President Bola Tinubu and former Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan have extended warm birthday wishes to Chief James Onanefe Ibori, who turned 66 on August 4, 2024.
Ibori, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, served as the governor of Delta State from 1999 to 2007 and has remained an influential leader in the Niger Delta region.
Tinubu’s message was conveyed through a State House press release signed by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.
It reads partly, “The President joins friends, the good people of Delta State, and well-wishers to felicitate the former governor on this occasion. The President wishes Chief Ibori good health and strength.”
Uduaghan, who succeeded Ibori as governor, in his goodwill message, praised Ibori’s leadership qualities and commitment to the welfare of the people.
Uduaghan, now the Alema of Warri, described Ibori as a man of the people and a crusader for women’s empowerment and humanity.
“As a governor, you never deviated from set goals. You exhibited the sterling qualities of a strong leader, brought optimism to the Niger Delta Region, provided effective leadership in Delta, established a culture of openness, checks and balances and gave dissenting voices full hearing,” Uduaghan said.
He further praised Ibori’s advocacy for peace, justice, equity, and progress, noting his call for true federalism, resource control, and power shift in the country.
Born on August 4, 1958, Ibori’s tenure as governor was marked by efforts to curb militancy in the Niger Delta, manage ethnic conflicts, and secure military protection for oil installations, said Uduaghan.
He noted Ibori’s pragmatic leadership and his ability to execute projects that brought rapid development to Delta State.
“Your policies represented a very enlightened practical interpretation of the common saying that charity begins at home. You made indelible marks on the lives of the masses, executed projects to specifications, brought rapid and almost even development of Delta State with Operation 2000 Projects, maintained industrial harmony; eliminated high debt profile owned contractors by previous government, sanitised the process of award of contracts, embarked upon water schemes and projects for rural electricity supply, invested heavily in Warri, the commercial nerve centre of Delta State and developed Asaba, the state’s capital,” Uduaghan added.
He expressed belief that his predecessor has “much more to offer” to Nigeria in the years ahead.
Ibori is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His political journey began in 1990 when he joined the National Republican Convention (NRC).
Ibori, along with other political leaders in Delta State, later founded the Delta National Congress (DNC) which eventually merged with other political groups to form the PDP.
Under the banner of the PDP, he contested and won the Delta State gubernatorial election on January 9, 1999.
Tinubu, Uduaghan Salute Ex-Gov James Ibori At 66 is first published on The Whistler Newspaper