Obi prayed to God to grant the soul of the late Peter Enahoro a peaceful rest and comfort his immediate family and all who are mourning his death.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has expressed sadness over the death of iconic journalist, Peter Enahoro, popularly known by his pen name, Peter Pan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Obi said the late renowned journalist spent his talent and resources fighting for a better Nigeria even at great personal discomfort.
“In journalism, Late Enahoro was first class, in the struggles for Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule, his contributions were well documented and in the fight to give Nigeria good leadership, his efforts were monumental.
“He was not only a great advocate and crusader for good and competent leadership, he was one of the greatest defenders of true Democracy in Nigeria.
“He was in constant confrontation with military dictatorship because of his deep-rooted belief in popularly elected government, not a government that comes to power through violence and manipulation.
“His role in using journalism — his profession of choice — in advancing Nigeria’s independence struggle is well recorded and regarded. His famous book, ‘How to Be a Nigerian’ placed our country in the historic and literary limelight. He was a great advocate and crusader for democracy and good governance, who consistently decried military anti-politics in Nigeria,” he said.
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Obi regretted that the iconic journalist died when his experience was most needed in Nigeria, especially in the fight to retrieve the country from those holding it down.
The former governor of Anambra, however, said the Nigerian people fully appreciate and honour the renowned journalist for labour for the good of the country.
Obi then prayed to God to grant the soul of the late Peter Enahoro a peaceful rest and comfort his immediate family and all who are mourning his death.
It would be recalled that the late Peter Enahoro died on Monday, the 24th of April, 2023 at the age of 88 in London.
Mr. Enahoro was also an author, businessman, and columnist for the New African magazine.
He was born into a family of 10 children and started his media career as an Assistant Publicity Officer, at what is now called Federal Ministry of Information in 1954.
Later, he joined the Daily Times as a sub-editor in 1955, at the age of 20, before moving on to serve as Assistant District Manager at Rediffusion Services, Ibadan, in 1957.
He became the Editor of the Nigerian Sunday Times in 1958 at the age of 23, the Features Editor of the Daily Times in 1958, the Editor of the Paper in 1962, and the Daily Times Group Editorial Adviser in 1965. In 1966, he became Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Times.
In the 1960s, Mr Enahoro went into a self-imposed exile that would last for 13 years.
Peter Pan was contributing editor of Radio Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany, from 1966 to 1976, editor of National Zeitung, in Basel, Switzerland, and editorial director of New African Magazine in London in 1978.