Breaking News: Delta APC exposed the half-baked Okowa projects.

SENATOR IFEANYI ARTHUR OKOWA HALF-BAKED PROJECTS EXPOSED BY NATURE.
The news of the exposure of Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa half-baked and shoddy jobs which resulted in collapse of part of Stephen Keshi Stadium and a water tank did not come to Deltans as a surprise. In fact, it is commonplace that because of the "ego aria" disposition of the Governor of Delta State and the fact that almost all jobs awarded by the State government, are awarded to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa relations and cronies, the works are done shabbily without conscience.

Barely two weeks ago, a road/bridge commissioned by the Governor less than three months ago in Jesse area of Delta State collapsed. Also, a road constructed by Delta State government at Ekete Town less than two months ago is now showing signs of shoddines because of lack of quality materials used on same.

The All Progressive Congress, Delta State Chapter, condemns in totality the calamity visited on Deltans and non Deltans, and fun seekers whose vehicles and other valuables were destroyed as a result of Delta State government appetite for poor jobs, occasioned by "chop I chop/man know man" policy of Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa government. In fact, from the available indices, what the present government of Delta State stands for is work without conscience.

It should be noted that in the advanced clime, government takes responsibility for calamitous incidents like what happened at Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. However, what we have seen since yesterday is blame game by the Senator Arthur Okowa government. APC, Delta State wants to use this opportunity to urge on those whose vehicles and other valuables were destroyed or those who sustained various degrees of injuries to hold Delta State government accountable for same. The only way human race could move forward is for people to assert their rights instead of leaving everything for God.

Signed.

Barr. Imonina, Ogheneluemu Sylvester.
Publicity Secretary, APC, Delta State.

FAAN WARN Uber, Taxify and other E-hailing App Drivers

Breaking news:

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have instructed the Chief Security Officer (CSO) on the recent happenings between the local Airport taxi and the E-hailing drivers under all E-hailing Apps to desist from negotiating with passengers who just arrived from various places to the local Airport.

Speaking on behalf of the CSO Mr Dennis, he said the CSO gave a resounding warning to the E-hailing drivers that they have no security in the airport unlike the local Airport taxi who they owe such privileges.

He further stress that if any of the E-hailing drivers should get a direct connection with a passenger, it is safe and reliable for the driver to call the attention of his/ her passenger to the Airport parking lot reserved for the public and then drive from there.

On this note, he advice no one Driver should go to the arrival spot to pick a rider with luggage having seen many scenerio of such cases where riders alleged to missing properties. Such drivers will be severely death with and prosecuted according to the law even he/she is innocent of the crime.

He stated that this is for the interest of the drivers who engage in extra activities with passengers with instance of some drivers seen negotiating outside the E-hailing platforms. In his final word he drivers around should pass this information across to others to avoid their vehicles being impounded by FAAN respectively.

APC announces Yekini Nabena as New Publicity Secretary

APC NEC appoints Nobena Acting National Publicity Secretary


ABUJA-THE National Working Committee (NWC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has approved the appointment of Mr Yekini Nabena as Acting National Publicity of the party.


The appointment followed the resignation of the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi who recently defected to the PDP.

In a letter of appointment signed by the National Secretary of the APC, Hon.Mai Mala Buni, addressed to Yekini Nabena, it said : “ I write to convey the resolution of the National Working Committee reached at its 34th Regular Meeting of 1st August, 2018, mandating you to resume duty as the Acting National Publicity Secretary with immediate effect.


“This development is sequel to the resignation from the party by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi as the National Publicity Secretary.

“While wishing you success in your services to the party, please accept the assurances of our highest regards”.




APC NWC annuls Cross River State congress,


ABUJA-THE National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cancelled the state congress earlier conducted in the Cross River State, saying the conduct was not in conformity with the party’s guideline and constitution.


The NWC however upheld the conduct of the ward and Local Government Area Congresses in the state which was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).


In resolution signed by the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the National Secretary, Hon.Mai Mala Buni, shortly after a meeting of the NWC yesterday it said: “ the National Working Committee at its meeting of 1st August, 2018 has reviewed the conduct of the congresses in Cross River State.


“Consequently, the National Working Committee (NWC) has approved and upheld the conduct of the ward and Local Government Area Congresses as observed by INEC.


“However, the National Working Committee (NWC) has found that the conduct of the state congress was not in conformity with the party’s constitution and guidelines. Accordingly, the National Working Committee (NWC) has voided the state congress earlier conducted and has ordered for the conduct of fresh state congress in Cross River State immediately”.

No Supremacy or power tussle in APC

Oshiomhole and Ngige: Not about contestation or supremacy battle


By Simon Ebegbulem


I read the back page piece by Levi Obiojiofor, titled “Oshiomhole meets his match” published in Daily Sun of Tuesday, July 31, 2018 and I must say that I felt very disappointed at his commonplace drift.  I had expected perspectives that were much more elevated on the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, in the number of contexts in which he tediously attempted to sardonically revise Comrade Oshiomhole’s individuality.

Obiojiofor’s choreographed attacks on Comrade Oshiomhole remain, essentially, products of a flawed deconstruction. It is, without a doubt, jaundiced and unfair in all its ramifications. But then, I will not adopt Obijiofor’ strategy of hoisting Comrade Oshiomhole on a petard on account of his official actions and attacking his character so unconscionably in the guise of ventilating an opinion, forgetting that opinions are simply what they are: opinions, which are not sacred.


Suffice, therefore, to say that what Obiojiofor celebrated on the back page of Daily Sun newspaper edition under reference was his perception with which he intended to influence or manipulate the judgment of undiscerning or uninformed members of the public who do not clearly understand the dynamics of the issues he labored very hard to interrogate. In the process, he fell into avoidable pastime of character attack.

Indeed, I find it somewhat salacious that Obiojiofor in his opening gambit would declare magisterially that Comrade Oshiomhole does not understand his job as party chair. Is that so? His thesis is that Comrade Oshiomhole’s definition of his job, which is to get the critics of the party and the President to toe the line or be thrown out, is off the wall.  It is understandable if this is “wacky” to him as an outsider, except he wants to claim secret membership of the APC.


But for those in the APC, it is the ambience that the new leadership wants to create as part of conscious effort to entrench a culture of discipline in the party. It is not a happenstance. It was one of the fulcra on which Comrade Oshiomhole hinged his electioneering for the position of party chair. He cannot, therefore, be indicted now if he is living up to his words. Instead he should be saluted for walking his talk.

While I thank Obiojiofor for acknowledging that Comrade Oshiomhole has approached his job with characteristic panache, I however disagree with him that he (Oshiomhole) is arrogant. This again is a faulty perception of the Oshiomhole persona.  You can accuse Comrade Oshiomhole of being too vocal. You can accuse him of being too assertive.  You can even accuse him of not suffering fools gladly, but not arrogance. However, if the summation of all of these is arrogance in Obijiofor’s estimation, then I think it is good to be arrogant.


It is also preposterous to suggest that since stepping in the saddle Comrade Oshiomhole has abridged the democratic space of freedom of expression.  How on earth could Obiojiofor have penned that reprehensible line that the new creed in the APC is that “let all who have something to say be wise to shut their mouth”? Even in a junta, men of courage still stand to be counted in the articulation of their wise counsel.

Even though, I had an idea from the title of the piece what Obiojiofor’s motivation was, I never thought his offering could be this pedestrian and irritating. The Comrade Oshiomhole-Chris Ngige saga does not qualify for or validate the tenor of the title.  Rather than the misnomer of “Oshiomhole meets his match”, I would surmise that party supremacy threatens a resistant culture of indiscipline and laisser-faire in the conduct of APC affairs under a new leadership that knows and understands the issues.  It is therefore not about contestation or supremacy battle. It is about rebuilding the APC and the culture of obedience to party regulations.


In getting party leaders and members to understand the direction to go, the national chairman must not be docile or passive about it.  He must verbalise the issues, ventilate the space, exhort or even upbraid in the process.  If the former leadership had been placid in its approach and the APC became an enclave of disrespect for constituted authorities, should that not be a good reason to change strategies? Comrade Oshiomhole, in fitting into the new imperative of “authority speaking” in the party, is benefitting from his essential persona as man of strong will.

He does not vacillate or prevaricate.  He takes on issues and challenges frontally in line with the extant rules or regulations and within the ambit of the superintending authority of the party; which was why Obijiofor and others who had deliberately reduced the exchanges between Comrade Oshiomhole and Dr. Ngige (Minister of Labour and Productivity) as a personal war were wrong in their summation.


This is the reason I am surprised that in spite of Obijiofor quoting exactly the words of Comrade Oshiomhole, to wit: “if the minister refuses, we will suspend him from the party…And, if the President condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party,” he still went ahead to see Comrade Oshiomhole as the one talking.  Comrade Oshiomhole was not the one talking.  It was the party that was talking and this fact is validated by his use of the royal “we”.  “We will suspend…” cannot be Oshiomhole talking.  If he was the authority, he would have sued “I”.

The bit on the president was ostensibly taken out of context by propagandists and twisted by commentators. Those who watched the full clip on television would attest to the facts that Comrade Oshiomhole pointed out how some people have taken advantage of the fatherly and avuncular dispositions of President Buhari to misbehave. It was in the corollary that he assured that the party would not tolerate any such disrespect.


Therefore, it is not Comrade Oshiomhole that is threatening to sack ministers, it is the authority of the party that is.  And there is nothing Obijiofor and others can do about that or about the small frame of the man in whose hands the authority of the party is. In any case, the totality of these underscores the mission of the new APC leadership to rebuild and refocus the winning machine ahead of the 2019 general election and beyond. One of the main tasks is to remove the indiscipline that Obijiofor erroneously adduced for Comrade Oshiomhole’s perceived assumption of the powers that he does not have.

The party, which Comrade Oshiomhole chairs, has disciplinary powers over all its members.  In the exercise of those disciplinary powers and other ancillary regulations, the national chair who gives a stamp of authority to them in concert with the president, cannot be said to have exceeded the limits of his powers if he threatens to ensure that ministers who are card-carrying members of the party are disciplined if they err.

In the final analysis, the argument by Obijiofor that chairing a party is not the same as effective leadership is moot. Nevertheless, I am not in pari materia with his suggestions that Comrade Oshiomhole does not have the capacity to listen, or to be decorous or to mediate, et al. His conclusion that these approximated to Comrade Oshiomhole’s major character flaw is uncharitable. The whole world knows that Comrade Oshiomhole is a good listener which is why he is a good talker and he has shown a good measure of decorum and equanimity in mediation processes dating back to his years as labour leader.


The assertion of “a major character flaw” is, therefore, vehemently rejected. Obiojiofor’s other arguments directed at the personal values and characters of Comrade Oshiomhole as well as the references to some of his actions as Edo state governor are puerile. Indeed, the good news about all these calculated attempts by the opposition elements and back-end sponsors in the polity to denigrate Comrade Oshiomhole is his resolve not to be distracted from the mission ahead. To the continued chagrin of the oppositions, Comrade Oshiomhole will speak clearly and emphatically, deploying his oratorical prowess, on issues that affect the party as well as ventilate the space with the policies of government that need elucidation and reinforcement for better understanding by party members and Nigerians. With Comrade Oshiomhole in the saddle, better days are here for the APC.


Simon Ebegbulem is Chief Press Secretary to the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Chief Okotie Osiobe reiterate he is Delta APC Messiah.

2019- WE WON'T RELENT ON OUR MISSION TO SALVAGE DELTA STATE, CHIEF OKOTIE OSIOBE ASSURES SUPPORTERS.

By Orhotohwo Nelson Emume

The Governorship Aspirant Under the platform of the All Progress Congress Chief Okotie Osiobe today reiterated his commitment and readiness not to relent in his mission to Salvage Delta State from Under development.

Chief Osiobe who stated this when his teaming supporters welcome him from his one month consultation overseas at  the Osubi Airport, he unequivocally explained the pains he feels about the situation of the State.

He said Delta State is a state blessed by God but a few hands have turned the state into a private business.  Explaining the Slogan the "David Of Our time" he said David was in the bush taking care of his father's flock when God selected him from among those looking more befitting and anointed him for a royal task. He emphatically maintained that the name Chief Osiobe Okotie is a synonym of the biblical David. He said this is the time for us to take the bull by the horn and refuse to be under the shackles of poverty and financial misappropriation that has bedeviled her citizens by the present government.

We are currently living in bondage and we must not allow our staying in bondage exceed 2019. This is no business as usual. The David of our time has come to salvage his people.

Hanging his hope unto God, he said with God, his mission, vision  and that of APC for our dear State will not be shattered.

He encouraged his supporters in particular and Deltans at large not to relent and be discouraged for the time has come for better things to happen in our dear State.

We have enough resources in our State to cater for our people, but what we are seeing today is appalling, we have a government whose interest is for a few Cabals and not for her citizens. He therefore challenged his teeming supporters to stand up for the battle ahead of time and the rescue mission. Chief Osiobe concluded by raising the hope of the common  man that a new and effectively working Delta State is possible.

Featus Keyamo drops the mother of all BOMB

Festus Keyamo drops the mother of all BOMBS.

I asked him when most of you were analyzing that heretic message that “Jonathan is fulfilling prophecy”. I asked a simple question: “Which prophecy is Ex- President Jonathan”? Pastor Bosun went ahead to say “even if the Islamic party (APC) presents a Christian Governor in Lagos, you must not vote for him, you must vote for the other party (PDP). Wait, who was using religion?

Ex- President Obasanjo removed Senate Presidents at will, removed any opposing voice, removed Fayose for a small insult, and removed Ladoja with thugs in Ibadan. Who are you calling “DICTATOR”? BUHARI.

Ex-President Obasanjo withheld Lagos State fund for 3 years, not minding how Lagosians would eat, Yaradua got there and released the fund.

NASS members were abusing President Buhari openly, messing up everything at will; Gov. Fayose has been abusing President Buhari for 4 years now. Not a single State in Nigeria has been denied their constitutional rights because of politics till date, all their funds, Paris fund and bail out, FAAC etc. But who is the DICTATOR? BUHARI.

Ex-President Jonathan ensured that NASS opposition members were locked out including Tambuwa the Speaker of the house. They had to climb gate to gain access.

Jonathan empowered OPCs in Lagos and they were destroying anything in Ikorodu to Ojota that looked like opposition party. Orga of DSS was used to invade APC secretariat, Journalist arrested and Newspapers siezed, we forgot all these….

Ekiti was militarised, Fayose was given power from Aso rock to order Military guys at will. Fayemi the incumbent at that moment was rendered powerless that he was shouting when Police commissioner was used by PDP and a guy was shot…All these videos and pictures are still here (google is your friend). But who is the dictator? BUHARI.

Ex-President Jonathan met FX+ECA at $62 billion+. He DEPLETED it to less than $30 Billion in 5 years Jonathan sold crude oil for 5 years at an average of $100 per barrel of 2.2 million daily (2010-2014). Did he add a DIME to Nigeria purse in 5 years? NO.

Buhari the ILLITERATE sold oil at an average of $50 of less than 700,000 barrel at some points because of militancy, yet had moved that FX to $47 Billion in 3 years.

Don’t say how much did he borrow if you don’t even have the figure borrowed between 2010-2015 without adding a dime to FX.

Who is the ILLITERATE? BUHARIIII. Jide Omokore, Aluko and oil goddess Alinson made an oil deal of N1 trillion and chose not to remit to Nigeria under GEJ. Did anyone raise eyebrow?

INTEL of Ex-Vice President Atiku refused to remit to Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), not until last year that “ordinary” Hadiza the NPA boss challenged INTEL and insisted the funds must be remitted.

A Christian Professor had been leading JAMB all through Obasanjo to Jonathan yet for 40 years of JAMB; only N52 Million was remitted to FG.

A Muslim Professor who was appointed just in two years of handling JAMB remitted over N15 Billion. FIFTEEN BILLION. So who is following after righteousness?

For five years of Okonjo Iweala was paying over 45,000 ghost workers unabated, yet just within 3 years, “ordinary” Kemi Adeosun removed such nonsense…I ask again who is more effective?

Ordinary Abuja metro lane took 11 years from OBJ period that he INITIATED it…Ordinary intra-city metro lane o, but President Buhari that finished is within 3 years is the failure abi?

“Which project did President Buhari INITIATE and COMPLETE in 3 years yen-yen-yen”.
Mention any major project INITIATED AND COMPLETED in 3 years of Ex-President Obasanjo, or Ex-President Yar’Adua or Ex-President Jonathan?

So on what parameters are you using to judge 3 years of President Buhari INITIATING AND COMPLETING? Even PDP can’t finish their own secretariat let alone that which belong to NIGERIA.

Lagos-Ibadan road since Ex-President Obasanjo era till Ex-President Jonathan could not be finished. In 3 years of President Buhari, the road is receiving serious attention. Ask those who ply that road and those who go for Holy Ghost Congress monthly about the difference in pace of work. Wait, even Otuoke road in Bayelsa had to wait till President Buhari now starts to do the road. Who is the failure? Can it be BUHARIIII.

What about “Almajiri School in the North? WHERE exactly are these Schools SITUATED in the North? OK, show us the picture.

Emm, 2nd Niger Bridge? Lol, they completed it on the MAP, yet Fashola is on it PHYSICALLY now.

Did Buhari fail on security issue in Benue? YES. Did others before him fail on the same security issue in Benue? YESSS. So where did you get all these noise of “Fulani President” is helping herdsmen?

Who was the President during Jos crisis, herdsmen killing people in Zamfara in 2013, Odi massacre, Kaduna crisis? You think death suddenly started because President Buhari was a Fulani man? That he failed in that is one thing, but that YOU are making a narrative of “Fulani President” is giving herdsmen power is funny.

January 1, 2018 in Omoku, Rivers State, Christians were coming from Church; cultists from the South South killed their own people. You know why there was no serious noise by CAN and you? You could not link it to President Buhari’s herdsmen or Fulani herdsmen. The same WIKE that did not drop a million to support the families of those bereaved in his constituency (State) went to Benue State to donate N20 Milliion and you hailed him

Kidnapping of School children in Lagos; Badoo issue in Lagos; Crisis in Kaduna. Who did you call on? Ambode the Governor of Lagos and El-Rufai of Kaduna. When crisis happened in River State and Benue State, who did you shout about? President Buhari the herdsmen. What about your Bishops, Pastors and Imans that made Aso Rock their abode between 2010-2015? What did they negotiate for the body of Christ or common citizens? Yes, they got their jets; they got waivers and Universities all PERSONAL. Now that the tap to fuel their jets and lifestyles had stopped, all they tell you from the pulpit is “LIES and Prophelying“. Your anointed ones keep saying ANNOYING THINGS, yet you can’t query their lies?

Wait, I remember again your problem with President Buhari fighting corruption selectively. So, mention ONE name among those in EFCC case without a case to defend. If your hero Presidents had fought corruption with one leg, by now shebi it is the second leg that President Buhari will be fighting.

So what is your problem with the corrupt facing the music? Oh, how about blablablabla. If President Buhari did not catch them, somebody else will. But stop crying in defence of the corrupt being asked to face the music. If your uncle is corrupt, tell him to face it, and stop shouting how about other thieves.

I know you lost your job because Ex- President Jonathan lost out and your job with Mama Patience was terminated. But stop using your personal loss as a yardstick for Buhari’s achievement.

Under your hero, several young Nigerians were SCAMMED by Boro collecting money from them for Job, in the process killing many young Nigerians. Ex-President Jonathan cannot even sack him. So what do you want the families of those who died when Ex-President Jonathan scammed them of Jobs to do? Stop crying and face life.

For your information, all those lies about “hidden agenda” can only fly on you because they know you are biblically illiterate. I even saw somebody hailing Femi-Fani Kayode for being the voice for the Church. Haaaaaa, abomination. Abeg make I stop, come dey collect your abuses in packs. After all your abuse, na President Buhari I go still vote for.

Keyamo

The Man Chief Great Ogboru and his environment

THE MAN, GREAT OVEDJE OGBORU

Popularly called ‘The Peoples General’ by his political followers and even a great many of his opponents for his principled stance against bad governance, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru is a business and political leadership icon to many. He was born on the 10th day of April, 1958 in Port Harcourt to the famous Ogboru Dynasty of Abraka of Urhobo and the Okolocha family of Umukuata in Anioma, both in Delta State. A Christian, Ogboru is married to Stella Ebi Ogboru, a virtuous Ijaw amazon. They have four children.

Early Life

Great Ogboru had his elementary education at Municipal Primary School, Port Harcourt, Christian Missionaries Society (CMS) Primary School, Abraka and Local Authority (LA) (now Oharisi) Primary School, Ughelli from 1966 to 1971. He was admitted into the prestigious Government College, Ughelli (GCU) in 1971 and finished in 1975. Immediately thereafter, he worked for four years as a primary school teacher at Owodoawanre Primary School, Ughelli. Within this period, he obtained his Advanced Levels result.

Business

In 1980, young Great was faced with serious challenges of life. Fourth in a family of 16 children, Great appreciated the full financial burden on his low-income civil servant father. He chose therefore to momentarily sacrifice higher education in the hope that that decision would in the future be a positive turning point in the destiny of his family. Consequently, in January 1978, he left home, clutching a bag that contained only four shirts and three trousers, and headed to Lagos in search of ‘greatness’ – a bold step of faith that would later transform so many lives beyond imagination. And so, his sojourn in Corporate Nigeria started as a Marketing Officer in Exchange Fisheries, a small Lagos fishing company. Exchange Fisheries became a “necessary apprenticeship opportunity”. For greater effectiveness in his marketing role, he enrolled into the Chartered Institute of Marketing, London.

Just aged 25, Ogboru left paid employment and started his own business in 1983. Banking on his rare sense of personal integrity and divine grace, he established Fiogret Limited, a frozen fish trading company. Fiogret grew rapidly into a global fishing conglomerate with fishing licenses around the world. Within three years, Ogboru established many successful subsidiaries of Fiogret in quick succession including, Grato – a foremost furniture production company; GLE Finance, a finance company with bureau de change operations; Sofimar Fisheries – a USD5 Million capitalised, USD25 Million assets base Joint Venture with the former Union Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) Government; Abraka Rubber Industries; Ajalomi Shipping Company; West Coast Publicity Company; and Fiogret Express. He also got a banking licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

With these businesses, Ogboru’s name became registered in global corporate consciousness as arguably then Nigeria youngest and richest business mogul and billionaire. On August 10, 1989, he took the world stage by storm as the youngest and highest Nigerian donor to the Namibia Solidarity Fund (NSF) in the ancient city of Benin. A firm believer in humanity and its preservation, he stood with the people of Namibia in their struggle for freedom because for him, “Humanity is one.” His philanthropic works are rooted in uncommon humility. Once asked about what he does for society with his wealth, he simply answered, “Ask the people. I am just favoured by grace to be an instrument in God’s hands.”

Self-Exile

It has been said that Great Ogboru is “unapologetically democratic” and a “natural hater and fighter of any form of socio-political dictatorship, tyranny or hegemonic misrule.” In 1990, it was alleged that he supported an attempt to remove the military dictatorship of Ibrahim Babangida although he was later cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter in 1999 by the Federal Government of Nigeria under then Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar. This allegation led to his self-exile in the United Kingdom from 1990 to 2000. With this, his business empire in Nigeria suffered setbacks in the hands of successive military governments during this period. Upon his return from exile, Ogboru’s businesses initiated bold legal actions for wholeness against the Federal Government on various grounds including assets stripping, balkanization, and ‘continuous violation’. Ogboru won.

Further Education

Exile afforded Great Ogboru a break from intense business pressures for personal academic development. With less busy corporate schedules, he returned to the Chartered Institute of Marketing, London and completed his studies there. Thereafter, he attended Huron University of South Dakota, London Campus where he obtained a Master of Business Administration degree. He went on to study for and obtained a Master Degree in International Relations at the University of Kent in Canterbury. His research work at Kent on the effects of IMF’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) on the economies of Ghana and Nigeria still stands out there.

Politics

Great Ogboru is a member of the Nigeria Policy Group (NPG) – an august body that financed and supported democratic struggles from Abroad to return Nigeria to democracy in the heyday of military dictatorship. He is a respected grassroots political leader in Delta where he is the nemesis of bad governance and misrule. Convinced about his ‘Equal Opportunities Development Initiative (EODI)’ – a well-articulated governance agenda to transform Delta State to a modern economy and society, he has remained passionately consistent about leading his people to turn the fortunes of Delta around. His patience and consistency on the Delta Project derives from Ogboru’s core as a leader.

Ogboru has a marathoner’s mindset to necessary change. For him it requires courage, endurance, vision, and a constancy of purpose. He believes real change does not come on a platter of gold. For him, obstacles are enemies of change that must be successfully challenged. As the great writer Og Madino put it in his bestseller ‘The Greatest Salesman in the World’, “… victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet each struggle, each defeat, sharpens your skills and strengths, your courage and your endurance, your ability and your confidence and thus each obstacles is a comrade-in-arms forcing you to become better … or quit.” So Ogboru knows that the possibility of a better future is often lost when people fear or turn away from challenges. For him, they are to be confronted.

For Delta, Ogboru holds the firm view that the State is in a needlessly pitiable state and this must change for sustainable development. For him, “Ours is a rescue mission for the good of all. Like the Asian Tigers, we must make deliberate haste to create a modern economy in Delta for our people. The more time we waste, the more harm they cause us all – whether Urhobo, Kwale, Ika, Aniocha, Ndo-Oshimili, Itsekiri, Isoko, or Ijaw. Partisan sentiments aside, is there any sustainable progress in Delta? Where are the businesses? Where are the jobs? Do they know the danger of ignoring the youths? … We are better than this mediocrity. Something has to give way.” This is the essential Ogboru. Our people overwhelmingly agree with him that anything other than good governance that leads our people on a clear visionary path of undoubted excellence is a waste of time.

Ogboru’s personality, political philosophy and governance agenda resonate with Deltans for good and obvious reasons. He is a visionary with immense capacity to create wealth and do things right. Principled and incorruptible, many rightly see in Ogboru the much-needed answer to Delta’s unpardonable governance decadence. Very kind at heart and soft in appearance, Ogboru is nonetheless generally known to be very tough against lawlessness and whatever that is corrupt. Also, his unique perspective to the purpose of wealth endears the people to him. It is probably to this end that Comrade Emeka Nwaola, Labour Party Chairman in Delta State, recently noted that: “If every rich man behaves like Chief Ogboru who sees wealth as nothing, then the madness of looting the treasury will be minimal. I commend his simplicity to affluence. Though he left our party LP, I still respect and love him.” That probably summarises the Ogboru persona with regards to affluence and public leadership and how it connects seamlessly with the people.


Aruviere Martin Egharevwa