By Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola
I received with shock and disbelief the news of the death of Samuel Ndanusa Isaiah, patriot, politician, pharmacist, columnist and the publisher of Leadership newspaper, which occurred on Friday December 11, 2020 at the age of 58. It was a sunset too early.
He 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.
Sam’s participation in politics was principled and enlightened. He wanted to be president in 2015 and contested the APC primary with the eventual winner, President Muhammadu Buhari. He was graceful in loss; and to demonstrate the absence of bitterness in him, he fully supported him in the presidential election.
Sam’s passage is a personal loss. He was a good friend of mine since I was governor in Osun for eight years. He paid me a courtesy visit in September this year in the office and had been generally good and kind to me. His counsel and especially prayers and good wishes were sincere and invaluable.
He was vivacious, full of life, as he was introspective and philosophical. He was a man of great depth. He betrayed no emotion of illness or the imminence of his departure. But we cannot question the almighty God, if and when he decides to take anyone to His side.
I pray the almighty God will be with his family, give them His peace and grant them the fortitude to bear this huge and irreparable loss.
Sam would be sorely missed by all good people. May he wake up to joyful activities on the other side.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,
Minister of Interior
