Ogbia Kingdom Lauds Tinubu For Ogbuku’s Reappointment

The people of Ogbia Kingdom in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the reappointment of their son, Samuel Ogbuku, as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Speaking at a press conference on Monday in Yenagoa, traditional rulers and community leaders called for an end to agitations and protests against Ogbuku’s reappointment, urging aggrieved groups to embrace constructive dialogue for the collective progress of the Niger Delta region.

The Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, King Dumaro Charles-Owaba, and the Acting National Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood,  Azibalaguo Seibofa, also commended former President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Ogbuku and President Tinubu for renewing his tenure at the NDDC.

Naijaonpoint reports that they further extended their gratitude to the governors of the nine NDDC states for their continued support.

Ogbia’s Contribution To Nigeria’s Economy

Seibofa, the traditional Prime Minister of Ogbia Kingdom, while reading the text of the press conference, lamented that despite the kingdom’s contributions to Nigeria’s economy, it has been largely neglected in terms of development.

“Ogbia Kingdom, which played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s economic history, remains underdeveloped despite its oil and gas wealth,” he said.

Seibofa recalled that since the discovery of crude oil in 1956 in Oloibiri, followed by the discovery of more oil wells and vast deposits of gas in the area, trillions of cubic feet of gas and an unquantifiable volume of crude oil worth trillions of naira and hundreds of millions of dollars have been extracted.

However, he lamented that there has been no commensurate reward or infrastructural development.

“Oloibiri-Otabagi and other communities in Ogbia Kingdom have been abandoned for decades without deliberate efforts by the International Oil Companies and the Federal Government to develop the area or implement environmental remediation programs,” Seibofa stated.

He noted that the region has suffered severe environmental degradation, destruction of wildlife, and loss of aquatic life, flora, and fauna due to decades of oil exploration without meaningful intervention.

Historical Marginalization Of Ogbia People

The Ogbia leaders also pointed out that despite their immense contribution to Nigeria’s oil industry, no indigene of the kingdom had ever been appointed to lead any of the government’s interventionist agencies.

“From the first republic, when the Niger Delta Development Board was established under Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, to the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) under General Ibrahim Babangida, Ogbia people have not been given leadership positions in these interventionist agencies,” Seibofa noted.

He said that it was unfair and unacceptable that a region that has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s wealth has been historically sidelined in the allocation of key government appointments.

Call For Unity And Support For Ogbuku

Seibofa appealed to those planning protests against Ogbuku’s reappointment to reconsider their stance and support his leadership in the NDDC.

“We acknowledge the political struggles for power and opportunities, but we appeal to all aggrieved groups to sheath their swords and adopt constructive dialogue,” he said.

“As a kingdom, we have always supported other Niger Deltans and successive administrations. We therefore appeal for the same level of support for our son, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, in his role as NDDC Managing Director,” he added.

The leaders further condemned the removal of Ogbia people from key public offices, citing the sack of Senator Melford Okilo as Governor of Rivers State in 1983 and the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 as examples of unfair treatment.

Commendation For Tinubu And NDDC Governors

While expressing their support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Ogbia leaders commended his administration’s policies and programs aimed at reforming and transforming the nation’s economy.

They also extended their appreciation to the governors of the nine NDDC states and urged them to continue working for the betterment of the Niger Delta region.

“We appreciate the policies, programs, and projects of Mr. President under the Renewed Hope Agenda and extend the same token of love, support, and solidarity to the governors of the nine NDDC states,” they stated.

The Ogbia leaders reaffirmed their commitment to peace and development, calling on all stakeholders in the Niger Delta to work together to advance the collective interest of the region.