m.k.o2005:

Ibori may be a thief but i think this 'man of God'sure want's the people to assist the needy and also give support to the handicapped as it was one of the good sides of James Ibori the thief ! We all have our weak sides but we sure have strengths !
Positive news does not sell like the negatives ! Contextually speaking,'the man of God' may not have said Ibori is a good man worthy of emulation but that men should imitate the good side of Ibori which is arms giving and helping the less privileges placing them in advantageous positions !
'WHO ARE MY TO JUDGE !

GOD HELP US

All Round Gist: I wonder why Nigerians continue to celebrate 'lootocracy'. They honour looters, terrorists, militants, assassins etc. Uhm...only Nigerians can make a mad man look sane and make a sane man look mad. If he were to be a common criminal, no one would want to associate with him, but now that he is a rich criminal, everyone want to be recognized with him. Nigeria my beloved country! The land where mad men direct traffic and the supposedly sane people follow obediently....Is there really any hope for this country?

On Sunday 4th August 2013, the people of Oghara in Delta State celebrated their former governor in grand style on his 55th birthday. Although, the ex governor, James Onanefe Ibori, is currently serving his jail terms in a London prison for fraud, his admirers and political associates gathered to celebrate him. The celebration started with a Thanksgiving service at the Baptist Church, where the pastor, Rev Iweh Godspower, challenged the congregation to emulate Ibori.

While the Rev was preaching, he asked:

"What is that aspect of ibori's personality that could attract such mammoth crowd which filled the church and overflows outside?"

He answered his own question by saying:

"It is given that Ibori is a huge success, but that is not why all of you have left your homes and different towns to be in Oghara today; even though the man you have come to celebrate may never know the individuals that have come to do him honour. You have come to Ogahara today because Ibori is a man who after climbing high in the social, political and economical ladders of Nigeria, he did not seize and throw away the ladders in the way most Nigerian big men usually do; he made the ladder available for others to climb up too. And even when some people are too weak to make good use of that ladder, he helped pull them up. That is why you are here today. Never forget that and you go and do likewise; help others to climb up the ladders of life and love." The crowd applauded him and others bellowed Ibori's nickname "Odidigborigbo of Africa."

The three days celebration ends today with a topflight novelty football match at the Oghara Township Stadium.

http://www.mjemagazine.com/emulate-james-ibori-pastor-advice-nigerians/
http://www.allaroundgist.com/2013/08/emulate-ibori-pastor-advice-nigerians.html#more

sagalord: Nigeria we hail thee! Don't these people realise that the man stole their money, the money that should have been used to develop their land and ennsure that the future of their children is secured? Foolish people.

Kx: Coming from a supposed "Minister of the gospel", what a shame.

emmysenior: All these useless pastors tarnishing the image of christianity. Woe betide thee all.

emmysenior: All these useless pastors tarnishing the image of christianity. Woe betide thee all.

All Round Gist:

"What is that aspect of ibori's personality that could attract such mammoth crowd which filled the church and overflows outside?"

Akposito: I wonder why we Nigerians will not read post thoroughly before commenting out of ignorance... Please i beseech you to read the pastor's quoted speech very well "You have come to Ogahara today because Ibori is a man who after climbing high in the social, political and economical ladders of Nigeria, he did not seize and throw away the ladders in the way most Nigerian big men usually do; he made the ladder available for others to climb up too. And even when some people are too weak to make good use of that ladder, he helped pull them up. That is why you are here today. Never forget that and you go and do likewise; help others to climb up the ladders of life and love." The pastor simply said Nigerians should emulate the good quality of not being selfish.

iamswizz: we should emulate thieves?

m.k.o2005:

No, they will not see the bolded in the speech becos it's positive ! No one want's to see the positive side of Life !
Dog bite's man is no news but when 'man bite's dog' then it will make head lines ! If the op had used as headline 'pastor advice Nigerians NOT to emulate Ibori',do you think it would hav made front page ? Even if it did,no one will click on such a tread !
What we see here is the case of the man putting on an 'immaculate white' agbada with a needle-eye drop of red oil stain on it,what do you think people will see ? The 99.9% immaculate white agbada ? Ofcourse not ,but the highly insignificant .01% of drop of red oil stain !
Have a reflection on 'baba kan' ati omore' and the ketekete' by Ebenezer obe !

God help us

sharp man: I am sorry, but our brothers from the South South have shown that they are not bothered about the level of corruption in the country, as long as the thief is one of them. Bad people elect bad leaders. May God save us from this hopeless nation called Nigeria.