Ogbia chiefs call for calm over plot to protest against NDDC boss

The people of Ogbia Kingdom in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have appealed to various aggrieved groups planning to protest against the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku, to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue.

Addressing a press conference in Yenagoa, the leadership of Ogbia, led by the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, HRM King Dumaro Charles-Owaba, and the Acting National Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Dr. Azibalaguo Seibofa, commended President Bola Tinubu for the reappointment of Chief Ogbuku as MD of NDDC, thanking the people of the nine (9) NDDC states for their unwavering support for their son.

The Acting National Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, Dr. Seibofa, who also doubles as the Traditional Prime Minister of Ogbia Kingdom, lamented that since the discovery of crude oil and gas at Oloibiri-Otabagi in 1956, and the subsequent discovery of more oil wells in other towns and villages in Ogbia Kingdom, there have been no commensurate rewards.

Seibofa said: “Oloibiri-Otabagi and other communities in Ogbia Kingdom have been abandoned for decades, with no efforts by the International Oil Companies (IOCs) or the Federal Government to deliberately develop the area or embark on remediation to curb the devastation, degradation, and total destruction of our environment, including wildlife, aquatic life, flora, and fauna.

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“From the First Republic, when the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB) was established by the Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa government, to the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Area Commission (OMPADEC) created by the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime, no son or daughter of Ogbia Kingdom has ever been appointed to head any of these interventionist agencies, despite our immeasurable sacrifices as the cradle of the country’s oil and gas wealth.

“While we acknowledge the natural scramble for power and opportunities, we appeal to all aggrieved groups, including those planning to protest against our son, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, to sheathe their swords and instead embrace constructive dialogue. As a kingdom, we have always supported other Niger Deltans and successive administrations, and we, therefore, seek the same total support for our son.

“We vehemently oppose the pattern of removing Ogbia people from public offices, as seen in the cases of Chief (Sen.) Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo as Governor of Rivers State in 1983 and President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

“We commend and appreciate the various policies, programs, and projects of Mr. President under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which are aimed at reforming, transforming, and repositioning the economy of our great country. We also extend our gratitude, support, and solidarity to the governors of the nine (9) NDDC states and wish them well in the discharge of their constitutional duties and responsibilities.”