BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO AN ACHIEVER: RT. HONOURABLE ABRAHAM INGOBERE

By Adam Domo

ON SATURDAY May 5, 1973, the noble and illustrious family of Ingobere in Sangana Coastal community of Akassa Clan was blessed with the birth of a baby boy whose achievements over the years have come to be acknowledged as distinctive and truly remarkable.

Today marks another calendar year in the life of that child of distinction who now sits as the 9th Right Honurable Speaker of the 6th Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

Needless to say, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere has since become a household name in the political landscape of Bayelsa.

His antecedents in the everyday life of his community, to say nothing of his political pedigree in Bayelsa, speak volumes about much more to come from the Ingobere fountain.

The common thread in the adventurous life of the Right Honourable Speaker is built, no less, on a strong determination to overcome challenges whenever they crop up.

Early in life, the young Abraham Ingobere showed this dogged and resolute aspect of his character. He chose, at every turn, to take responsibility for his actions, and learn whatever hard lessons may come his way in a bid to forge ahead, acting always in the interest of the overall good.

Not only did he refuse to bow to the victim mentality from which some of his contemporaries suffered, he proved capable of transcending every obstacle that has so far come his way in the belief that success is progressive.

Not surprisingly, the leadership qualities of Abraham Ingobere came to be noticed quite early in his life. And because he was always ready to speak on the side of the people, his popularity grew by leaps and bounds beyond the confines of his hometown, Sangana, to the outer perimeters of Bayelsa.

His peaceful disposition and purposeful belief in people as the prime movers of society is well known.

Interestingly, the natural goodwill emanating from this great man has continued to radiate outward into the individual lives of those who come around him.

Hon Abraham Ingobere, to start with, sees people from the perspective of the potentials they carry, rather than their actual behaviour. In other words, he doesn’t judge people by their looks, but by the content of their personality. Like a good child of God, he is slow to bear grudges and quick to forgive.

As may be expected, there are many testimonies about this outstanding lawmaker who has come to be known to encourage, inspire, motivate, and cause his friends, employees and colleagues to grow larger on the inside.

In his younger days, Abraham Ingobere attended State School, Sangana, from 1984-1990 and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate before proceeding to Community Secondary School, Sangana, where he finished at the turn of the century in 2000.

His interest in his surroundings soon manifested in his choice of course at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State; where he graduated from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management in 2011. He also bagged a Diploma in Law from the Bayelsa State College of Arts and Science in 2018.

Equipped as he was, he ventured into politics right afterwards, contesting the councillorship position for Brass Ward 10, and won. In quick time, he became leader of the Brass Legislative Council from 2004 to 2007.

His earlier credentials as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ward Ten, Brass Local Government Area, and as a one-time President of the Sangana National Youth Council in 2001, presented him as a political figure to be reckoned with.

Without further ado, Abraham Ingobere contested the Bayelsa State House of Assembly seat for Brass constituency 3 (Akassa) in 2011, and won. He became Minority Leader, re-contested for a second and third time between 2015 and 2019, and unanimously emerged as Deputy Speaker, briefly as Acting Speaker of the fifth Parliamentary Session.

His close study of the Constitution, the House Rules, his passion for making a difference, and his general conduct on the floor of the House endeared him to his colleagues who promptly allowed him to occupy the seat of Speaker, following the formal inauguration of the sixth Assembly.

So far, Right Honourable Abraham Ingobere is known to have made meaningful legistlative contributions on the floor of the House, and taken several steps further to make governance felt in his own immediate constituency.

The Veteran law maker’s generosity is equally known to have extended to the lives of people at the grassroots. And that is because, in his own right as a United Nations Ambassador of Peace, Right Honourable Abraham Ingobere sees his role in society as that of servant-leader.

Clearly, Right Honourable Abraham Ingobere is an achiever who rarely does it alone but works through people. He believes in building teams and working with composite strategies that are guaranteed to yield fruitful results. He believes in cultivating synergy from the workforce at his disposal in the march towards attaining set goals.

That mindset of pulling everyone together in a bond of unity has continued to garner support for him.

These are the personal qualities that have served to raise his esteem in the eyes of his political associates, and persuaded his honourable colleagues to have Right Honourable Abraham Ingobere as the current Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

There is no doubt that, since ascending the exalted office of Speaker, the Right Honourable gentleman has proven to be an effective leader, given his ability to harness members of the House into conceiving relevant bills and laws that speak loudly in the overall interest of Bayelsa State.

We have every reason to join political associates, friends, well-wishers, ardent followers, supporters and family members from far and near, as they heartily celebrate this political stalwart and patriot as he marks his birthday today.

Happy birthday and many more returns to Right Honourable Abraham Ingobere.

Even as we wish you long life and prosperity, our prayer is that the coming days will show the Speaker to be a more dynamic leader who will integrate the disparate opinions of the House into one wholesome progressive force that will act in the abiding interest of Bayelsa, and bring a new dimension to the legislative routine in the glorious history of Glory Land.

For and on behalf the Honourable Abraham Ingobere Political Associates.