Ibori: Your Reports Are Not Balanced, Archbishop Slams Media

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

Archbishop God-Dowell Avwomakpa, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN South South zone as well as Chairman Niger Delta Bishops Forum has expressed worries over the way some section of the media reported his sermon during the thanksgiving service held for former Delta State governor, James Ibori who recently returned to Nigeria after serving a six-year jail term in the United Kingdom.

The Archbishop, president and founder of Christ Missionaries Crusaders Church International Inc., said the way many reporters at the service held at First Baptist Church in Oghara, Delta State sensationalised his message titled “Knowing The Gift of God”, does not promote balanced, quality and development journalism.

” My message at Chief James Ibori’s special thanksgiving service has been watered down and given several interpretations by media practitioners and citizen journalists, some of whom did not even heard me preached at Oghara,” the cleric said in a statement released by his media adviser.

According to the Archbishop, there was no time during his sermon he compared Ibori with Christ- the Saviour.

“To suggest in some sections of the media that the Archbishop’s message described Ibori like Jesus Christ is most unfortunate and should be avoided by citizen journalists and reputable men of the pen so that in discharging the social responsibility functions, media men will not cause more havoc to the society they serve,” the statement read.

Reiterating what he said during the service, Archbishop Avwomakpa said,“Ibori was the point of contact that unites government with the church and that the country needs politicians who would go into politics for the betterment of the land.”

He noted that in the history of Urhobo land, two people have made great impacts on their immediate society. They are the late Olorogun Michael Ibru and the next is James Ibori.

The cleric said while in public office, many politicians did not build a house for anyone even when they have the resources neither did they empower people especially the youth and upcoming politicians, but that Ibori built men and churches, consequently, the Archbishop described Ibori as a gift of God.

He noted that just like people who God used to change the story of some generations, Ibori’s ordeal was like that of Samson, Paul, Joseph and so many others in the bible who were enemies to the authorities yet loved by their people.

The CAN leader said that since God made man in His own image and likeness, whatever happened to man, people should understand that God has a purpose for allowing certain things to happen to such man.

While admitting that he likened Ibori with some men of old in the Bible, never did he compared the former governor with Christ.

“For some journalists to imply that Ibori was compared with Jesus Christ is misrepresenting my message which is not good journalism,” he said.

Ibori was convicted of corruption and money laundering on April 17, 2012, after five years of trial.

The Southwark Crown Court, UK, sentenced him to 13 years in prison while his houses, luxury cars and other property items were confiscated.

The judge, however, ruled that Ibori would spend half of the jail term, which is six and half years.

But Ibori, who returned home 4 February, had insisted during his remarks at the thanksgiving service that he was innocent of the charges to which he pleaded guilty and for which he was convicted in the UK.

Speaking largely in Urhobo, he said:  “Today I have decided to speak for myself, I am not a thief, I cannot be a thief. Today is the day they say I should give testimony to God, for those that 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.”

Many critics have slammed Ibori for his obstinacy rather than remorseful.

They attributed this to the praises by the Archbishop, who some have tagged “Political Archbishop” for assumed penchant for politicians and people in power.

However, the Archbishop’s media adviser, Mr. Ovie Edomi, said contrary to that, Avwomakpa is a preacher of the word for over five decades and has remained an apostle of good governance and a soldier for Christ.

“Though he prays for men in leadership positions, he is known equally for preaching to men and women in power as well as encouraging Christians to work towards seeking holiness as well as leadership position so that when the righteous are in power the people will rejoice,” he told P.M.EXPRESS.

“It is expected therefore that a man of God of this standing who has transversed the globe with the Message of Christ with great emphasis on Holiness would speak the truth to God’s people. In fact those who know Archbishop Avwomakpa know that he is not a minister of the word that can be influenced by man,” Edomi concluded.