"I'm not a thief," ex- Gov claims

Ex-Gov of Delta State,

Speaking in his hometown of Oghara during a special thanksgiving service, he said: “Today I have decided to speak for myself. I am not a thief, I cannot be a thief,” he said.

“Today is the day they say I should give testimony to God, for those who know me, you know that my entire life is a testimony itself and I have said it over and over again that my life is fashioned by God, directed by God, sealed, acknowledged, blessed by God and I believe that since the day I was born.

“Like the archbishop said, when this whole commotion started, what was most painful to me was the pain and suffering that my people were going through.

“When I looked at how things were going, I discovered that they wanted to separate me from you people. They wanted me to go to the corner where I won’t be seen.

“It has nothing to do with me as a person because for some reasons like I said to you, I drew my strength from God and somehow, I knew that God would stand by me. I knew that this day would come. I am indeed very pleased that I can now stand before you and look at your faces, faces that I have missed and those of you who have indeed suffered the pains of my absence.”

Continuing, Ibori said: “It is indeed not what I can begin to say. If I am to give testimony of my journey, you will not leave here. The only testimony that I have is the fact that I am back and alive in your midst. And again I say that I never had any doubt in my mind that I would get back home.

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“I am happy to be home with my people. There is nobody that can battle with the Lord. An Urhobo adage says there is time for everything. A day will come when I will tell my story and every one of you will hear me, but for today, it is just to thank God.”