By Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugbori, Perez Brisibe, Ochuko Akuopha, ASABA

AS the Ibru family, the Urhobo nation and Delta State grapple with the demise of the patriarch of the Ibru family and Chairman of the Ibru Organization, Olorogun Michael Christopher Onajirhevbe Ibru, a cross section of eminent Deltans, yesterday, described his death as a colossal loss to the Nigerian nation.

Ibru, last Tuesday, passed on at the age of 85 in Maryland, USA after a protracted illness.

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, described the late Olorogun as a colossus whose business acumen gave birth to the rise of many successful businessmen in Africa.

Ogor said: “He can rightly be described as a man who had the midas touch, breaking new grounds in different spheres of life and succeeding in areas nobody dared to do business in and opened new grounds that brought about many successful businessmen in Nigeria and in the diaspora.”

Chief of Staff to Delta State Governor, Mr Tam Brisibe, said: “In every nation, great men are born in different fields and in the business world; not many can tower above the titan that Olorogun Michael Ibru’s name hold worldwide”.

Mr Abel Oshevire said; “Olorogun Michael Ibru’s death is the saddest news of the   year. It is indeed a monumental loss to the Urhobo nation. He was a great pride to the Urhobo people. His death draws the curtain on a glorious chapter that illuminated the Nigerian business community”.

National Chairman of Urhobo Solidarity Forum, USF, Chief Smith Asohro, said, “Olorogun Michael Ibru is a proud son of Urhobo nation who bought economic awareness to Urhobo land”.

Mr Sunny Onuesoke said the death of Olorogun is shocking and painful, describing him as one man who carried his siblings along in his business life.

Mr Onuesoke said: “Olorogun Michael Ibru was the greatest ever produced among his generation of business mogul in the seventies in the history of the black race.”

Mr Reuben Izeze said: “The late Michael Ibru was one of the most respected Urhobo patriots whose life of outstanding entrepreneurial spirit provided several jobs for the unemployed”.

Meanwhile, Isoko Development Union, IDU, the apex socio-cultural organization of the Isoko nation, has condoled with the Ibru family and the people of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom, on the demise of Olorogun.

President General of IDU, Chief Iduh Amadhe, described Ibru’s death as a great loss to Delta State and the country at large, saying: “A big iroko has fallen. We pray God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”