There was jubilation yesterday in Delta State following the release from a London jail of former Governor James Ibori. Besides the jubilation going on in his Oghara country home by his family, friends and associates, the mood in other towns, especially the Urhobo areas, including Warri and Uvwie, was festive. Oghara is wearing a new […]
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There was jubilation yesterday in Delta State following the release from a London jail of former Governor James Ibori.
Besides the jubilation going on in his Oghara country home by his family, friends and associates, the mood in other towns, especially the Urhobo areas, including Warri and Uvwie, was festive.
Oghara is wearing a new look with banners bearing pictures of the ex-governor strategically displayed at different roundabouts within the town.
Associates and loyalists are also catching up on the event to pledge their loyalty to Ibori as they adorn the banners with their pictures side by side the former governor.
Some of the banners, which were placed at the Market Roundabout, Ibori Roundabout and entrance of Oghara, have inscriptions such as: “Welcome back home, our national leader”, “The political messiah and his kinsmen” and “The resource control living legend. “His ordeal, God’s plan to fortify him.’’
Many of Ibori’s political associates who spoke to The Nation in Warri yesterday expressed joy at his release.
Former Delta State Commissioner for Transportation Chief Ben Igbakpa said he was reflecting on all that had happened. Billionaire businessman Chief Ayiri Emami said Ibori had just been through a sacrifice session for the Niger Delta.
“It’s celebration everywhere, but for me, while celebrating, I am more concerned about the sober reflection of all that transpired,” Igbakpa said.
Emami told our reporter on telephone that Ibori “has gained his freedom and we pray that God guides him and bring him back. Those who hunted Ibori were corruption personified and there’s no way you can be corrupt and claim to be fighting corruption.
“It is not like Ayiri is in support of corruption, but I have never seen any justification for jailing Ibori because those hunting him were far more corrupt and were corruption personified. It was all politics. They were more corrupt. He that must come to equity must come with clean hands.
“I will also use this opportunity to thank Urhobo people for not using the incarceration of Ibori as cover to take to destruction of pipelines. Rather, they followed the legal process to the end. This is worth celebrating,” he said.
Former commissioner on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Henry Ofa, said Oghara had already entered festivity with Ibori’s release.
”Our expectation has come to fruition. We are in a celebration mood, Oghara is agog, with everybody celebrating his coming out. We give all thanks to God for keeping him in good health all along. We are in a happy mood,” Ofa said.
There was also a report of subdued joy at the Delta State Government House, Asaba and other government offices.
Political analyst and social commentator Comrade Nikky Istamilomi lamented the perceived shameless conduct of Ibori’s associate and the show of enthusiasm about the development. He described it as sad and ”reception to corruption”.
Itsamilomo lamented the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ sympathy towards Ibori and other corrupt politicians, stressing that the euphoria over his release showed how receptive the state is to corruption.
But Ibori’s former aide and ex-state legislator representing Ughelli North 1, Hon Abel Oshevire, told The Nation that Ibori’s return will foster unity within the party and bring back all those who left.
He said: “When Ibori returns there will be political realignments in the PDP in the state. I foresee his coming back will bring PDP faithful together again. Those who are disgruntled, those who feel abandoned by the party, those who are unhappy at happenings at the national level as a result of which people are now divided.”
A former Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Ighoyota Amori, described Ibori as a demi-god in the state’s politics.
He said the Urhobos would give the ex-governor a rousing welcome.
Chief Paulinus Akpeki, Chief of Staff to former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, said Deltans missed the charismatic political leader whose ability to reach out to aggrieved persons is unmatched and unequalled.
All Progressive Alliance (APC) Chieftain Chief Moses Etakpo said: ”I expected that if he comes he should go home quietly to his country home and relax and not making a scene as if he was wrongly arrested or detained. This time is supposed to be time of sober reflection with his immediate family not this noise of his coming.”
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