Miss Take Ibori, scion of a former governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori emerges on the political scene carving an independent identity in a political landscape where her father even in spirit continues to dominate

By Emmanuel Aziken

She has not painted the picture of many politicians who take to philanthropy just when an election is around the corner. Miss Erhitake Ibori’s inclination started years back even before the seeds of her present aspiration to the House of Assembly were known or even conceived. Take (pronounced as Taake) as she is more popularly known is the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for the Ethiope West State Constituency who has launched innovative steps in reaching out to constituents alas, potential voters.

Ibori’s outreach to the lesser privileged mobilises volunteer doctors from one side and resources from another platform to reach out to people in need.

The platform she is using is her Starlite Hope Initiative (SHI), an NGO, which last Sunday threw open its doors to alleviate the needs of the sick in Oghara. TThe doctors provided general health care with drugs, dental care and eye care including the provision of medicated glasses to those in need.

In the team of 11 medical doctors, four dentists, five opticians, eight nurses were Doctors Ejiro Esiekpe, Lawrence Oghumu, Mudiaga Akponana and Chuks Olodu.

•Take Ibori (right) and Hon Lovette Ederin Adesiri (2nd right) watch as a Dentist treats a patient.

The outreach in Oghara was not the first. Indeed, SHI’s first outing was well outside Oghara in Agbor more than 100 kilometers from her place of origin where she has established as headquarters of the SHI.

Asked for the reason for her devotion to the less privileged, Take, a daughter of a former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori said:

“I grew up in a family that has an absolute concern for the poor and the under-privileged and where ethnicity does not matter as people are treated as, yes, God’s own children. Bigotry and hatred have no place in our home. What matters is service to others, to the community, to the country.”

While noting the special emphasis of getting Nigerians to volunteer to aid the less privileged, she said of her NGO, “our aim is to get youths, yes, young people to come together to help others without expecting anything in return.

Once such a belief of giving, freely and cheerfully, of one’s abilities and treasures spreads across the country, Nigeria would be a better and more humane place. You see, I believe with the late American President J. F. Kennedy that on this Earth, God’s work must truly be ours”.

A number of the volunteers last Sunday, remarkably came from established institutions near her including the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and Central Hospital Benin, and the nearby hospitals such as the University of Delta State Teaching Hospital.

Another dimension to Take’s initiative is what has been termed the Ämbubike” service which entails the provision of a motorcycle ambulance for those in real health emergency.

Any person with such emergency within the catchment area in Oghara calls a phone number and pronto, a motorbike is rushed to the person to provide first aid and following which the person is rushed to a nearby hospital.

Miss Ibori’s innovativeness in volunteerism is also still evolving as she said in answer to a question on what was her next aspiration.

Ibori replied: “thanks for the question. Next week, we are starting the Ibori Reading Club, and volunteers are called upon to sign up”.