The people of Bayelsa State are now in tears, following the death of Chief Thompson Okorotie, a former member of the old Rivers State House of Assembly and political warlord of Ijaw extraction.
Okorotie died at the age of 78 at Istanbul, Turkey, according to a statement jointly signed by Ebikebina Okorotie and Libya Okporu. He was said to have been sick for a while.
Okorotie who died a committed advocate for the development of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation was known for his political strength from the days of the old Rivers State and up till the creation of Bayelsa State.
He held sway as the special adviser on political matters to the first civilian governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. Okorotie was known to have helped the Alamieyeseigha government stabilise politically, at a time that the then All Peoples Party, APP, was seriously threatening his party, the PDP.
A holder of the title, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR, Okorotie was a constant face in the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, activities and was a strong and committed member of the Bayelsa Elders Forum.
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The statement which TNN obtained on Monday read: “The Ayaowei/Okorotie family of Agomowari Quarters in Ekeremor Community, the Kalaotu family of Okidiware Quarters in Aleribiri Community and the Ekorukoru House of Abinabebe Quarters of Isampou Federated Community all in Ekeremor LGA of Bayelsa State, painfully announce the demise of our son, father, grandfather, cousin, uncle, leader and elder statesman, the Olotu 1 of Ekeremor Kingdom, the Angbakuro of Tarakiri Clan and the Oguotensia of Oporomor Clan, Hon. Chief (Dr.) T.K.O. Okorotie, OFR., who died on the 29th of September 2023 in Istanbul Turkey after a protracted illness.
“Until his demise, Chief T. K. O. Okorotie was one of the founding fathers of Bayelsa State, elder statesman, doyen of Bayelsa politics, holder of a national honor, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an Ijaw Nationalist, religious icon, business man and father to many, who lived a life of service to humanity until his last breath.”
