Quite a few people have wondered why and how Ibori obtained that Oceanic bank loan. The purpose of this very brief write-up is to shed some light on how it came about. About the time Ibori wanted to buy Wilbros and approached Cecilia Ibru for additional funding, Oscar Ibru, who is the first son to Olorogun Mike Ibru and heir-apparent to the Ibru conglomerate, was gearing up to run for Governor of Delta State.
This intention was quite known to Ibori and may have actually triggered his intention to approach Cecilla Ibru in the first place. However, be that as it may, Cecilia still needed an excuse to convince Olorongun Mike Ibru for granting such a humongous loan to Ibori and as things turned out she had the perfect excuse.
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When Cecilia first brought up the idea to Chief Mike Ibru, his first reaction was that she should not give that thief that kind of money. But blood they say is thicker than water and personal family considerations were to finally oust this very wise decision. Oscar was convinced by Cecilia and Oboden, who is Cecilia’s first son, that the granting of such a loan to Ibori was a pretty good idea as it would help further his desire to be Governor of Delta state. Oscar found the idea to be a fantastic one and bit the line, as they say, hook and sinker. Olorungun Ibru Snr had be pretty ill for quite some time now and upon pressure being applied by the trio of Oscar, Oboden and Mrs. Cecilia Ibru he saw some reason and caved in, after all it was other people’s money.
With this understanding and some form of agreement in hand, between Ibori and the Ibrus, the loan eventually passed. However, the stresses and competition of a polygamous family were to out bad blood. Cecilia Ibru started to have second thoughts; why Oscar and not Oboden? She understood that if Oscar were to become Governor the chances of Oboden following in those footsteps would dim considerably. My sources, which are very close family friends to the Ibrus, told me that it was Oboden who first pointed this out to Cecilia, his mother, while signifying his intent to be Governor too. Oboden understood that the good people of Delta state would not stand for a third Ibru to govern their state, after Felix and Oscar had done their bit. But, Oboden was especially concerned that Oscar might make such a complete mess of things that it would be practically impossible for another Ibru to govern Delta state after his tenure. Let the truth be heard, Ibori was ready to play ball but whispers started flying in the middle of night that Oscar was not fit to be Governor of Delta state. Dirt was dug up, highlighted with references made to his past drug habits. He was called unreliable and dreams began to fade.
Ibori, on the other hand, was forced to find a replacement at the eleventh hour and having no time to search out a befitting and trustworthy replacement, he was forced to pass the torch to his cousin, who is today the present Governor of Delta state. It must be said here, that it just wasn’t Ibori who profited from the said loan. Oboden, as Chief Financial Officer, secured beautiful commission for pushing and securing said loan for Ibori and Cecilia Ibru creamed money off the top by reassuring Ibori that given the entire circumstances, there would be no need for him to pay interests on the said loan. It was to all intents and purposes a sweetheart deal. The new understanding between parties was that Oboden would proceed to take over from Ibori’s cousin at the end of his two terms in office. All this was before Sanusi Lamido Sanusi threw a huge monkey wrench into things.
Funds for repaying this loan was to be drawn down from the coffers of Delta state over a period of time, quietly, with the present incumbent facilitating things but it was not to be before the big burst dawned. Today, Ibori does not have the funds to accommodate that huge deficit and even if he did, things are already out in the open. Oscar, in himself, has learnt about the conniving treachery of his step-mother and half brother and has left them to their own devices. Felix and Goodie have better things to attend to and would rather not be ensnared in the whole matter. I know that Ibori has been trying to make the case for Cecilia that a substantial part of that loan was also applied to Umaru’s presidential campaigns and that the only reason Cecilia approved it in the first instance was because she completely believed in a Yar’Adua presidency. In fact, it was reassurances from Ibori that fueled her initial cockiness towards Sanusi at the advent of this matter but now, things have come to a crunch as she belatedly realizes that thing are not always what they seem. She has been hung up high to dangle and shrivel.
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