Nigeria’s Longest Serving Royal Father Reacts to Baseless Rumours About NDDC MD/CEO
Nigeria’s longest serving Royal Father (68 years in service) and Pioneer Chairman of Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers and Ibenanawel of Bomo Kingdom in Southern Ijaw local government, HRM, King Dr. W.S. Joshua Igbubguru, X CON (JP),
has reacted to what he described as unverified rumours circulating on social media about the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.
King Igbubguru maintained that Dr. Ogbuku is a man of unquestionable character, full of enthusiasm and dedication to achieving his goals, citing his visible developmental strides in human capital, infrastructure, and environmental management as evidence of his commitment to the development of the region.
The revered Royal father who spoke to newsmen in his Palace at Ekowe, in Southern Ijaw local government in Bayelsa State, urged the public to ignore the malicious rumors and false allegations against the NDDC MD, assuring Dr. Ogbuku of the traditional council’s continued support in developing the Niger Delta region.
The King further advised the public to seek verifiable evidence before sharing information online and to base judgments on factual accomplishments, praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Dr. Ogbuku and ensuring the NDDC is fully funded.
He expressed gratitude to the president and prayed that Dr. Ogbuku is given a distraction-free environment to complete his tenure and focus on regional development. The traditional ruler assured Dr. Ogbuku of his continued support and that of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, saying they will continue to work with him to ensure the Niger Delta region achieves its full potential.
His words: “In light of recent unverified rumors circulating on social media, I feel compelled, as the longest-reigning monarch in Nigeria with 68 years on the throne, to speak on the character and performance of Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“I have observed Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku’s trajectory with keen interest from his youthful age to his current position. My confidence in his integrity is rooted in first-hand experience, having worked directly with him when he served as the Executive Officer of Seven Waves Company during my tenure as chairman of the board.
“I know him to be a man of unquestionable character, full of enthusiasm and dedication to achieving his goals. To the best of my knowledge, Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku’s performance as Managing Director of the NDDC has been exemplary since his appointment.
“His developmental strides are visible across the region, notably in critical areas such as human capital and infrastructural development, and addressing environmental and ecological challenges in the region is evident.
“As a Monarch, I hereby urge the public to disregard the unfounded allegations against him. The fake news was a miscalculated attempt by enemies of progress in the Niger Delta region to tanish his image because of his good works and rising profile. I advise all to seek verifiable evidence before sharing information online and to base their judgments on factual accomplishments.
“It is my plea that we instead hold Chief Ogbuku in high esteem and offer him our massive support. This will enable him to continue the vital work of developing the long-neglected Niger Delta region with the speed and capacity the Commission is capable of.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for entrusting Chief Ogbuku with this role and for ensuring the Commission is fully funded to perform its duties.
“It is my desire and prayer that we provide an enabling environment for Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku to complete his tenure without any form of distraction, allowing him to focus solely on the task of regional development,” the revered Royal father reiterated.
It will be recalled HRM, King Dr. Joshua Igbubguru who is the longest serving King in Nigeria is also the Chancellor of Federal University Dutse Jigawa State, Pioneer Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, Pioneer Chancellor, Federal University Lafia, and former Chairman, Old Rivers State/Nine Eastern Council of Traditional Rulers.
