Felix Ibru: December 1935-March 2016

The Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU) of Delta on Saturday confirmed the death of Chief Felix Ibru, after a brief illness at the age of 80 years.

Mr Josiah Ntekume, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) interim committee of the union in a statement in Warri said news of the death of the former Governor of Delta came as a shock to the Urhobo people.

”The death of Olorogun Felix Ibru today came as a shock to the Urhobo nation.

” A heart has stopped beating. A good soul has ascended to heaven. We part with our beloved former President-General of UPU and first Executive Governor of Delta in pain,” he said.

Ntekume prayed God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the great loss.

Ibru, a former senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a business tycoon, was born on Dec. 7, 1935 to the family of Chief Peter Ibru in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta.

As a traditional chieftain of his homeland, Felix Ibru bears the tribal honorific Olorogun.

He often uses it as a pre-nominal style the title is also borne by many of the members of his large family in the same way.

As a student in Nottingham, he was elected the first Black President of the British Council with responsibility for Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

In 1997 he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) by the Delta State University and a Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

His political activities began in 1983 when he contested for a seat in the Senate, which he late won in 2003 representing Delta Central Senatorial; District.

He ran for the Governorship of Delta in 1991 and emerged as the First Executive Governor of the newly created state in 1992.

The business icon was survived by six children and many grand children.