Rasheeda Yahaya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of a veteran journalist, Chief Dan Agbese.
In addition to being one of the founders of the Newswatch Magazine, Chief Agbese was a columnist, author, and a journalism teacher, who molded many Nigerian journalists.
Chief Agbese, who hailed from the Ikpilogwu clan of the Agila district, Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, passed away on Monday, aged 81. The Agbese family announced his passing in a statement on Monday afternoon.
Speaker Abbas, who described the late Chief Dan Agbese as a journalism icon in Nigeria and beyond, said the pen profession has lost one of its finest.
In a condolence message issued through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the Speaker recalled Chief Agbese’s days as a dogged journalist in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Even after his retirement from active reporting, the Speaker noted, Chief Agbese continued his journalism practice by writing columns both on societal and media issues, one of which was The Ombudsman on the Daily Trust Newspaper, which he recently rested.
Speaker Abbas said the exploits of the likes of Chief Agbese shaped the Nigerian society positively, noting that the late veteran journalist was one of the few who held leaders to account during his heyday.
The Speaker specifically noted Chief Dan Agbese’s struggles to institute and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, joining hands with like-minds in the pen profession for the struggle.
Speaker Abbas extended his condolences to the Agbese family, the people, and the government of Benue State, as well as the entire Nigerian media industry, over this irreparable loss. He prayed to Almighty God to console the family and grant his soul eternal rest.
