'The greatest joy in life is to accept Jesus as ones lord and personal savior. That you humbly did. While in abuja early 2014 you sought peace and made amends...thank you for giving me these five beautiful children. Bago Zaye, better is the end of a matter than the beginninng. Adieu Prom' - 

  Martine Khobe

MINDAPA. He has gone ahead of us and we will be catching up with him soon. He has not gone far. We have been together since 1974 or thereabouts at FRCN Kaduna. Truelly, we have been together as good friends. We ask God blesses on him. Munyi rashi da Mindapa -
  Al Bashir

We wish to commiserate with the family and the entire bwatiye kingdom for the loss of a foremost journalist and broadcaster, Mr Nyaka Mindapa of the former Democracy in Action fame. 
Mindapa, a dependable defender of modern democracy, honest, caring, principled, supportive incorruptible, bold and frank journalist of intergrity. indeed firm, extremely transparet and impeccably professional professional, a man who served as this state's General manager ABC.
Nyaka Mindapa will be remembered as a rare gem who contributed enormously to the develpment of Adamawa state and broadcast media. His passion for unity in diversity will forever remain our guiding principles as leaders.
May the good lord grant his family and the bwatiye ace the fortitude to bear the irrearable loss and grant him a place in the bosom of our lord.Amen
-
His Excellency, Senator Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow , Governor of Adamawa State on behalf of his family and the good people of Adamawa state

Zidon Zakka May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

Liz Asabe Ikilama May his soul rest in peace! Amen!................he will be fondly remembered...............GBC your number 1 Radio station in mind!  

Umar Mahmud Nyaka Mindapa ! One of the best Political Producers on radio. " Im Isa Ndime, your producer Nyaka Mindapa". A political programme " Politics in Action"produced by Radio Kaduna in the 70's. Rest in peace.

Emmanuel Yawe Sad. I will not be there. Just heard of his death on Timawus Mathiasfacebook page. I am here in Yenagoa Bayelsa State attending a conference of Nigerian Editors. I remember our days in Yola when many people mistook me for a Bachama man because I was close to Uncle Tima, Nyaka and many other Bachama people. May his soul rest in the Lord. We are an endangered specie. 
Mohammed Askira May his soul rest in peace. The producer of the famous 'Democracy in Action', a popular program on FRCN Kaduna during the second republic is no more. 

Ruth Yohanna Continue to rest with the Lord daddy. For the family pls accept my condolences.

Margaret Yusuf Hmmmm. This life.

Richard Ngaro Allah ya jika maza. One era is gone RIP


Nicks Kaino May God rest his Soul !

Ezekiel Amin Boryo May the soul of the departed Rest in peace.Amen

Igawe Vinante God rest his soul

Tina Hanis May his soul rest in peace and may God comfort his family and friends.

Milka Zadok May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace with The Lord . Amen and may the family have the fortitude to bear the lost , on behave of my family please accept our sympathy .

Amos Zubeiru May his soul rest in peace Amen

Bature Ahmed My condolence to his family.

Daniel Shaga Ismaila He was a man that was passionate in his profession, happy doing what he loved, and indeed a gentleman. May his soul RIP.

Bashiru Ismail-ahmad Nyaka paid his dues to the Nation. I was there. RIP 

Solomon Ajiduku Oh! My mentor is gone. I did not hear about your death, i was just browsing, and quipped as Uncle Tim, reeled out the programme of events for your burial.
You and Emmanuel Yawe, taught me how to work hard and carve a niche for myself, which i have done instructively. As you be laid to rest on Saturday, i pray God to forgive your sins and grand you eternal life, till we meet to part no more. Adieu!

Iddy Bko Quite a fitting tribute to a man who passed on leaving not just traces of his accomplishments , but also an evergreen longing for his iconic , masterpiece forays in radio broadcasting.


Christy Twaliwi Zwingina Unbelievable. This is shocking. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Pekamuno Muradi May his soul rest in perfect peace amen

Mcdonald Aleyideino Rest on sir

Jean Tarfa RIP! Sir your footsteps in the sand of time can never be erased. You came, you saw and you conquered. The One and only True "DEMOCRACY IN ACTION"

Jiddare Ummsulaim May God rest his soul in peaceful eternity.

Habsatu Dahiru On GBC as Director Programmes in 1982 he Iintroduced the 30 minutes news package in English, Fulfulde and Hausa, Issues And Events, Taba Kidi Taba Karatu, Just A Minute, Sarki Goma, Who Am I,Gongola River Boat Ride a musical in the Afternoon, which Uncle Tim use to present in the morning etc. RIP our Director and GM, you have been a great contributor in channeling our cruise in Radio Broadcasting.

Mikah Zephaniah Any Good thing on Earth never last! Adieu.  

Bashir Usman Another great member of that wonderful FRCN/RTK Team of the 70's takes a bow. Each and everyone of you has and continues to make an indelible mark in the profession. May the Almighty comfort us.

Rabiu Aliyu We will be catching up with him ultimately NOT soon. May his soul rest in perfect peace, other tributes say what a good life he led.

Bitrus Gwamna He and Al Bashir welcomed me into the News & Current Affairs Dept in 1979. I remember Mindapa as a fun-loving individual and a fine producer. I pray for comfort for his family.  

Cyrain Rangoon returned to Nigeria with a new name , Nyaka Mindapa, a name indigenous to his place of origin. Interaction with his European classmates went as follows as they went to fratanize, one quickly challenged Rangoon,'where do you come from Cyprain?' he retorted,'of course from Nigeria. I hail from the sunshine state of Gongola' (as it was called then). 'your name do not suggest anyrhing Nigerian or even African.' The colleague went on,'we are used to 
Irish bearing Cyprain. Rangoon is somewhere on the Indian sub-continent. how come you bear those names from two opposite directions and cultures and you want usto believe you are a Nigerian?'
For once Cyprain was quiet....He came back to Nigeria with a new name , Nyaka MIndapa. He had leegally and officially changed his names which became binding on his troublesome friends at school. Courtesy Michael Mahula Tika, FCIB, FCIDA

Nyaka MIndapa was one who was highly sociable. He belonged to several clubs like the golf club, press club, NUJ club.

He loved playing games i.e scrabble, darts, cards.

His love for grilled meat and kebab or African Suya cannot be over looked 

He took life easy. When he clocked 60, he said to his daughter Kimu,'Life begins at 60' lol  

 

2nd May 1970, Prince Nyaka Mindapa married Princess Martine Theophilus Tadongdi from the prestigious Numan Royal family of the then Numan Federation with whom he had a set of twins before they traveled to London in pursuit of higher education. He studied journalism at the institute of journalism London while she studied Secretarial studies at the St. Godrics College, London. On their return they both were gainfully employed and had three more kids.

His Children with Martine:
Prince Angelo Gyalosom Mindapa
Princess Angela Sanyarala Zanye nee Mindapa
Prince Angelyna Kimu Mindapa
Prince Paul Pwashikai Mindapa
Princess Joy Pwanedo Mindapa 

Grand daughter:
Princess Rebecca Eremo Zanye 

He later had a son named Prince Mike Tapu Mindapa.

Nyaka Mindapa was born Cyprain Rangoon to Prince Kudi Mindapa of the Impang/Waduku Royal Clan of the Bwatiye Kingdom whose family settled in Bare after a war against his family broke out when  I his grandfather the then Hama Bachama went to meet with his ancestors. This war left very few survivors of this great family who took shelter at various locations without a throne, family and belongings. Prince Kudi Mindapa, a survivor was a combatant of the Colonial West African Constabulary Force of the 2nd World War who was based in Rangoon, Burma.

On the news of the birth of his male heir he sent the name Cyprain Rangoon to the new mother who was born in Bare, Nigeria.

Educational and Working Experience Background
Primary School : Catholic Primary School, Bare - 1954 to 1960
Secondary School: VillaNova Secondary School, Numan - 1961 - 1965


After his secondary school, he immediately joined the First Bank of Nigeria. He worked in Zaria - Kaduna state, Gombe (under Bauchi state then) and Jos, Plateau State from 1966 - 1971. Cyprain as he was called distinguished himself as an astute officer in the bank, always impeccably dressed in co-operate suits. 

In 1972 he gained admission into the London College of Journalism located on Fleet Street. He graduated with an associate degree in Journalism. 

He returned to Nigeria to a ready employment at the Radio Television Kaduna which soon became the Federal Radio Cooperation and was the Principal News Editor from 1974 - 1982. In his service he developed the highly rated 'Democracy in Action' through which he gained nation-wide recognition which attracted the attention of the Adamawa State Government. He was appointed the Director of programmes from 1982 - 1994 where he introduced the following programmes:
30 minutes news package in English
Fulfulde and Hausa, Issues And Events
Taba Kidi Taba Karatu
Just A Minute
Sarki Goma
Who Am
Gongola River
Boat Ride a musical in the Afternoon.

 In 1995, he was appointed the Sole Administrator/General Manager of the Adamawa State Broadcasting Cooperation. He continued in that position till his retirement in 2001. 

On retirement he tried his hands on several businesses which includes marketing solid minerals and consultation. Courtesy Chief Timawus Mathias

TRIBUTE TO AN ICONIC QUINTESSENTIAL BROADCASTER PRINCE NYAKA MINDAPA (NEE CYPRIAN RANGOON)
The sun has finally dimmed at the down of the day but there is no gainsaying the fact that it has provided light before then during which period people had walked the landscape unassisted. Though the darkness has established its supremacy over where the sun had reigned, its benefits which had accrued to man, must ever be remembered. And so it was with our dear brother, father, uncle, colleague and associate, Late Nyaka Mindapa (Nee Cyprian Rangoon).  

As he lies low today, he becomes a proverbial elephant that was a subject of competitive description by the ten blind men who concluded as to what it was depending on which part of its body each of them had touched. This amiable soft spoken but intelligent gentleman who can no longer commune with us in life, is today being subjected to various descriptions by different people depending on where one stands.

  Therefore from our own standpoint, Late Nyaka Mindapa was a quintessential journalist and broadcaster who had carved a nitch for himself in the broadcasting industry. He was a broadcaster per excellence with an equal managerial skills in electronic media management. A man of great intellect, the gift that became his conveyance belt to his successful journalistic and broadcasting career which spanned over three decades. In retrospect and reflecting with nostalgia, his anchoring of the political programme “DEMOCRACY IN ACTION”, before and during the 1979 elections at the Radio Kaduna, manifested the intellect and talent that were embedded in him and which contributed immensely in catapulting him to limelight.

His professional and effective handling of this programme, made him a product that was most sought  after in the broadcasting industry and the ultimate reason for which he was later appointment as the General Manager of the State owned Media House, the Gongola Broadcasting Corporation, (GBC) Yola now Adamawa Broadcasting Cooperation (ABC) Yola by the then Gongola state Government.   While holding sway as the General Manager GBC Yola, Late Nyaka Mindapa ran an open door administration with a very high professional underpinning during which the Corporation’s productivity was rated very high consequent upon his managerial acumen and liberalness towards staff welfare in general. It was indeed a period of boom for the Corporation.   Furthermore, on the completion of the construction of Gongola Television (GTV) Yola and the installation of the communication and engineering equipment by the contracting firm, Late Nyaka Mindapa was directed by the State Government to oversee the new corporation in addition to his being the General Manager of GBC Yola, pending the appointment of a substantive General Manager.  

Since the communication and engineering equipment of both GBC and GTV were ordered from the same manufacturers, it was easy for his Engineers to carryout routine maintenance thereby making his supervisory role of GTV Yola very effective and successful.  

On the home front, Late Nyaka Mindapa was never without a place of pride. When the then Military President General Sani Abacha had revealed the intention of his administration to create more states, the micro nationalism in him roared its head and which made him to participate actively in the Movement for the creation of Gongola State which was proposed to comprise of the former Numan Federation, Mayo-Belwa Local Government and Cham and its environs which is today in the present Gombe State. He became its Secretary as well as Publicity Secretary because of his pedigree. With this sacrificial contribution, Late Nyaka Mindapa cannot be forgotten in a hurry by the people of the former Numan Federation.  

Finally, Late Nyaka Mindapa was a true ambassador of the Villanova Old Boys Association. His progress in his chosen career was a source of pride to the Old Students particularly when it was known that the person anchoring  the Democracy in Action for the 1979 elections at the Radio Kaduna, was a VOBAN, they were quick to identify with him and with an equal  deep sense of appreciation to God.  

He participated actively in all its activities while he was on the world stage until his untimely exit to the World beyond on 12th August, 2015.   Our dear Nyaka Mindapa for all that you have done to humanity, unto this great Nation Nigeria, Adamawa State and Villanova Old Boys Association in particular, we unite to mourn you deeply and to bid you goodnight as you journey to eternity.   Adieu!!!  Adieu!! Adieu!!! .
Cousin, Prince Medan Z Fwa, mni For and on behalf of the Villanova Old Boys Association