Give Us Ibori or Forget Our Votes, Urhobo Youths Threaten Jonathan
Chief James Ibori
LAGOS MARCH 11TH (URHOBOTODAY)-As March 28 Presidential election draws nearer, a group known as Urhobo Youth Forum for Change , UYFC, have asked President Goodluck Jonathan, to release the former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, from prison using diplomatic channel before the presidential election or forget their votes.
This was contained in a statement written and signed by the leader of the group, ‘General’ Israel Akpodoro and a copy of which was made available to media over the weekend.
According to the Urhobo-born ex-agitator, the convicted state executive who is serving jail term in a British prison had been persecuted enough over “nothing” other than crass politics, which he noted has its roots in conflict of interests.
The statement wondered why Chief Ibori was made a scapegoat as his political scapegoat over his predicament, noting that more worrisome was the fact that those of the Oghara-born politician who are of Urhobo extraction empowered while he held sway in office were not bothered over the “whereabouts of our illustrious son.”
Akpodoro reasoned that while President Jonathan granted pardon to his kinsman, Chief Depreiye Alameseigha, who was convicted of corruption in the country, Ibori who was acquitted of any wrongdoing by a Federal High Court in Nigeria was hounded into prison and left to “rot in jail in a foreign land.”
The statement blamed the political leaders of Urhoboland for the marginalization of the people by all tiers of governments in the country, adding that they rejoice over “evils meted out to their own.”
All the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from the Delta Central Senatorial district, UYFC said are enemies of Urhobo people and their actions were capable of attracting electoral failure to President Jonathan.
Calling on all well meaning sons and daughters of Urhoboland especially those described as the beneficiaries of Ibori’s political era, Akpodoro said except he is freed before election, “we would vote against Urhobo enemies at the polls.
“Ibori led his people meritoriously according to his best ability yet he was hounded to prison in foreign land. Today, they are asking us for our vote, while the man who brought political awareness to Urhobo nation languishes in jail. What an irony?
“President Jonathan should free and grant Ibori presidential pardon like he did to Alameseigha before election or forget the votes of Urhobo people. Failure to free our political godfather-Ibori, it will be zero vote for the president in the eight local government areas of Urhoboland.
“The Urhobo people weren’t conquered by anyone, therefore, we must be given our dues in the national politics. An Ijaw man was granted pardon, why is it that of Urhobo man different? Give us Ibori or return to Otu Oke on May 29”, Akpodoro threatened. – See more at: http://nigerianpilot.com/give-us-james-ibori-or-forget-our-votes-urhobo-group-tells-jonathan/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.vbbTFeLW.dpuf
I think Ibori is not the only politician that stole money, please release him for us.
Hmmnn. I sometimes wonder about the mental state of people like Ejovwokoghene. Ibori is in jail in the UK because he pleaded guilty to fraud and money lundry. How more criminal can a person get, he confessed to the crime and is serving his time. That is what happens in a normal society. On Alamco, he was NEVER convicted of corruption. He pleaded guilty to making inaccurate declaration in his asset declaration form and was sentenced. He served his sentence and was released from Prison taking into account the time he had already served in prison. If the fall of the urhobo people in Delta state can be assessed, Ibori was very instrumental and caused us to lose our grip on power when he masterminded the emergence of Uduaghan as Governor. From that time until today, Urhobo people have become second class citizens in their own state. Na Ibori do am. It is regrettable that he is in prison in a foreign land but may be the good Lord caused it to happen as a punishment for his destruction of the political power of the Urhobo people and looting of state assets and remember that he had already been convicted in the UK for credit card fraud before he became governor and his wife was also an ex-convict with him in the UK before he ran for governor. Should we not be ashamed to call such a person our governor? Unless we are senile, such a person should not even be mentioned in the gathering of credible Urhobo sons. We need better people to lead us as a people. We have good people like Emerhor and many others. We should support them. Please stop the madness of fighting for and calling Ibori our leader. Use your vote wisely, do not be an oyinbo mumu.
Ibori is a criminal noted but what will you call the ex governor of bayelsa state why is he not in jail.Ibori was the only governor that made infrastructure and the only governor that supported the youths,in the whole of nigerdelta his the only one that made good roads and people travelling through are benefiting from it.why should he be jailed when other criminals are walking freely we want him back.
My brother, it is true that Ibori built some roads, yes, even the road to my village but in comparison to the amount stolen by him and those who served with him, he did not do well at all and to make matters worse, he “de-empowered” the Urhobo people by putting in his cousin by fraudulent means after he left power. The direct result of this is that you and I and the Urhobo people have become very poor in economic terms and we have no political power in the state to make things happen for our hopeless young people. Can you mention any new major company or industry that has been established in the whole of Urhoboland since Ibori left, including in his own village? I am not talking about kidnapping and armed robbery “business”. The answer is capital NO. We are suffering very badly today. A true leader ought to position his people for future dominance of political power after he leaves office just like the Yorubas have done. I visited the Urhobo towns when I was in Nigeria recently and you can see that there is no progress in the economic life of the people. Also, why did he decide to go for the governorship position when he knew that he had previous convictions in the UK and perhaps one at the Abuja magistrate court? So he is not a proper material for leadership anywhere in the sane world. On the Ex-Bayelsa gov case, he was in prison for a while in the UK and served a prison term in Nigeria after he was removed from office. However, the Ijaw people did not lose political power as a result, if anything they gained political strength but I am not from Bayelsa so I face my own situation, which is Delta state. If someone’s steals N1m from you and uses N130,000 to organize ukodo for you for one month, will you say the person has done well for you? So do not say Ibori has done well because he built roads. I know that the truth is bitter but please drink it like stout, na so we see am.
Yes we need ibori back or we will not vote
Oya, go carry am come back from prison for London na! Dem take Ibori do you abi you no well?