LAGOS AUGUST 9TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Prominent Delta State personalities have appealed to the Federal Government to facilitate the release of former Delta State Governor Chief Onanefe Ibori presently serving thirteen years imprisonment in London prison over money laundering offence.
They made the appeal recently in Oghara Delta State during a mock football competition organised to mark the birthday of the Urhobo strong man.
Personalities present in the occasion unanimous observed that Ibori was a good man who was just being politically persecuted. They called on the Federal Government to facilitate Ibori’s release and subsequent return to Nigeria, describing him as the bringer of infrastructural and human capital development in the state.
Among those present were Niger Delta activist and Chairman of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, Ayirimi Emami, Delta State Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Ben Igbakpa; an aide to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Faith Majemite; a member on the board of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Mr. Henry Ofa and other top political office holders in Delta State.
According Ayiri “Despite being in prison, if Ibori happens to contest election now, he will win because he is a man of the people.”
An Oghara indigene, Simon Otobo opined that the Urhobo, who prayed for Ibori’s arrest were now regretting doing so because of the political gulf his absence was causing the Urhobo nation and pleaded for leniency on the part of the Nigerian and British governments to facilitate his release.
Others also spoke along that the same line, commending the former governor and appealing to the Federal Government to work towards his release as it would help “stabilise the polity”.
Three days was set aside in Oghara to celebrate James Ibori’s birthday.
On the first day was a church thanksgiving service where Rev. Iwek Godspower of the Baptist Church in Oghara who delivered the sermon enjoined Nigerians to emulate Ibori’s ability to carry everyone along and not pulling down the ladder after climbing up.
Several Nigerians who reacted to the Pastor observation argued that he had no business giving such an injunction as it would send wrong signal on the issue of encouraging corruption. Besides, they expected him to use the occasion to condemn corruption.
On the second day, a massive party was held in Ibori’s sprawling home in which prominent citizens from within and outside the state attended.
The third dayt featured a novelty football match between Ibori Utd. and Ibori Utd. No need to complain, it was the man’s day wasn’t it? Anyway to differentiate, one of the Ibori teams was Warri and the other was Oghara.