Bayelsa Community Urges Support for NDDC CEO, Ogbuku, Lauds Tinubu

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The people of Ogbia Kingdom in Bayelsa State have appealed to aggrieved groups, including those that are planning to protest against the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku, to embrace constructive dialogue.

A group allegedly sponsored by an interest group is said to be planning a protest against the NDDC boss and want him removed by the President Bola Tinubu-led government.

Addressing a press conference in Yenagoa, the leaderships of the Ogbia Kingdom led by the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, HRM King Dumaro Charles- Owaba, and the Acting National Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Dr Azibalaguo Seibofa, commended former President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu for the appointment and re-appointment of Ogbuku.

The Ogbia monarch also thanked the  people of the nine NDDC states for their maximum support for  Ogbuku.

The Acting National  Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Seibofa, who also doubles as the traditional Prime Minister of Ogbia Kingdom, read the text on behalf of the leadership of the kingdom.

He regretted that since the discovery of crude oil and gas at Oloibiri-Otabagi in 1956 and the subsequent discovery of more oil wells and trillions of cubic feet deposits of gas in other towns and villages in the kingdom, unquantifiable volume of crude oil and gas worth trillions of Naira had  been piped out without commensurate rewards.

Seibofa said: “Oloibiri-Otabagi and other communities in Ogbia kingdom have been abandoned for decades without efforts by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and federal government to deliberately develop the area or embark on remediation to curb the devastation, degradation and total destruction of our environment including wildlife and aquatic life, the flora and fauna.

“Right from the first Republic that the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB) was established by the Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa government to the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Area Commission (OMPADEC) by the Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime, no son or daughter of Ogbia kingdom was appointed to head any of the interventionist agencies despite our immeasurable sacrifices as the cradle of oil and gas wealth in the country.

“While we acknowledge the natural scramble for power and available opportunities, we wish to appeal to all the various aggrieved groups including those that are planning to protest against our son, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, to sheath swords and rather embrace constructive dialogue.

“As a kingdom, we have always supported other Niger Deltans and successive administrations, we therefore appeal for the same total support for our son. While we vehemently oppose the trend of removal of Ogbia people in public offices like the cases of Chief Melford Obiene Okilo as Governor of Rivers state in 1983 and President Jonathan in 2015.

“We commend and appreciate the various policies, programmes and projects of Mr. President under the Renewed Hope Agenda that are geared towards reforming, transforming and repositioning the economy of our great country.

“We also extend the same token of love, support, solidarity and commendation to the governors of the nine  NDDC states and also wish them well in the discharge of their constitutional duties and responsibilities.”