By: Rasheed Olanrewaju
Some people do not merely live; they leave indelible footprints on the sands of time. Comrade Anietie Ben Akpan, fondly known as Roro Chief, was one of those rare personalities.
He invested in people, nurtured careers, opened doors, and gave hope to countless journalists and media professionals. Men like him never truly die because their legacies continue to live in the lives they transformed.
One question continues to torment me: Will I ever forgive myself for not seeing you during my last visit to Calabar two weeks ago?
I made every effort to see you, but I was informed that you had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
To my surprise, that very night, you called me back and asked why I did not come. I replied that even your voice did not sound like your usual energetic self and that what you truly needed was rest.
You agreed.
Unfortunately, I was leaving Calabar the following day as scheduled.
Comrade Gill Nsa and the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, Comrade Archibong Bassey, remain witnesses to that final conversation-a conversation I never imagined would be our last.
Today, August 3, 2026, those words echo endlessly in my heart after receiving the heartbreaking news of your passing on the night of August 2, 2026.
What I never imagined would become our final conversation is now a cherished memory I will carry with me forever.
Roro Chief was not just a journalist; he was an institution. He was one of the finest products of journalism from Cross River State-a mentor, teacher, bridge-builder, and media icon whose influence extended far beyond the newsroom.
When I first arrived in Cross River State on transfer, he was among the few who welcomed me warmly and integrated me into the Nigeria Union of Journalists family.
Those who were there can testify that after every day’s work, I eagerly sat with the elders of the profession, listening to their discussions on journalism, governance, current affairs, and the future of Nigeria. Those evening gatherings became my classroom, and Roro Chief was one of its greatest lecturers.
Among the many things I will forever cherish was the confidence he reposed in me. He believed in my competence, professionalism, and commitment to excellence.
It was through him that I became the Broadcast Consultant for the Presidential Amnesty Programme training in Obubra.
That opportunity exposed me to remarkable personalities, including Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace; Timi Alaibe; Kingsley Kuku; Godsday Orubebe; Godwin Abe; and several former Niger Delta militant leaders.
Those experiences broadened my professional horizon and remain defining moments in my career.
Again, he entrusted me with serving as Production Director for the documentary assessment of Akwa Ibom State indigenes living in Akpabuyo and Akamkpa Local Government Areas of Cross River State, a project initiated during the administration of His Excellency, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio as Governor of Akwa-Ibom State between 2010 and 2011.
I also had the privilege of working with him on aspects of his ExxonMobil consultancy.
Those opportunities came because he believed in hard work, excellence, courage, loyalty, and integrity. He gave people opportunities not because of who they knew, but because of what they could deliver.
How do I begin to recount the countless assignments we covered together before, during, and after the historic handover of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon?
Roro Chief possessed an extraordinary understanding of the Gulf of Guinea and the complex maritime realities surrounding Bakassi.
He remained one of the few veteran journalists with deep institutional knowledge of those defining moments in our national history.
A multiple award-winning journalist, Roro Chief never celebrated mediocrity. He rewarded dedication, professionalism, bravery, creativity, and a can-do spirit.
He inspired many of us to see journalism not merely as a profession, but as a sacred calling and a lifelong responsibility to society.
He was truly a master of masters, an elder of elders, a boss of bosses, and, above all, a consummate journalist.
His passing has created a painful vacuum in Nigerian journalism. His impact will continue to resonate across Nigeria, the Niger Delta, the South-South region, Cross River State, Akwa Ibom State, and beyond for generations yet unborn.
Former Deputy Head of the South-South Bureau of The Guardian Newspapers, the veteran journalist devoted more than four decades to the profession.
He earned widespread respect for his outstanding investigative and special reports, particularly on women and child rights.
After an illustrious thirty-seven-year career at The Guardian, he co-founded Pillartoday.com.ng, a Cross River-based newspaper( online and hardcopy)that has become one of the most respected digital news platforms serving Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
Even on his sick bed, journalism remained his passion. He never abandoned the profession he loved. Instead, he ensured that the torch would continue to burn by handing over the editorial baton to his daughter, Etinyene.
With his beloved wife, Mrs. Imaobong Anietie Akpan, standing faithfully beside him, he could truly say:”I came, I saw, and I conquered.”
To Mrs. Imaobong Anietie Akpan, his son Ben Jnr., his daughter Etinyene, the entire Akpan family, friends, colleagues, and members of the journalism profession, I pray that Almighty God grants you the strength, comfort, and fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
As for me, I have not only lost a senior colleague; I have lost a mentor. I have lost a benefactor. I have lost a teacher. I have lost a trusted senior friend. Nigerian journalism has lost one of its brightest lights.
Farewell, Comrade Anietie Ben Akpan.
Farewell, Roro Chief.
Farewell, my Boss.
Your voice may have fallen silent, but your lessons will continue to speak through the generations of journalists you mentored. Your kindness will live forever in the hearts of those you lifted. Tina Ogosi will forever remain grateful to you.
I extend my heartfelt condolences to Chief Charles Eniang, Comrade Bassey Inyang,Comrade Omini Oden, Chief Ernest Chinwo, Mr. Ernest Bassey, Mr. Lawrence Mkpama, Comrade James Ebri, Mr. Vitalis Ugoh, Comrade Gill Nsa, Comrade Archibong Bassey, Miss Tina Ogosi, and the numerous colleagues and friends whose names I cannot mention individually.
May Almighty God continue to strengthen and comfort you all during this difficult time, and may He grant us the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
Your courage will remain an inspiration to all who believe that journalism is a calling.
Legends never die. They live forever in the lives they touched, the values they upheld, and the legacy they leave behind.
Adieu, Roro Chief.
May your gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.
Alh. Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, ANIPR, FMBI, is a senior journalist, media strategist, public relations and communications consultant. He writes from Abuja.
