Chairman of the Ibori Freedom Thanksgiving Service, Mr. Emmanuel Ighemena

By Francis Sadhere, Warri

Kinsmen of former Delta state governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori on Sunday denied that the Delta state government sponsored Ibori freedom Thanksgiving with the sum of three hundred and fifty million naira.

Chairman of the Ibori Freedom Thanksgiving Service, Mr. Emmanuel Ighemena who spoke to journalist on a sideline before the Thanksgiving service appealed to Nigerians not to be misled by such media publications.

Ighemena was reacting to an online publication that the Delta government allegedly sponsored the thanksgiving service for former governor James Ibori with a sum of N350 million.

The chairman who spoke at First Baptist Church, Ogharefe, hometown of Ibori, in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta described the publication as mischievous and an attempt to cause problems for the state.

He said, “This is a thanksgiving organised and put together by the Oghara Traditional Council headed by the Ovie of Oghara. The two sub clans in Oghara brought money, friends, sons and daughters of Oghara and within and diaspora donated money to organise the program. We are organising the thanksgiving because the Bible said we should always give thanks to God in every situation we find ourselves.”

While noting that Nigeria’s problem was not caused by Ibori, Ighemena describing the former governor’s predicament as giving dog a bad name in order to hang him.

He said, “The children if Oghara came together to put resources together for this occasion.  Nobody has come here by way of government or whatever to contribute to this ceremony. We not happy with Sahara Reporters and we’re against their report.

“We know what Ibori has passed through, but a dog must be given a name so that it can be killed. If this man is the way some people describe him, then how can the whole of Delta State nay Nigeria spontaneously are all responding to his arrival? And they’re very happy with him. Then something has gone wrong. Once you’re a politician, you pass through so many things. Ask the people whether the man is a thief. Go back and tell the story that something is wrong in Nigeria.

“My message to Nigerians is simple. Today we know where we’re in Nigeria. Where we’re today, we’ve cried Ibori Ibori Ibori. But today, is the state of Nigeria better? Is it better?”