By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has revealed that former President Muhammadu Buhari had little or no knowledge of him before appointing him to head the Commission over two years ago.
Ogbuku made the disclosure in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Tuesday during events marking his 50th birthday and the launch of two books: a’Rethinking the Niger Delta’ and ‘Strategies and Imperatives for Developing the Niger Delta’.
“I want to say thank you to our late President who gave me the opportunity to serve as Managing Director of the NDDC. Mr. President did not actually know me in person, but he trusted in me.
“My first meeting with him was very explosive. If I were not to be a strong-minded person, I would have probably run out of his office. At the meeting, Mr. President was visibly not happy with the state of affairs in the NDDC. He confronted me that we are very wicked, with nothing to show, given all the amount of money that have been sunk into the NDDC. He was not happy at all. He didn’t even give me the opportunity to sit,” Ogbuku recalled.
According to him, he assured Buhari of his commitment to deliver. “We can work together to make this change, just trust me,” he told the former president. Ogbuku said Buhari later accepted to give him a chance after listening to his vision for the Commission. “You are there already. You will be given that opportunity. Let me try you,” he quoted Buhari as saying.
The NDDC boss also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for reappointing him, and to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who first announced his name as a potential leader of the Commission. He noted that his books were inspired by reflections on President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In his remarks, President Tinubu urged Ogbuku to remain focused on advancing the Niger Delta while incorporating private sector investment alongside government funding to strengthen development efforts. “When you reflect on the Niger Delta, it is more than a region. It is the economic heartbeat of the country, and it is central to the energy and environmental future of the country,” Tinubu, who was represented by the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, stated.
Also delivering a goodwill message, Senate President Akpabio praised Ogbuku for fostering stability within the NDDC. He recalled the period when frequent crises plagued the Commission’s top management, noting that during his tenure as Niger Delta Minister, Board members would often submit names to replace a sitting MD.
Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Godknows Igali, lauded Ogbuku’s leadership, describing it as a turning point for the NDDC. “In the past, the Commission was known for in-fighting between the Board of Directors and top Management. But under Ogbuku, there is synergy and everyone is working together. So we are pleased with Mr. President for giving us such a dynamic young man to lead the NDDC,” he said.
During a Panel Session on ‘Contemporary Issues in the Niger Delta’, stakeholders from the Niger Delta lauded Dr. Ogbuku, describing him as “a former activist turned leader” whose strategic efforts have helped recalibrate the Niger Delta Region.
They jointly observed that one of Ogbuku’s most notable achievements is maintaining a scandal-free record in his more than two years in office. He was also commended for documenting and analyzing most of the region’s challenges in his latest books.
The panel discussants further recommended that the operations and deliverables of the NDDC be aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also emphasized the need for stronger public-private sector partnerships to enhance the Commission’s funding capacity.
Dr. Ogbuku is the recipient of AfriHeritage’s ‘African Public Service Award’, which was conferred on him in April this year at the African Heritage Concert and Awards held in Marrakesh, Morocco. According to the organizers – Heritage Times HT, the award was in recognition his transformative leadership and service to the Niger Delta Region.
