James Ibori's Release - Nigeria's 'Distinguished Senator's' Welcome Address!

It is no longer news that ex- Delta State governor, between 1999 - 2007, James Ibori, was recently released from a U.K prison, after he was sentenced by Southwark Crown Court, London, in February 2012. 

What could be news however, was "part" of the "address" of a sitting Nigerian Senator, who identified himself as "Distinguished Senator Peter Nwoboshi"  and "a voice that speaks and Nigeria speaks",  at the welcome party organised for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, in London, after his release from jail, where he spent four years and eight months (February 2012 - December 2016), having admitted to financial fraud. 

The dialogue below gives an analysis of that "part" of speech:

Citizen 1: Oh Boy, complements of the season, have you heard the latest news? (shakes hands)

Citizen 2: What news again, nah everyday news dey break around the world these days.

Citizen 1: Bros, you mean to tell me say you never hear say them don free Chief James Ibori???

Citizen 2: That is no news nah, wasn't it last week or so??

Citizen 3: (enters..shakes hands) Bros nah trueooo, dem don free big brossss...see as people just dey jubilate anyhow-anyhow.

Citizen 2: But dat no be news again nah, the video is all over the Internet.

Citizen 3: I don watch am, see as that man dey throw-way haillings give big bros....you go fear, power pass power nah.

Citizen 1: Really?, I haven't seen that. What and what was said???

Citizen 2: Hmmm, you mean that speech that got me embarrassed??? to imagine that people from all over the world would have seen that. How can a "sitting Senator" be so careless in his speech??

Citizen 1: Wao! what and what was said??

Citizen 3: But nah true the man yan nah, no be naija? nah so them dey do nah. Citizen 2: (cuts in) Point of correction, no be so we dey do am for Naija abeg, this particular case could be an exemption. The man was just released from prison and the radar is on him, that speech could get him into more trouble.  Citizen 1: I am confused here, what and what was said in the video???

Citizen 2: Part of the speech categorically states, and I quote. "There are many people who have been governors, who have never been opportuned to make their successors. but James Ibori made a successor. There may never be a governor in Nigeria history again who will seat in the cell or in the prison and make a governor, (claps..cheers) and there will never be a governor again in the history of Nigeria who will seat in prison and make Senator. And there may never be a governor again in the country who will seat in the cell and support a Senate president"...(someone in the crowed shouted...and make a Speaker) ..."and there have never be a governor who will seat in prison and make a Speaker of the House of ......

...."and there may never be a governor in this country who will seat in the cell or in the prison and make the daughter a member of the House of Assembly...(cheers...claps..shouts of "power pass power"). He rounded off by saying: "As a Senator I must speak, I'm a VOICE in the National Assembly".

Citizen 3: Omoo forget that thing, power pass power.

Citizen 1: That was rather careless abeg, and he addressed himself as a "Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria", and "a VOICE", who "must speak"??? Voice of WHO abeg?

Citizen 2: Now you get my point, if he made that statement on his own-behalf, I no mind. Why decide to rope the whole country into that incautious utterance??? 

Citizen 1: Abii nah drink???

Laughter...

Citizen 1: Nooooo, on a serious note, peharps it was uttered out of excitement.

Citizen 2: Caution my brother, caution should be the watch word. That is why as someone who occupies such an exalted position, you should always be careful with your utterances. It's not on everything you must speak, and if you must, you need to watch what you say. The country is already going through a lot, our image have been more tarnished than glorified internationally, we have been called "fantastically corrupt", and all sorts of demeaning names. We have been directly, and indirectly ridiculed by governments of both Centres and Peripheries, not because they are better than we are, but simply because we lack decorum. I wonder how these people get elected into such positions, beats my imagination. Regrettably sad.

Citizen 3: No be una elect them to dey represent??

Citizen 1: Who elected who??? them dey elect most of them???

Laughs.....

Citizen 3: I tell you, the way some of them dey take enter that position, you go bow. Some no dey even reach their constituencies to know first- hand how things be, but the issue on ground be say: me I think say the man yan him mind.

Citizen 1: My friend keep quite if you don't have any meaningful thing to say. Why didn't he speak "his mind" as an individual, why drag the whole system into that rake-less speech Huh?, who send am??

Citizen 2: That speech could indict the whole system.

Citizen 1: Thank you, I think irrespective of the Senator's pehaps 'noble' intention, that speech can

only get the ex-governor into more trouble in the home front, and at the International terrain. I mean this is a man who needs a clean bill to start

over, peharps get involved in some "Youth

re-orientation program", where he could use the platform to channel

the Nigerian Youth, most of who really admire him, into more positive developmental programs that could, with time, give him a more appropriate

image. We all make mistakes, but the ability to face the consequence(s), if

need be, and raise above that, to become a positive force in the society is to

me, true strength.

Citizen 3:  True talk, true talk be that, so in summary, watin you dey yan so be say- big bros needs distance himself from some kain things like that. Mmm sense no go kill you sha. 

Dialogue copyright: Obianuju Mbanusi