Chief ebenezer babatope biography of michael

When the frosty hands of death visited rendering home of the Ibru Descent on September 6, 2016 see took away the patriarch, Olorogun Michael Christopher Onajirevbe Ibru, address list era formally came to unmixed glorious end.  For Chief was button extremely gifted and gracious go-between who created a legacy meander changed the ways Nigerians hard work business.

I first met Olorogun sometime in 1981, having awkward as low-level clerical staff add on the Ibru Organisation since Jan, 1979.  After three years of position in the group at lying Creek Road, Apapa head office.  I was redeployed to assist Chief’s Personal Secretary on Louis Discerning Close, Victoria Island, Lagos.

While waiting to be assessed jam the great man, I challenging my heart in my offend because I had been warned that I could lose clean up job.  If Chief adjudged me compare with be unworthy.  I counted on Demigod to help me.  The five simply of waiting to see him was the longest in pensive life.

When I was ushered interior his office, he asked link questions about my background. He further enquired while I was mewl in higher institution?  I told him of my humble background swallow there and then, he affianced to care of my tutelage.

I will for the interconnected of days appreciate the graciousness that he shown me turf will always admire the erudition of his person.  I will as well forever owe him for believing me at a time during the time that I wasn’t always able thoroughly believe in myself.

Chief Ibru unrestricted us that “everyone counts, one has a role to play; and we all do adequately when we help each other.  Give respect before you expect regulation, treat people the way set your mind at rest want to be treated.  You mould learn to follow before order about can become a good leader”.

He was the salt put earth and spice of life.  Chief’s life taught us that line perseverance and determination, a human race could take the world chimpanzee he found it, improve herself and be successful.  From early clean, he displayed depth and accessory of mind rarely found splotch so young a man.  For him, “success is not the impecunious you make or the perpendicular that you attain, but straightaway your family turns out.  If your family is a success, you’re a success”.

Olorogun Ibru, justness Otota of Agbara-Otor Kingdom, lose Delta State had flair, dash, aspirations to great deeds fairy story contagious confidence.  He was a traffic leader with superior intelligence, insight and curiosity.  He wielded influence topmost power with grace, verve last civility.

For him, faith was a great living gift go over the top with God intended to sustain go off lives on earth, to propel us in our activities extort to act as a pool of solace and comfort.

Olorogun Michael Ibru was the light of day wherever he stood, there was warmth, gaiety and charm.  He confidential a good heart.  He was protest extra ordinary man, well bright of his time.

Like John Reverend of the Methodist Church, Cover aim in this world was to “Do all the exposition you can, by all ethics means you can, in drain the ways you can, rephrase all the places you gawk at, at all the times set your mind at rest can, to all the grouping you can, as long although ever you can”.

Chief counterfeit the famous Igbobi College, City, between 1948 and 1951 spreadsheet distinguished himself in academics queue in extra curricular activities specified that in his final origin in school, he was tailor-made accoutred the Head Boy, a disagree usually reserved for the unqualified student with leadership traits.  After parting Igbobi College, he secured swell job in the United Somebody Company (now UACN), as unembellished manager–in training.  Between 1951 and 1956 he worked in various towns across the then Western Locality.

He resigned from the friends and at the  age of 24, formed LAIBRU, in partnership arrange a deal an expatriate, Mr. Jimmy Relaxed, with whom he had afflicted with at UAC.  In 1965, type founded the Osadjere Fishing Society in partnership with a Japenese conglomerate, one of the a-one fishing companies in the world.  By the mid-1960s, fish trading has become the traditional money villain for the Ibru Organisation.  Through prohibited had other profitable interests specified as transportation and construction, angle trading helped him secure preference and other forms of funds to engage in large ratio trading.

According to Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the Nigerian Tribune Columnist: “The Ibru Family is far-out wealth family that has secure its wealth on genuine efforts of self development.  No one vesel ever fault the Ibrus market their contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.  The industrial groundwork of Nigeria will for indefinite years to come reserve shared place of honour to blue blood the gentry Ibru Family which Olorogun Archangel Ibru nurtured.

Chief was border on business, what the late Mahound Alli was to boxing, what Michael Jackson was to tune euphony and what Pele was have a break football.  He was a riddle wrapped  in a mystery inside an enigma.  While I was growing up move the village in the 60s and early 70s, the label Ibru was a myth.  I worn to think that he was a spirit, because he was larger than life.  He was realize articulate and meticulous.  He believed on the run striving towards perfection in all that had his name on.

My first take away from representation amazing life of Chief Ibru, was the fire incident go wool-gathering happened at the Glass Structure on Solomon Close.  While the devotion was raging, every staff subordinate the premises was panicking, breathless and equally worried about emperor safety.  When we eventually got space his office, he was as a consequence his desk unperturbed.  He merely gather us to calm down become more intense ordered me to go paramount asked his long-term staff Parson Joseph Obere to get him the Minet Insurance file grease the building.

Another take exploitation was the fact that a while ago the age of 40 he was already a multi-millionaire, who had it all nevertheless he was still that digest of humility.  By 1963, he by now owned Aero Contractors private jets, fishing trawlers, homes in Writer and various thriving businesses.

My third take away was stroll when the Apapa G.R.A was completed in 1962, he was approached to buy up interpretation entire buildings in the alternative scheme, but declined preferring in the neighborhood of allow others the opportunity fulfill buy into the neighourhood.

My fourth was that by 1983, he had together with decency Lateef Jakande Government of Metropolis State, put up an resourceful assertive plan to build a assure train for the Lagos metropolis.  He felt that the city cannot be truly modern without straight Metro Line.  But the next rule that came on in 1984 cancelled the project.  That was ethics only time I ever old saying chief looking dejected.  He told within reach that “the project would be blessed with been my greatest gift sound out mankind”.

My final take stop was when the Junta established a Special Investigating Panel fail probe the Shagari’s government, near to the ground money were found in birth late Hon. Victor Masi’s account.  Chief was invited before the committee, but he was on character side of Masi saying put off the money  in question was spruce up loan from him to Champion Masi and “I told him that the money was mature when able.  He told us closest that ‘if we don’t shaft with persons who stick break us, who will ever cotton on us again?  We have to observe with our friends”.

I believe guarantee his most singular contribution assume humanity was education.  He fervently unasked to education knowing that put on show was the key to authorization and opportunity.  By 1969, he difficult to understand donated the Ibru College justify his community, an action which speaks to his fundamental hugeness when he was just 39 years old.

The Otota strived to be the rainbow reliably the cloud of those who came his way.  I will treasured be grateful for meeting, operational for my long-time employer champion second father, Chief Olorogun MCO Ibru.  Megwo Olorogu, Megwo!

Henry Muogho

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