A luminous star of Nigerian journalism has journeyed beyond the horizon,

Yet his brilliance refuses to fade.

Dan Agbese—measured, thoughtful, resolute—

You lived with purpose, wrote with courage,

And guarded truth as though it were a sacred trust.

Your pen was not merely a tool;

It was a vessel carrying the weight of national conscience.

With every stroke, you challenged the powerful,

Comforted the voiceless,

And lit torches of clarity in dark times.

In the early days at The Nigeria Standard,

You sharpened your craft with uncommon discipline.

There, your voice began its ascent—steady, analytical, fearless—

Announcing the arrival of a journalist

Who would one day reshape the very soul of Nigerian media.

At The Nigeria Standard, your stories mirrored society with honesty;

Your columns stirred conversations across Plateau and beyond.

You were young, yet wise; quiet, yet impactful—

A mind already sculpted for national duty,

Preparing for the larger stage destiny held in waiting.

When Newswatch was born, it found in you

A pillar of integrity and unmatched editorial depth.

You helped craft a magazine that became a movement—

Fearless, probing, unapologetically patriotic—

And you stood at its heart with steady hands.

Every editorial you penned

Was a lesson in clarity and responsibility.

You wrote not to impress but to enlighten;

Not to excite but to awaken;

Not to divide but to guide.

Your intellect flowed without noise,

Your insight landed without theatrics.

Even in critique, you were gentle;

Even in praise, you were objective;

Always committed to truth above sentiment.

To younger journalists, you were a quiet mentor—

Teaching not by long speeches but by example.

They watched your discipline,

Your patience, your devotion to craft,

And many found their compass in your calm footsteps.

You confronted military power when the air was thick with fear.

You questioned civilian power when flattery filled the room.

Your courage did not roar—

It simply stood firm,

And that firmness shook the walls of deceit.

Your essays were slow fires

Burning falsehood, refining understanding.

Each sentence bore the elegance of thought,

The precision of scholarship,

And the humility of a man who wrote for the people.

We remember how you spoke softly,

But wrote with thunder.

We remember how you lived humbly,

But influenced greatly.

You proved that greatness does not need noise.

Now the newsroom lights dim in solemn tribute,

And the ink wells mourn their master.

Yet your legacy rises like a new dawn,

Telling generations that true journalism is service—

Sacred, demanding, noble.

Scholars will quote you,

Editors will revere you,

Students will study you,

And Nigeria will forever remember you

As a moral compass in turbulent times.

Though your earthly voice has gone silent,

Your words continue their eternal journey—

Advising, cautioning, illuminating.

You gave the nation a mirror,

And taught us how to look into it honestly.

Farewell, Dan Agbese

Veteran of veterans, master of the written word,

A patriot forged in truth and tempered by grace.

Rest in peace, knowing your pen shaped history,

And your legacy will echo for generations untold.

Manjang writes via [email protected]