The former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has disclosed that he wept on live television when his mother, Madam Comfort Ibori was to be laid to rest in October, 2004.
He said this in Osogbo, the Osun State Capital at the weekend while speaking during the burial ceremony of Mrs. Comfort Olateru, the mother of Engr, Akin Olateru, the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation bureau (NSIB).
He said that he broke down in tears while paying tribute during the funeral service of his mother, adding that he could not hold back tears in public despite being the governor of Delta State then.
Ibori noted that the love that existed between mothers and their children is a strong bond that could not be separated, advising every child to always show love and support for their parents irrespective of their status while they are still alive.
“My father died in 1996 and I remember taking his body for burial, I wasn’t a governor then, but when my mummy died, I was already a man and even a governor and you know how this our politics is, I could not cry in the public, you can only cry in the bedroom and that was what happened.
“On the day I was to bury my mother, on live television, I couldn’t hold it back, I shed tears. When I got to the place where my mother was, I started sobbing, I was crying. That is the depth of motherhood.
“That is not to say you don’t have regards for your father, but the kind of love that is between a mother and her children is different from that of the father. The love of a mother is a phenomenon that can be hardly explained.”
Ibori also congratulated Olateru for being alive to bury his mother and prayed for the entire family to continue to live in peace.
According to him, “It is a dream for most of us to bury our parents. When Akin (Engr. Olateru) called me that the mother was not doing very well, I told him to just keep praying to God, but if it doesn’t happen, prepare your mind. So, when he called me to say Mama was gone, I congratulated him.
He continued, “For me, what is happening today (Saturday) is to honour her and not to be mournful. I condole with Akin and all the biological children of Mama. May God repose the soul of Mama. Akin, you have done very well for the honour you have given to mama. May God keep the entire family safe and alive.”
