department of Mass Communication of the University of Jos held a procession on Monday, November 11, 2024, in respect of its late student, Mr. Noel Gabriel Gowok, which took place at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Arts.
Late Noel Gabriel Gowok was a 400-level student of the Department who hailed from Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State. He reportedly had a brief illness which led to his demise. Born on January 2, 2001, he passed away on August 25, 2024, and was buried on August 30, 2024, at his hometown of Gungji Amper in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The procession started at about 8:40 am, whereby students from various levels of the Department gathered in front of the Tony Momoh Hall, dressed in black attire, to pay their final respects to the deceased. The procession kicked off with soulful hymnal songs by students who moved around the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Students of the department from various levels came out in mass, except for the 200-level class, represented by only a handful.
In an interview with the President of the Association of Mass Communication Students (AMCOMS), Miss Weng Cabala, who was also a coursemate of the deceased, disclosed that Late Noel’s death came as a painful and unwanted surprise. In her words, “When the news of his death came in, it was a mixed feeling of shock, sadness, and confusion, as we were undergoing Industrial Training at the same Media Station.”
Following her speech, Mr. Yanaangoeret Darugun, a 300-level student of the Department, lamented the few experiences and moments shared with the deceased and how memorable those moments will be as the future unfolds. In his words, “I don’t know Noel that much, but I think all the moments we shared with him were nice moments. He is a very friendly and jovial person.”
One of the deceased’s coursemates, Miss Sarah Daniel Kims, lamented that they will forever miss Noel. Similarly, Mr. Jeremiah Nungse, a 300-level student of the Department, revealed that the deceased’s demise has created a vacuum that cannot be filled.
A lecturer in the Department, Mr. Jimme Matyek, testified that he knew about the deceased because of his good dressing habits and called on other students to emulate Late Noel’s lifestyle as a role model in an appreciative manner.
Mr. Godfrey Akwashiki, a 400-level student of the Department, thanked the entire student body on behalf of the 400-level class for coming out in mass to pay their final respects to the deceased. He also prayed that none of the students of the Department should encounter such a loss.
The essence of the procession was to pay a final respect to the deceased and pray for him to have eternal rest in Christ Jesus.
Report by Adawana Amuya Yusuf (Mass Communication Department Correspondent) (4/5)
Photos by Adawana Amuya Yusuf
Edited by Tersoo Stephen
