‘He stood by me as we tried to re-engineer Nigeria’ — IBB mourns Onabule

Ibrahim Babangida, former military president, has mourned the death of Duro Onabule, his former spokesperson. 

Onabule’s passing coincided with the 81st birthday of Babangida, who was military head of state from 1985 to 1993.

TheCable reported that Onabule, who was born in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, died on Tuesday at the age of 83.

In a statement on Wednesday, Babangida said Onabule stood by him for years.

He said the veteran journalist used his sense of history to properly situate Nigeria’s governance, adding that his intelligence and patriotism contributed immensely to the unity of the nation.

“I received with profound sorrow news of the death of my dear friend, adviser and elder brother, Chief Duro Onabule, who passed away yesterday at the age of 83,” Babangida said. 

“It is a sad irony that Chief Onabule, who was usually amongst the first to celebrate my birthday, died on the eve of my anniversary, and his passing will no doubt cast a long shadow over the festivities.

“For eight years, this highly accomplished journalist and man of letters, stood by me as we tried to re-engineer this country.

“His intelligence, patriotism and absolute fidelity to the unity of this nation shone through, becoming a big part of the successes we managed to achieve at the time.

“Especially in the light of the peculiar circumstances we found ourselves, employing his formidable journalistic skills to get  the buy- in of fellow Nigerians.

“Chief Onabule was a man of excellent comportment and I began to call him ‘double chief’ when his people of Ijebu Ode deservedly made him a high chief.

“He brought his usual dignity to bear on the position, as he had done in every job that ever came his way.

“I will always remember his loyalty and support even long after we left office.

“I was happy to see that after over 50 years of journalism practice, he continued to sparkle as a public analyst, columnist, and chairman of the board of directors of National Television Authority (NTA).

“May Almighty God receive his soul with mercy and give his family and friends the courage to bear this irreparable loss.”