Nigerians condemn celebration of Ibori’s release
Some Nigerians on Thursday expressed
displeasure with the celebration of the release of James Ibori, a former
Delta Governor, from a prison in London.
They said that such celebration was condemnable, unfortunate and uncalled for.
The former governor of Delta was on Wednesday released from prison in London, U.K.
Ibori was jailed in 2012, two years
after he was arrested by the Interpol in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates, where he was hiding after fleeing Nigeria.
He was sentenced to 13 years in prison
by Southwark Crown Court on April 17, 2012 after pleading guilty to
10-count charge of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud.
In spite of his guilty plea and
conviction for corruption, his kinsmen at Oghara and other Urhobo
communities in the Delta, however, turned the affair to a carnival as
they lined up major streets dancing.
There was wild jubilation in Delta following the news of the release of the former governor.
A retired teacher, Mr Augustine, said it
was unfortunate that some Nigerians celebrated criminals and those who
contributed to the bad situation of the country.
He said, “It’s a shame that we are
celebrating those who had contributed the increased unemployment rate in
the country, lack of healthcare services, dwindling standard of
education and failed democracy among other challenges.
“Until we start to change our ways and mindset, we will continue to wallow in our problems in the nation.”
In his views, Mr. Sesan Adeleye, a
businessman, said such jubilation showed that politicians had
successfully brainwashed some citizens with ill-gotten wealth.
He said, “The problem of some Nigerians
is a clear case of poverty of the mind. We value wealth so much. They
are not even bothered about why he went to prison.
“They are already waiting for him to come back so that he can continue to distribute ill-gotten money to them.
“They don’t even care that the money stolen was meant for their welfare and development.”
Also, Dr Edewede Iyamu, a private
physician, said that the celebration over Ibori’s release was uncalled
for as he also contributed to the pervasively poor and under developed
state of the Niger Delta.
She said, “Those from Niger Delta
continue to blame the Federal Government for the challenges confronting
their region, whereas, people like Ibori should be held responsible.
“It is sad that people from that region are now celebrating him.”
A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mr.
Adekunle Aribisala, said something must be done to stop the celebration
of criminality in the country as it was becoming rampant.
Aribisala also expressed worry that it
would not be easy for the Western community to release the money in
question — 18 million Pounds — to the Nigerian government.
He said, “We had the same situation when
Chief Bode George and Mr. Hamza Al-Mustapha were released too, now it’s
Ibori. I feel really ashamed as a Nigerian.
“We do not need people like that in our society any longer. They need to be isolated so they don’t corrupt more people.”
In her opinion, Alhaja Aishe Jelil, a
civil servant, said the future of the youth who were being used by
politicians called for concern.
She said, “We seem to have lost our
values in this society, I wonder what the future holds for our future
generations. They are celebrating Ibori because they consider him a hero
and a role mode.”
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