A former senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue South, Daniel Onjeh, has paid tribute to late journalist and public affairs commentator Dan Agbese, describing him as a “statesman of the pen” whose life and work elevated the intellectual standing of Benue South and Nigeria at large.

Onjeh, in a statement issued in Abuja on the day Agbese was laid to rest, said the burial of the veteran journalist called for national reflection on the values of courage, restraint and public conscience.

He said Agbese, a native of Ado Local Government Area, Benue State, gave Benue South a respected voice in Nigeria’s media and public affairs space.

“Dan Agbese was more than a journalist. He was a statesman of the pen whose words carried depth and quiet authority, a custodian of reason and a steady moral voice in turbulent times,” Onjeh said.

According to him, what distinguished Agbese was “not loudness but substance”, noting that he earned respect across political, regional and generational lines because of his balance and clarity.

Recalling a defining period of his career, Onjeh said Agbese was a member of the founding team of Newswatch, alongside Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Dele Giwa.

He said during the years of military rule, Agbese and his colleagues chose courage over silence, even after the assassination of Giwa through a parcel bomb.

“Under intense pressure and real danger, he remained committed to sustaining a platform that gave voice to public conscience and national debate,” Onjeh said.

“He did not abandon the struggle for free expression, helping to keep Newswatch alive as a platform for public conscience. That resolve spoke not only of professional dedication, but of rare courage, patriotism and sacrifice for country.”

Onjeh also commended Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, for approving the renaming of the Benue Printing and Publishing Corporation after Agbese as part of the state’s golden jubilee celebrations.

He said the decision showed leadership that recognises intellectual service as part of the state’s heritage.

“Embedding Agbese’s name within a public institution ensures that his contribution to journalism and national discourse remains permanently inscribed in the civic life of Benue State,” he said.

The former chairman of the governing board of the Projects Development Institute also extended condolences to the people of Ado Local Government Area, the government and people of Benue State, and members of the Nigerian Guild of Journalists and the wider media community.

As a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Onjeh said he understood the importance of responsible journalism in shaping democratic consciousness.

“Benue South has lost a distinguished son from Ado. Nigeria has lost a principled and steady voice. But the legacy of Dan Agbese will endure in the strength of the ideas he left behind and the example he set for generations to come,” he said.

Vanguard News