Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, his predecessor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, and former Governor James Ibori on Friday mourned as the late High Chief Williams Ibori was laid to rest in Oghara, Delta State, saying he was a peacemaker and stabiliser.

Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Peter Obi, Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbenedion, Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, former Deputy Governor Benjamin Elue and personalities from different parts of the world attended the day of tribute held at the Oghara Township Stadium before the internment took place at the residence of the deceased.

According to Governor Okowa, “Together, we mourn this afternoon, we mourn because, he died suddenly, Oghara is our political base, and he was a father to all of us who visit our leader, Chief James Ibori in Oghara; he played a major role in my becoming the Governor of Delta State.”

“I will forever remain grateful to Chief William Ibori; he was a great man and he was a member of the Delta State Advisory Council; we know that he has played his role as a father and a community leader; we pray that God will console the family,” Okowa said.

To Dr Uduaghan, the deceased “was a pillar in this state, a great adviser, and severally, we called on him to settle dispute in any part of Delta State.”

Former Governor Ibori in an emotion-laden speech, said: “Uncle William, as I used to call him, was a father to all of us; it was indeed very sad that we stand here today preparing to lay him to rest, his death was a big shock

“God knows best but we would have wished that he gave us some notice.”

“God called him and he answered the call like everyone of us will do and on this occasion, mine is to wish him well and to thank him for what he was to everyone of us,” the former Governor stated.

In a related development, Governor Okowa has urged Nigerians to live worthy life and contribute to the development of their communities.

The governor made the call today at the funeral service of Senator David Dafinone held at Bethel Baptist Church, Sapele, Delta State.

According to the Governor, “Live a life that is worthy, a life that will touch other people’s lives positively bearing in mind that after you have gone, you will only be remembered by what you did when you were alive.

“In whatever we do, we should consider the feeling of others, we must make impact in our communities because, people can only love you when you have made impact on the life of people back home.”

“I must condole the family of late Senator Dafinone, it is my hope that the Lord will receive his soul; we are very proud of him; he touched a lot of lives and played a lot of roles to grow the accounting profession and the roles he played in the building of the Palace of the Orodje of Okpe cannot be forgotten,” Governor Okowa, who attended the burial ceremony accompanied by political aides, stated.

Bishop Diamond Emuobo in a sermon at the ceremony urged Christians to make the society better through their actions.

•Photo by Jibunor Samuel shows, from left; Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa; former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori and the Immediate Past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, during a day of Tribute, in Hounor of late High Chief William Ibori, in Oghara Delta State.

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