A former member of the Editorial Board of the defunct National Concord, Nnamdi Obasi, has described the death of Chief Duro Onabule as a sad loss to Nigerian journalism and to the Nigerian nation.
In a brief response to the death of the former Chief Press Secretary to ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida, Obasi said:
“Deeply saddened to hear that the illustrious journalist, Chief Duro Onabule, aged 83, passed on yesterday 16 August 2022. I had the privilege of working under him from 1984 to 1985, when he was editor of the now-defunct National Concord (then possibly the best-selling newspaper in sub-Saharan Africa), before President Ibrahim Babangida appointed him Chief Press Secretary.
“Chief Onabule was an editor’s editor – and every one of us who worked with him learnt one or more valuable lessons from him! His management of the newsgathering, editing and publications processes was inspiring. His encyclopedic knowledge of Nigeria’s political history gave us great context and perspective in writing some of the newspaper’s landmark editorials. And his weekly column, widely read by the newspaper’s audience, was constantly an example of opinions articulated with conviction, courage and clarity.
“Above all, Chief Onabule was a good-natured and absolutely fair-minded man. He related with all of us, sometimes with ruthless candour, but always with palpable empathy. And he was an eternal optimist who believed in the possibilities of a better, more equitable and more progressive country, till his very last days.
“His death is a great loss to all of us who knew him – ALL OF US – but also to Nigerian journalism and to the Nigerian nation.
“May the Almighty God grant his soul perfect peace, and comfort his family through this period of grief.”