Revisiting Ibori’s Legacies in Delta

Allison Abanum writes about the aura around the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori and his legacies in the oil-rich state.

Nature and history have their peculiar ways of shaping the destiny of a man or a nation. For Chief James Ibori, the courageous, fearless, the combination of nature and History has been generous, abstract and kind to him. Here is a lucky gentleman, a compatriot, a protagonist of good governance, a man who is well misunderstood by some persons because he chose to carry all the crosses meant for his people, the best Governor Delta State has ever had.

Writing about Ibori, a multi-talented and many-sided man, may not be exactly easy. But having known this man fondly called Odidigborigbo, I can say that what stands this leader of men and astute manager of resources out is his patriotism, determination, selflessness and his strength of character to use his office and indeed, his all, for the achievement of the good of the majority. He is a dogged fighter who will stop at nothing to pursue any cause he believes in. He is honest, diligent and forthright as well as always willing and available to help others grow and flourish.

Every leader anywhere in the world has a record which contains the deeds and misdeeds of the leader in question.

As for Ibori, his only misdeed is that he refuse to expose the bad and ugly side of his people. He has chosen to receive all the bullets on behalf of his people in Delta State. What a Father!

Am a proud Deltan from the Urhobo extraction. Even though am not a polymath, I know a little about virtually everything as far as Delta State is concerned.

For the sake of the younger generation, and for those who had ignorantly passed lopsided judgements on Ibori, permit me to speak in parables so the wise among us may know peace.  

There was a very rich man in a community and there were 12 other rich men in the same community. Residents of the community get their food, clothes and empowerment from the 12 rich men and wondered why the extremely rich man never gives them anything.

The people of the community call the super-rich man stingy and greedy to his face.

One day, the rich man in question died and the people called him abusive names such as “the stingy and greedy one,” to the extent that they didn’t attend his burial ceremony.

Immediately the said rich man died, the other 12 rich men stopped feeding, clothing and empowering the entire people in the community.

One day, the community people gathered and asked the 12 rich men why they stopped doing good to them and the  rich men said the late super rich man that they had nicknamed “stingy and greedy” was the one behind their free feeding, clothing and empowerment, and now that the he was gone, they could no longer feed themselves let alone feed others.

The super-rich man had told the 12 rich men not to mention his name as the man behind their free feeding. This is the case of Ibori.

He is like the super rich man being ignorantly called abusive names.

Furthermore, there was a fast moving train carrying many passengers on a railway.

A fisherman on his way to the stream saw a segment of the railway broken, and if the train got to that broken section, it would be catastrophic. The fisherman knew that there was no amount of shouting that could stop the fast moving train, so he decided to lie down on the broken part of the railway so the train could pass successfully to avoid the big  catastrophe.

God intervened, the fast moving train passed succesfully and the fisherman did not die, neither did he get hurt. The fisherman is like  Ibori, and all the people in the fast moving train are like some Deltans.

Ibori is actually the true definition of the Delta Spirit and the real Urhobo blood, we don’t betray ourselves, we cover up for each other, we are our brother’s keeper, we check on each other, our yes is yes, we are always proud of our actions, we are never in the fence on issues,  we are good hearted people, we have real love, we don’t carry last position, when we love it is finished and when we hate forget it.

Ibori is well known for forgiving people easily. About 10 years ago at an event in Warri, I was with the former Editor of The Guardian Newspapers who currently resides in Ughelli about 20 minutes drive from Warri.

The former Editor, who is Urhobo told me how he wrote a news report to malign the then Governor Ibori but that the latter did not respond. He said one month after, he met Ibori accidentally at an occasion in Delta State.

The Editor said while  Ibori was addressing the crowd, he cited him and responded to the negative report, giving his own side of the story in a jocular and friendly manner, throwing jabs at the Editor but did not mention his name.

According to the journalist, at the end of the event, Ibori called him and gave him fifty thousand naira and asked him to keep doing his job. That was an example of how Ibori easily forgives people who offend him.

Viewed from whichever standpoint, the history of political stability in Delta State would be incomplete without the major contributions of this man of unusual courage. It can therefore be safely said that  Ibori remains the pivot upon which the political zoning stability of governorship in Delta State revolves.

The record of Ibori’s legacy will certainly not be complete without touching certain sectors like education reform, road infrastructure, water infrastructure, human capital development and peace.

Perhaps, no other area recorded astounding leaps like the economy under his leadership. What he did was to lay a solid foundation for future economic development and stability of the state.

While congratulating Ibori most heartily on this momentous occasion of his Birthday, I wish him good health and peace of heart as well as divine wisdom.

-Abanum writes from Yenagoa.