Prominent Ijaw leader and former Chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area, Chief Mizodome Williams Ibu, has strongly responded to recent comments
Prominent Ijaw leader and former Chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area, Chief Mizodome Williams Ibu, has strongly responded to recent comments attributed to Henry Okah regarding former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Chief Ibu described Okah’s remarks as “sad, pitiable, and deeply unfortunate,” noting that they reflect neither the mood nor the position of the Ijaw people.
“I noted with a mixture of sadness, pity, and concern the news report attributed to Henry Okah, currently serving his sentence in a South African prison,” Chief Ibu said. “His disparaging comments seeking to question the competence and achievements of former President Goodluck Jonathan are not only uncharitable but detached from reality.”
Chief Ibu suggested that Okah’s prolonged incarceration may have influenced his recent outburst. “If anything, his vituperations should attract sympathy, as a long stay in prison may have affected his sense of judgment and rational thinking,” he stated.
He further described the remarks as opportunistic and lacking in remorse. “It is profoundly ironic that Mr. Okah now speaks of ‘coordinated attacks’ on Ijaw interests. History reminds us that it was he and a small group of dissidents who sought to sabotage the peace of the Niger Delta at a critical time when the region had embraced the Presidential Amnesty initiative.”
Referencing the October 1, 2010 bombings in Abuja, Chief Ibu said, “By choosing violence on a day of national celebration, he forfeited any moral standing to claim representation of the Ijaw people.”
Highlighting the record of the Jonathan administration, Chief Ibu maintained that the former President’s tenure stands in clear contrast to Okah’s assertions.
“The reality of President Jonathan’s leadership contradicts these revisionist claims. Under his watch, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest economy and gained recognition as one of the fastest-growing economies globally. These achievements were the result of visionary leadership, democratic governance, and institutional stability,” he said.
He added, “While some individuals were focused on disrupting peace, President Jonathan ensured that Nigeria’s global image was strengthened through economic expansion and a peaceful democratic transition that remains a reference point across the continent.”
Chief Ibu concluded by urging the public to dismiss Okah’s comments as attempts at self-relevance.
“Rather than grandstanding from a prison yard, Henry Okah owes Nigerian society an apology for the acts that led to his conviction,” he said. “President Jonathan remains an icon of peace and progress. Mr. Okah, on the other hand, represents a painful chapter in our history that the nation has since moved beyond. The public should see these prison rants for what they are ,the desperate cries of a man seeking relevance through the defamation of a leader whose shoes he is unfit to lace.”