Amaechi, Ijaw Leaders Mourn INC President

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi has described as sad and painful the sudden death of the President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Senator Tari Sekibo.
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. David Iyofor, said the late Sekibo a medical doctor was a great Nigerian and a Rivers son, whose commitment to the Ijaw nation and the country was commendable.
“Tari Sekibo was a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a great son of Rivers State. His election as the President of the INC further established his disposition as a leader, loved by his people”, the governor said.
Amaechi who condoled with the family of the deceased and the entire Ijaw nation urged them to draw strength from the fact that Sekibo was an accomplished leader and elder statesman.
He prayed God to grant the family of Sen. Sekibo peace in their time of sorrow.
Ijaws in the Eastern part of the Niger Delta described the sudden death of the INC President, Senator Sekibo as a great loss to the Ijaw nation.
A cross section of Ijaw elders who spoke to The Tide on the issue said, the death had created ugly vacuum as far as the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) was concerned.
To Prof Atuboyedia Obianime, a former President of Ijaw National Congress INC), the death of Senator Tari Sekibo was a great loss to Ijaw nation and Nigeria at large.
Prof. Obianime described the late Sekibo as a highly achieved man with a lot of experience and contributed so much in service of the society.
President Goodluck Jonathan had expressed sadness over the sudden death of the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Chief Tari Sekibo.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President extended his condolences to Chief Sekibo’s family, the people of his hometown, Okrika, the leadership of the INC and all Ijaw people.
The President believed that Chief Sekibo, who brought immense sagacity, maturity and years of political experience to his leadership of the INC following his election as its President last May, would be greatly missed by the Ijaws and all lovers of peaceful co-existence and national unity.
The senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Senator George Thompson Sekibo described the incident as very shocking, and that the late INC leader was an elder statesman and public servant of inestimable value whose contribution to the state, the Ijaw people and Nigeria are worthy of note.
He recalled that the deceased represented his people effectively in the Second Republic as a member of the House of Representatives and later as a Senator and said that the political class will miss his wise counsel.
The Bayelsa state government declared three-day mourning in honour of the late President of the Ijaw National Congress.
Governor Seriake Dickson described his death as sudden and a loss not only to Ijaw nation but Nigeria as a whole noting his wealth of experience and contribution to the development of Ijaw nation.
Dickson in a statement signed by the State Commissioner of Information, Deacon Markson Fefegha directed that all state flags in public buildings and places across the State be flown at half mast for three days, beginning from Tuesday, 19th of November 2013.
Also, Chairman, Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs, Chief Wisdom Nemi Adoki said the loss was unquantifiable to Okrika and the entire Ijaw nation.
“It is at terrible loss to us as a people. We feel terribly sad that such a national figure who had served the country meritoriously would die in such circumstances”.
Chief Adoki said that the late INC President who was also a former Chairman of Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs was able to unite the different factions of the Chiefs in Okrika as well as ensure stability in the Ijaw National Congress (INC), noting that Senator Tari Sekibo would be missed greatly not just by the Ijaws in Rivers State, but the entire Nigerian nation.

Chris Oluoh