By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, has joined other Nigerians in expressing shock over the passage of Sam Nda-Isaiah,a renowned Publisher and founder of Leadership Newspaper, who died on Friday in Abuja during a brief illness.
The minister mourned in a statement signed the Director of Press/Public Relations of the ministry, Mohammed Manga,a copy of which was at the disposal of The Reporters, an online publication.
Aregbesola,who said he received the news of the death of the late “patriot, politician, pharmacist and columnist” aged 58, with shock and disbelief, noted that it was a personal loss to him.
“Before his demise, Nda- Isaiah was a bold defender of good causes, justice, human rights and democracy.
“He, no doubt,used his newspaper to pursue these causes, even as he pursued them in other aspects of life with all the resources the good Lord had given him.
“Nda-Isaiah was a good friend of mine since I was Governor in Osun for eight years.
“The Late Nda-Isaiah paid me a courtesy visit in September in my office and had been generally good and kind to me, especially his counsel/prayers and good wishes were sincere and invaluable,” he said.
The minister noted further that Nda-Isaiah’s participation in politics was principled and enlightened, adding that even when he wanted to be President in 2015 and contested on the platform of APC primary, he sticked to those vslues.
“He was graceful in loss; and to demonstrate the absence of bitterness in him, he fully supported the President in the presidential election.
According to him, the late Publisher and Politician was vivacious, full of life, as he was introspective and philosophical.
Aregbesola described the deceased as a man of great depth of life and betrayed no emotion of illness or the imminence of his departure.
“But, however, you cannot question the almighty God, if and when he decides to take anyone to His side.”
The minister prayed the Almighty God to be with the deceased’s family and give them His peace as well as grant them the fortitude to bear the huge and irreparable loss.
