baba tunji wusu –
- Ogbia Kingdom appeals for peaceful dialogue instead of protests against NDDC MD, Samuel Ogbuku.
- The kingdom praises President Bola Tinubu for reappointing Ogbuku and appreciates the support of the nine NDDC states.
- Dr. Azibalaguo Seibofa highlights the longstanding neglect of Ogbia communities despite their contribution to Nigeria’s oil wealth.
- The Ogbia leadership opposes the pattern of excluding their people from key public offices and calls for unity and constructive engagement.
The leadership of Ogbia Kingdom in Bayelsa State has appealed to various groups planning protests against the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku, urging them to embrace dialogue instead of confrontation. This plea was made during a press conference in Yenagoa, where the Obanobhan of Ogbia Kingdom, HRM King Dumaro Charles-Owaba, and Dr. Azibalaguo Seibofa, Acting National Chairman of Ogbia Brotherhood, addressed the media.
The Ogbia leaders expressed their gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for reappointing Chief Ogbuku as NDDC MD and extended their thanks to the people of the nine NDDC states for their continued support of their son. Dr. Seibofa, also the Traditional Prime Minister of Ogbia Kingdom, reflected on the historical neglect of the Ogbia communities, especially since the discovery of oil in Oloibiri-Otabagi in 1956. Despite their immense contribution to the nation’s oil wealth, Ogbia Kingdom has seen little in terms of development, environmental remediation, or support from International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the Federal Government.
“We have been abandoned for decades,” Seibofa lamented, highlighting the environmental devastation that has plagued their land without sufficient efforts to restore it. He also pointed out the historical exclusion of Ogbia people from leadership roles in past interventionist agencies like the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB) and the Oil Mineral Producing Area Commission (OMPADEC).
The leadership of Ogbia Kingdom condemned the exclusion of their people from public office, citing the historical removal of prominent figures like Chief Melford Obiene Okilo and President Goodluck Jonathan. They urged all aggrieved groups to abandon their plans for protests against Ogbuku, emphasizing the importance of unity and constructive dialogue for the betterment of the region.
In closing, the kingdom expressed its full support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to reform and reposition Nigeria’s economy, and extended well-wishes to the governors of the nine NDDC states in their efforts to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
