Eighty-year old industrialist of Lebanon and Ijaw parentage, Chief Ephraim Fagha-Faloughi has said that he chose to retire home to Bayelsa State, maternal base, because of the peace and safety that has reigned in the state since the reign of Senator Douye Diri as governor.
He made the comment at an event to mark his 80th birthday celebration in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The Octogenarian owns one of major hotels in the state capital. While his mother is from Brass, his father is Lebanese.
In Bayelsa State though, citizenship is recognized more from the maternal lineage. Fagha-Faloughi is noted for his contributions towards the creation of Bayelsa State and has, since its creation, contributed in various ways towards its development.
But because of what many used to see as the violent nature of the state before now, he decided to stay off the state. He told guests at the birthday party that he decided to return to Bayelsa after observing that with Diri’s emergence as governor, the state had started knowing peace.
The state knew no peace mainly during the tenure of Chief Timipre Sylva. At that time, operatives of the Operation Famutangbe(kill and throw away) were always accused of killing and maiming people, on the suspicion that they were criminals.
Just recently, a former president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan had said immediately after the last governorship election, that if Diri did not return as governor, he would have moved his aged mother out of the state. He was afraid that violent activities would return to the state if Diri had lost.
He said after criss-crossing the length and breadth of the world, he realised that home was home and that Diri was instrumental to his decision to retire back home because of the enormous peace he had attracted to the state.
He recounted how he previously was reluctant to return to his state for security reasons but expressed satisfaction that Diri had recorded a lot of difference and his likes can now be proud to retire with peace of mind.
Governor Diri, in his remarks, eulogised the octogenarian for his giant strides in business dating back to the 1970s and still thriving across the country.
In his speech, the governor described Dr. Faloughi as an Ijaw patriot, who was not only involved in the Bayelsa State creation effort but also invested in the state as well as being part of positive developments concerning the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
He also stated that the octogenarian was an asset that the state was proud of for his support and immense contribution to the growth of Bayelsa.
He said: “I feel very elated that we are celebrating the living and not the dead. Today will go down in the history of this state that we gathered to celebrate the life of our elder and leader, who has been involved in virtually everything concerning the Ijaw nation and indeed in the creation of Bayelsa State.
“He put in all that he could to ensure this state was created and upon creation, he came in and invested. One of the oldest hotels in the state, Brass Suites, is Chief Faloughi’s handiwork.”
The Bayelsa helmsman averred that Faloughi, whose mother is from Brass local government area in the state, was fully Ijaw despite having a Lebanese father as the Ijaw culture was equally matrilineal.
Chairman of the event and immediate past Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd), described the 80th birthday gathering as a celebration of life’s achievements, which began with a lecture and dinner attended by the Governor of Osun State, Prince Ademola Adeleke.
Rear Admiral John-Jonah said Faloughi’s achievements did not come cheap as he worked hard from the scratch.
Also speaking, pioneer Pro Chancellor, Federal University, Akure and current Pro Chancellor of the Bayelsa Medical University, Amb. Boladei Igali, paid glowing tributes to the octogenarian whom he described as one with the purest of heart and who had rendered service to the country and qualified as one of the finest gentlemen in Nigeria.
Dignitaries that graced the event included the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the state Chief Judge, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, member representing Brass Constituency One in the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Dr. Daniel Charles, his Sagbama Constituency Three counterpart, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu-Brown and a former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Harold Demuren.
Others were Mrs. Wendy Ephraim-Faloughi, former House of Representatives member, Prof Steve Azaiki, former Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Boyelayefa Debekeme, former Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, Arch. Amagbe Kentebe as well as King Ebitimi Banigo and His Highness David Serena Dokubo-Spiff.
Also in attendance were the Chief of Staff, Government House, Dr. Peter Akpe, his deputy, Mr. Irorodamie Komonibo, and other top government functionaries.
