PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, mourned the death of veteran journalist, author and co-founder of Newswatch magazine, Dan Agbese, calling him “an institution”.

Agbese, the Awan’Otun of Agila in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, died in Lagos on Monday at 81.

Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Agbese’s death was a painful loss to the media industry and the nation.

Tinubu noted that Agbese and his Newswatch colleagues helped to pioneer a new era of investigative journalism in Nigeria, raising the standards for ethical and courageous reporting.

He noted, “Dan Agbese was not just a journalist; he was an institution. His pen shaped public opinion, strengthened democratic discourse, and inspired a generation of media practitioners.”

Tinubu said the veteran journalist “served Nigeria with integrity, courage, and commitment to truth and justice,” adding that “his contribution to the evolution of the modern Nigerian press will be remembered forever.”

He prayed that journalism would be guided by the Agbese legacy while he consoled with the family left behind.

In the same vein, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described Agbese’s death as a major blow to the nation’s media community and the country’s democratic development.

The Senate President stated this in a condolence message on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh.

Akpabio described Agbese’s demise as “a monumental loss to Nigeria’s journalism family and to all who value truth, integrity, and courageous storytelling.”

According to him, the former Editor of The New Nigerian and The Nigeria Standard belonged to a generation of journalists who set professional standards that shaped media practice for decades.

“The statement partly read, “I deeply mourn the loss of Chief Dan Agbese, a distinguished journalist who devoted his life to the pursuit of truth, accountability, and press freedom.

“His writings shaped national conscience, challenged power, and illuminated the path of democracy. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of journalists yet unborn.”

Akpabio also extended condolences to the Agbese family, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

Agbese was one of Nigeria’s most influential editors and a founding partner of Newswatch magazine alongside Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, and Yakubu Mohammed in 1984.

The magazine became a watershed in investigative journalism and set new benchmarks for accountability reporting.

Until April 2010, Agbese served as Editor-in-Chief of the publication, after earlier stints as Managing Editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

He later wrote widely read opinion columns in Daily Trust and The Guardian, while co-running a media consultancy with Ekpu, Mohammed and Soji Akinrinade.

Agbese co-founded Newswatch in the 1980s with the late Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Yakubu Mohammed.

The magazine faced confrontations with military rule, most tragically the 1986 letter-bomb assassination of Giwa and a subsequent proscription.

He is survived by his wife, Chief Rose Agbese, six children and seven grandchildren.

A group, Victims of Police Brutality and Extra Judicial Killings, Abia State chapter has appealed to governor Alex Otti, to facilitate the payment of compensation to the tune of N51 million to its members.

The spokesperson for the group Dr. Ositadinma Nwabuko, made the appeal in Umuahia, the state capital, on Monday, reminding the governor that the money was approved for 46 members of the group whose properties were destroyed by the police.

He explained that the compensation was approved by a panel of inquiry set up by the state government to investigate police brutality and extra judicial killings in year, 2020 shortly after the end SARS protest.

Nwabuko revealed that all the victims suffered various levels of brutality in the hands of police that led to the loss of their relatives and properties.

He said, “In the year 2020 when Nigerians were brutalized by the police in various parts of the country, the Federal Government gave a directive to the states to set up a panel of inquiry to ascertain the magnitude of the cases towards compensation of the victims.

“The panel set up by the Abia State Government was under the chairmanship of the retired Justice Sunday Imo, Mrs Uzo Ikonne, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice who served as the secretary with other 17 members.

“The panel deliberated over 86 cases of which 46 cases were found to have merit. The report and its recommendations were submitted to the former governor Okezie Ikpeazu for implementation.

“The matter was still pending when the elections came on.

The victims worked assiduously and tirelessly praying for the success of Governor Alex Otti. We were confident that he would ensure our compensation.

“To the glory of God he came on board. But it has since been near impossible to reach your Excellency on our matter.

“We have done several correspondences through the Secretary to the State Government, the Attorney General, Chief of Staff to Governor, Secret Registry Government House Umuahia,

Protocol office Government House, Chief Security Officer Government House and through her Excellency Mrs Chidinma Otti when we were informed she was in town.

“All these efforts are for us to have an audience with the governor, hence this appeal.

“We appeal that the governor should direct the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice to make available to his Excellency copy of the panel report and its recommendations for your kind intervention. He has been our hope before he came on board and now that he is on board, he is still our hope.”

Nwabuko lamented that many of the victims are very sick, some have died, while some are still in the mortuary unable to be buried by their families for lack of funds.

punch.ng

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

President Bola Tinubu will today (Wednesday) embark on a two-nation visit to Johannesburg, South Africa and Luanda, Angola.

“President Tinubu’s first stop is Johannesburg, where he will attend the 20th summit of the G20 Leaders. After the summit, he will proceed to Angola for the AU-EU summit,” the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed in a statement Tuesday evening.

The G20 meeting holds at the Johannesburg Expo Centre from Saturday, November 22, to Sunday, November 23, followed by the AU–EU summit in Luanda from November 24–25.

Invited by South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, Chairperson for this year’s G20, Tinubu will join leaders under the theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” the first G20 hosted on African soil.

The summit will consider inclusive and sustainable growth, debt and development finance, disaster-risk reduction, climate action and just energy transitions, food systems, critical minerals, decent work and artificial intelligence.

The Presidency said the Nigerian leader will also hold bilateral meetings on the margins of the G20 “in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” and to discuss regional peace, security and development.

The African Union, now a full member of the G20 alongside the EU, is expected to participate in Johannesburg.

After the G20 in Johannesburg, Tinubu will join other Heads of State and Government for the AU–EU summit in Luanda, which brings leaders, innovators and civil society together on climate, inclusive development, infrastructure, digital economy, the creative sector, manufacturing and agribusiness.

He will be accompanied by senior officials, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and the Economy, Solid Minerals, and Trade and Investment, as well as the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.

The President is due back in Nigeria at the end of both meetings, Onanuga stated.

While the G20 summit makes it Tinubu’s third trip to South Africa since assuming office, he is visiting Luanda, Angola for the first time as Head of State.