Stop Tarnishing the Image of Chief James Ibori-Delta students in Diaspora

Chief James Onanefe Ibori

The leadership of the Delta Students in Diaspora has stated that the public should desist from tarnishing the image of the former Governor of Delta state, His Excellency, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, instead they should engage themselves in better and meaningful things of life. The above statement was made through the Mayor-General of the body, Comr. Jackson Amayo as part of his address to a world-wide conference held on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of July 2015 at the multi-purpose hall of the University of Chester and University of Manchester, London respectively. Comrade Jackson Amayo who is the pioneer leader of Nigerian Students in Diaspora and also the founder of the Delta Students in Diaspora described the recent criticisms about the former Governor on social media and national dallies as unfortunate because Ibori still represents the flames of good governance and democracy of modern politics.
Part of the highlights of the conference was to intimate the Nigerian government on how to stop the insurgency in the northern part of the country. A congratulatory message was also sent to President Mohammadu Buhari and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on their victory in the 2015 polls. The body also welcomed the impeccable role and attitudes in which the former President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat in the election and asked Nigerian politicians to follow suit.
The students also advised Nigerian politicians to confront the challenges facing the country rather than making belligerent statements that might incite national disunity. Comr Jackson Amayo in his speech, reacted to different online publications by Nigerians about James Ibori saying that “men and women should emulate the good sides of Ibori which is to support, give and help the less privilege thereby placing them in advantageous positions. The body emphasised on the achievements of the ex-governor while in office from 1999-
2007.According to them, “before Ibori was elected as the governor of Delta State, some part of the state were like a war zone as a result of the ethnic conflict between the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups”.The conflict, which lasted for years led to many deaths destruction and looting of oil installations and razing down of properties worth millions of naira in many communities. Through his political wisdom, Ibori got the two warring ethnic groups on the dialogue table and ended the crisis in the mid-2000. He stated that “we have come to celebrate the man Ibori, who is a true hero for the reason that he was able to tackle various challenges affecting Delta State throughout his administration. He took everything head-on and I am bold to say that his tenure as governor witnessed the construction of strategic roads, bridges and other landmark projects in the state. Comr Jackson Amayo who also quoted the judge that presided over Ibori case on the day of the sentencing that… “I recognise that there is another side to the man James Ibori, but I am not the proper person to judge your achievements and failings as a Governor. That is up to the people of Delta State.” Jackson established the fact that if a judge, a stranger and an outsider can see what Ibori has done even in the middle of his judgement that means the blind has started seeing the good sides of the former Governor.
The body opined that the man Ibori empowered many Deltans in his tenure. He was a detribalised leader. God gave him the spirit to turn things around and he actually did for all Deltans. His pain in London is the pain of millions of Deltans especially Delta students in Diaspora.
The students also mentioned that one of the major things the people will ever remember Ibori for, was the construction of four long bridges, which were built by his administration to connect the Ijaw, Ukwuani, Itsekiri and Urhobo main-lands with their riverine counterparts. Two years to the end of Ibori’s second term in office, according to the students, Delta State was adjudged the most developed in the entire Niger Delta region by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), after a study that considered real development and life-enhancing indices.
They hailed the Ex-governor saying “His vision of development and the can-do spirit cannot be over-emphasised,” “Ibori’s tenure provided floating markets in the riverine areas and such things were never considered before his tenure. Unlike some states where the governors concentrated development in just the capital city, the case was different in Ibori’s time”
The mayor still in the speech which held the students spell bound chronicled the land mark achievements of Chief James Ibori as follows, “In April 2004, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, spent three days inaugurating major projects in Delta State. They included the Bomadi Bridge, which for the first time, opened up Ijaw communities to vehicular traffic. The 600-metre-long Bomadi Bridge across the Forcados River, has provided the Ijaw the opportunity of driving their automobiles to their territory. It happened for the first time since the world was created. There were also the Asaba-Asse and Omadino bridges. The historic Ashaka Bridge across the Ase River links Aboh on the River Niger to the Ukwuani and the rest of road-mediated civilization. It has opened up the longneglected oil-producing district of the state and helped the people in ferrying cars to their places of birth.
The Omadino bridge was the first-ever in the history of the area to link waterlogged Itsekiri homelands to the upland regions of Nigeria.
The Ibori administration initiated the construction of Olomu Bridge, but it became controversial midway into its construction. It was completed two years ago by the Emmanuel Uduaghan administration.
Other projects inaugurated by the Ibori administration were the Ughelli and
Ugbologboso modern markets, the dualised Warri/Effurun Airport Road, a fourlane NPA Bypass Road, NNPC Housing Complex Link road, tarred Emebiren, Okere-Ugborikoko, dualisation of Okere Road and dozens of roads in Effurun and Warri, Agbor, Ughelli, Asaba and Sapele, among others.
In the health sector, Ibori revolutionised healthcare delivery in the state. The
Warri General Hospital as well as those in Sapele, Ughelli, Abraka, Effurun, Agbor and Asaba, among others were revamped.
One other major project carried out by the Ibori administration was the construction of the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, which is rated among the best in entire West Africa. President Jonathan commissioned the hospital located in Oghara during his visit to the state. He also initiated the Nigerian Navy School of Logistics, but was completed by Governor Uduaghan.
In the area of sports, the Warri Township Stadium was renovated and upgraded; a modern indoor sports complex was built from scratch in Asaba. The foundation for an all-covered stadium was laid in the state capital. The actual construction work was carried out under the Uduaghan administration alongside the one in Sapele, which has been commissioned. But the Ibori’s tenure gave birth to other stadia in Oleh, Ughelli, Ogwashi-Uku, Agbor, Oghara and Kwale.Delta State started reaping from the fruits of Ibori’s investment in sports facilities in the year 2000, when it came top at the Bauchi edition of the biannual National Sports Festival. Team Delta came second at Edo 2002 edition, first at Abuja 2004 and first at Gateway 2006 in Abeokuta. The record remains the best ever by any state in the history of the National Sports Festival.
Despite his travail in London, some of his political rivals have agreed that Ibori truly turned Delta State around for good, both in the area of peace and development.” Therefore as a mark of honour and deep appreciation of the timeless achievements of this hero of our time, the students signified their intention to be part of the birthday ceremony of this political colossus coming up soon.
Comr. Jackson Amayo also reassured the members of the student’s body that Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa’s SMART agenda is committed to bringing prosperity to all deltans. Comr Jackson described Gov. Okowa as a principle leader that is fashioned and fired by the vision and zeal to get the right things done for the betterment of the state. The body also stated that Gov. Okowa has proven that he remains the man of the people, because he is doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Gov, Okowa’s attributes should be a template to others to become leaders in their little corners. The group also congratulated Sen. James Manager, (delta south) Sen. Ighoyota Amori (delta central) and Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi (delta north) on their victories in the pool and intimate them to represent the interest of their various senatorial district to attract the much anticipated development in the state.
Comr Jackson Amayo expressed in clear terms the unalloyed support of the Delta Students in Diaspora to the Okowa led administration and enjoined all Deltans to support the state government. The body also thanked Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa for the democratic way in which appointments are been distributed to represent every part of the state, and also asked the Governor not to forget that delta state students in diaspora numbered about 44,981. As a result, the Governor should consider the group in his appointment for their interest to be represented in the