It has been two days of merriment and reflection as activists, academics , friends and family members gathered to celebrate Dr Jibrin Ibrahim better known as Jibo as he clocked 60 .First, his friensd were in his house Sunday evening to join in the merrymaking, wining and dining.Among the dignitaries there were Professor Attahiru Jega,chairman ,Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi,editor in chief Premium times, Mr Danlami Nmodu,publisher editor in chief Newsdiaryonline.com ,Dr Kole Shettima, a key associate and “employer” of the celebrant,Comrade John Odah former General Secretary ,Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC, Professor Abubakar Momoh among other civil society activists.
On Monday evening , the celebration chalked up a wider array of guests one of whom confessed to being dragged there by the Jibo magnet.It was at the YarAdua Centre ,Abuja where former Chief Justice of the Federation,Justice Muhammed Uwais and his wife Maryam were present.Equally present were Professors Jega and Ibrahim Gambari,ex minister ,ex Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations(etc) .Dr Abubakar Siddique,Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, chairman/ceo ,Media Trust Ltd,Femi Falana ,SAN ,Comrades Odah, Issa Aremu and wife ,Hadiza Bala Usman,Ekanem Bassey and other civil society activists including YZ Yau,CDD director Idayat Hassan,Auwal Musa Rafsanjani of CISLAC,Samson Itodo , and Kunle Fagbemi among others.
Monday’s even included some brainstorming by a three man panel including Jibo ,Professsor Adele Jinadu and Professor Okey Ibeano.Incidentally, the three of them share the same birthday.They examined the political science in Nigeria:dead alive or comatose.Professor Funmi Olanisekan of Kings College moderated the session.
Those who spoke included Mrs Uwais ,co-chair ,Jibo’s wife ,Dr Charmaine Pereira, Falana, SAN,YZ Yau, Hadiza,Odah ,Chris Kwajah,Yunusa Tanko of IPAC and Professor Gambari who all hailed Jibo’s track record of humility , intellectual acuity, commitment to truth, principle and the struggle for a better Nigeria.
