Marshall Hemen Gundu was born on 4th November, 1958 in Zaria, Kaduna State to Mr. and Mrs. Mathias Gbile Gundu. He hailed from Abile Uchi Mbakor, Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State.
He attended St. Bartholomew Primary School, Sultan Bello and St. Peter’s Demonstration Primary School, all in Kaduna State. He had his A’levels at Fuma School of Arts and Science, Zaria, Kaduna State; and the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A. Hons) Degree in English Language.
After the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Marshall Gundu began his career in the Federal Civil Service in the then Federal Department of Information, Lagos in the year 1983 as Information Officer II. From 1986 to 1991, he served as Information Attaché at the Nigerian Embassy, Bonn, Germany.
Upon return back to Nigeria at the Federal Ministry of Information, Lagos, Gundu was appointed Protocol/Liaison Officer from 1991 to 1999 in the External Publicity Department of the Ministry. At various points, he headed the Press and Public Relations Unit in the following Federal Government Ministries:
Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Abuja, 1999 to 2003;
Federal Ministry of Industry, Abuja 2003 to 2006;
Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja 2006 to 2011;
Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Abuja 2011 to 2014;
Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja 2014 to 2016; and
Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in February 2016 – November 2018.
After 35 years of meritorious service to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Mr. Marshall Hemen Gundu, in line with the provisions of the Federal Civil Service, retired on November 4th, 2018 at the age of Sixty (60) as Director of Communications.
A seasoned administrator and media practitioner par excellence, Marshall Gundu was a board member of the Nigerian Press Council from 2011 to 2014.
He was widely traveled and in the course of service, had been to: Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin Republic, Cameroun, Chad, China, England, Ethiopia, France and Germany. Other countries included Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Netherland, Luzemburg, Niger, Sri Lanka, South Africa, South Korea, USA, Argentina and United Arab Emirate, among others. No wonder his friends and colleagues called him “Ambassador”.
A detribalized man per excellence, he impacted many lives due to his generosity, open-heartedness and cheerfulness. He took peoples problems as his personal problems and proffered solutions to the best of his ability. Late Mr. Marshall Gundu was an epitome of humility and kindness.
He was a devoted Christian and interacted freely with people irrespective of class, creed and tribe. He was a sports lover with special interest in football.
He died on Monday December 24, 2018 in Abuja after a brief illness.
Mr. Gundu is survived by:
Wife: Mrs. Susan Member Gundu;
Two sons:
Mr. George Dondo Gundu; and
Mr. Bernard Tordo Gundu;
Mother-in-law, his mother, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles.
He would be greatly missed.
May his gentle soul rest in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.
ADIEU!
