By Chief James Onanefe Ibori
DSP, I write this with a mixture of a heavy heart and compelling sense of
pride. Even as I mourn, I find comfort in the love, admiration, reverence and
even veneration that have gushed out for you from all parts of Bayelsa, the
entire Ijaw nation, and beyond, despite the political persecution and
orchestrated disinformation that culminated in the public hysteria against
you.
You can imagine the mixture of emotions running through me as I write
this. How can I possibly tell your story? Where should I start? It seemed
like yesterday when we took over the reins of power from the military
administrators in our respective states; Delta and Bayelsa. How can I ever
forget the role you played in resolving the chaos and disorder in both
states in 1999? Youth militancy, occasioned by deep resentment of the
Federal Government’s political manipulation and interference in the Niger
Delta, troubled both states. Unemployment, neglect, degradation of our
ecosystem, oil pollution and poverty pushed our youths to convene a
conference which gave birth to the Kaiama Declaration. Delta State was
overwhelmed by the Ijaw/Itsekiri crisis. How can I forget what you did to
sensitize the Chiefs, Press and Agadagbas to intervene positively? You
secured the peace that was essential for us to settle into governance.
I
can recall my first visit to Bayelsa State after the inception of democratic
rule; it was a forgotten state with one road from the East-West Highway to
Yenegoa and no more. We went everywhere by boat. Fast forward to two
years later; you had transformed the state capital and the neighbouring
towns and had by then started your fast-tracked development;
establishing schools, notably the Niger-Delta University, sending
Balyesans to universities and vocational schools abroad on scholarship,
etc. You provided stable power supply as Bayelsa was not on the
National Grid. You actually integrated Baleysa into the Nigerian State and
made it part of the modern world. How can we ever forget that?
You rose like a phoenix from the ashes of political discontent and discord
to bestride Bayelsa’s politics like a colossus. Your people’s love for you
was displayed on your return from London in November 2005. The entire
state was agog with joy not because every Bayelsan agreed with your
politics but because most Bayelsans believed your travails were triggered
by your commitment to their cause. Naturally, you had your ardent
supporters as well as adversaries; yet, you rode into Yenegoa
triumphantly. That was a memorable day in Bayelsa’s history. Your
enraged traducers sent a heavy deployment of troops to Government
House, Yenegoa on a “kidnap or kill mission”. The rest is now history.
How can we ever forget that part of our national history?
You languished in jail having been slammed with spurious charges which
you vehemently denied till you drew your last breath. As your health
deteriorated, concerns were expressed at the highest level of Nigeria’s
political administration. Emissaries were sent to plead with you to see
reason and end the ‘torture’ by pleading guilty; an overture you resisted
until one of our illustrious sons was dispatched to you in Lagos to assure
you of the government’s intention to pardon you after your guilty plea.
DSP, you know I have the credentials to testify to this fact.
Oh, how can we forget your address in court on the fateful day you
pleaded guilty?
I have recalled your travails to remind your family that you died in action,
and to reassure the Ijaws that you more than earned your title; Ijaw
nation’s Governor-General. You also earned your epaulets as “General”.
You led the battle from the front like Kings of Medieval Europe. You died
from injuries sustained in battle. You are our martyr!
Your spirit stoutly opposed injustice and tyranny. And in 2005 when
Nigeria was under the grip of a budding tyrant, you felt that injustice must
be confronted and that a society that cowers before tyrants is unworthy of
freedom. How can we forget how furious you were when Odi was
demolished - with youth militancy as a justification? And when a state of
emergency was imposed in Plateau State, you publicly condemned it as
an unconstitutional act of rascality.
DSP, the events that led to your death climaxed well before your
orchestrated arrest. The year was 2005 and the event was the National
Constitutional Conference. The Federal Government convened a ruse in
the name of a conference and appointed one of our illustrious sons, a
former Justice of the Supreme Court, as its chairman. Unbeknown to the
man, the confab’s outcome had already been predetermined in a
document containing the final resolutions – though the confab was just
starting. The document was handed over to the jurist; he rejected it and
threatened to resign. When he emerged from Aso Rock, he immediately
called on you for debriefing, after which he came over to see me.
As was usual of you, you immediately summoned a meeting of the Niger-
Delta delegates at Oghara, after they staged a walk-out from that confab.
You articulated the position of the Niger Delta; to insist on derivation
principle of not less than 25% graduated to 50% in five years. You also
advised them to coordinate the southern states in opposing any attempt
to ride on the back of our demand for true fiscal federalism to impose a
six-year single tenure as contained in that rogue report. The Niger Delta
delegates led the assault against the single tenure proposal; the real
agenda of the conference conveners.
DSP, you had promised to release your memoirs, but could not do so
before you were killed. We shall work with your family to ensure its timely
publication in order to do justice to your contributions to the Niger-Delta/
Nigerian debate. Unfortunately, many Nigerians who joined the public
hysteria against you were victims of media manipulation. I’ll only remind
them and their manipulators, of the French writer, Emile Zola’s words: “It is
a crime to lie to the public, to twist public opinion to insane lengths in the
service of the vilest death-dealing machinations.”
To the Ijaw people, I say thanks for the immense honour poured out for our
leader, who fell in battle. Such apotheosis is given only to the truly great.
DSP, the Ijaws and Niger Deltans salute you. We will honour you forever
because we affirm you as our true leader who became a victim of a
political “witch-hunt”. In 17th century medieval England, one Mr. Mathew
Hopkins styled himself as “witch-finder General”. What an irony; the
biblical Mathew was an ardent and devoted Christ-follower. Just like in
21st century Nigeria when political foes were victims of a witch-hunt,
Mathew Hopkins hounded the innocent, the weak, the clergy and political
opponents, exploiting the fear of naïve Englishmen and dispatched his
victims to the gallows under the guise of cleansing England of witches. He
earned notoriety in the process but earned money as well. Suspected
witches (and several social, political and even religious opponents too)
were so maliciously charged and tortured until they were either forced to
confess or they died.
Either way a person had no way of proving his innocence. One unfailing
method then was the floating test: a suspect was tied to a chair and set
afloat on water. If the person floated, he or she would be burnt as a witch,
if the suspect sank and drowned, too bad. In the Nigerian witch-hunt at
the turn of the millennium, a politician would be held in custody until a
guilty plea is secured or he died in custody. DSP, you were a double
victim; they forced you to plead guilty, yet, the medical complications
arising from the years of physical, psychological and mental torture killed
you.
Even as I carry my own cross, I can never forget what you stood for.
Those who knew the real you and the reason for your “death” will strive to
wipe the dust of unsubstantiated blame off your gravestone and leave
your name free from the undeserved dirt thrown by mudslingers, even as
we wait in the unfailing hope that one day the truth about your travails
would emerge. As Zola said in that newspaper article (J’Accuse) of
Thursday, Jan. 13, 1898, “As for myself, I have not despaired in the least,
of the triumph of right. I repeat with the most vehement conviction: truth is
on the march, and nothing will stop it. Today … the positions have
become clear: on one side, those who are guilty, who do not want the light
to shine forth; on the other, those who seek justice and who will give their
lives to attain it. I said it before and I repeat it now; when truth is buried
underground, it grows and it builds up so much force that the day it
explodes it blasts everything with it.”
DSP, time, the acid test of values, will affirm you a true leader who made
invaluable sacrifices, including the supreme sacrifice, on behalf of your
people. Time too will expose those who ganged up against you, framed
and hounded you to death.
A few weeks before your death, we had our last earthly conversation.
Despite your travails and failing health, you were only concerned about the
South-South. You said “Odidigboigbo, I eagerly await your return so that
we can begin the great task of re-uniting our people so they could speak
with one voice”. DSP, when I return, Nigeria will never be the same for me
without you. Enemies of our people, enemies of true democracy which
accommodates strong, courageous, vibrant and viable voices have
actually done their worst; they have “murdered” you.
My condolences go to your wife, Her Excellency Mrs. Margaret
Alamieyeseigha, and your children; Ayibatonye Gideon, Enetombra,
Ebipadei, Emebelakpo, Saleaka and Oyinkari
“Bayo-o”, DSP, “Mala’muke on parade”. Bayo-o, fellow bearer of the
Niger-Deltan cross, and victim of political witch-hunt. “Bayo-o”, great
navigator in the stormy waters of Nigerian politics - you broke the waves,
paid with your life but found devotion in the crew you left behind. Our
people will surely find the shores for your life will be their guiding
compass.
This is not the end, my friend. The prize we sought will still be won. Rest
in Peace; great “General”.
Signed: Chief James Onanefe Ibori.
(Confirmed by Tony Eluemunor, Chief James O. Ibori’s Media Assistant.
08023125569
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/tribute-to-alamieyeseigha-nigeriall-never-be-the-same-for-me-without-you-james-ibori/

From one big criminal to another, good for them.

By the way, aint no reason giving a "tribute" now. Wait until he dies mr Ibori.

The truth one day will come out, though I might not stand will Ibori on the economical aspects of his tenure as a Gov but I will stand with him politically as it concerns the development and the struggles to make the Niger delta a better place to live in. I say this with all convictions because whilst ago Sen Saraki was a saint in APC but the moment he became the Senate President as against their wish, he has automatically become a criminal who is under going trails and travails at the CCT.

omenka:
From one big criminal to another, good for them.

By the way, aint no reason giving a "tribute" now. Wait until he dies mr Ibori.

Both of them are more important to their people more than anybody in your state including ex governors to your State. So beefing others heroes and keeping your drug dons, stomach infrastructure, omo ni les and so on as saints.
we love them because they fought for us and were incarcerated because of them. for instance, Alamco suffered because he stood up against obj in NEC in several occasions, demanding for resource control and from a reliable source he was yansh●●● yo chimpanzee's wife who is late.

same ibori ? in a saint country the remain body of james ibori wouldn't be allow to be burial

Well! Well!! Well!!!

Had always known DSP's trvails was political machinations of Baba Iyabo

Though DSP himself was not a saint BUT WHO IS IN NIGERIAN political sphere?

johnmartus:
same ibori ? in a saint country the remain body of james ibori wouldn't be allow to be burial

In a sane country, the remains of ....allowed..buried

portside:
The truth one day will come out, though I might not stand will Ibori on the economical aspects of his tenure as a Gov but I will stand with him politically as it concerns the development and the struggles to make the Niger delta a better place to live in. I say this with all convictions because whilst ago Sen Saraki was a saint in APC but the moment he became the Senate President as against their wish, he has automatically become a criminal who is under going trails and travails at the CCT.

among those who accused him and ibori, who is saint? if god visit them can they stand?