Veteran TV series producer, Jonathan Ihonde dies at 82

By Tosin Brown

Veteran dramatist and creator of the TV series, ‘Hotel de Jordan,’ Jonathan Ihonde has died at the age of 82.

According to reports, Ihonde passed away on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

The late TV producer was a renowned and award-winning dramatist, writer, veteran Labour Union leader, social mobiliser, humanist and consistent patriot.

His claim to fame, ‘Hotel de Jordan’ was created in 1973 and aired on the Midwest Television (MTV), which later became NTA Benin, following the take over of all television stations by the Federal Government.

Confirming Ihonde’s death, a former Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Godwin Erhahon, described Ihonde’s death as a great loss to the movie industry and the Labour Union movement.

“We were very close. He was a dramatist par excellence. He was a labour leader to the core, who always served as a resource person at Labour Union conferences,” he said.

Burial arrangements are yet to be announced by the family of the deceased.