CRITICISM WITHOUT SUBSTANCE: A RESPONSE TO CHIEF (DR) SAMUEL OGBUKU'S DETRACTORS

CRITICISM WITHOUT SUBSTANCE: A RESPONSE TO CHIEF (DR) SAMUEL OGBUKU'S DETRACTORS  

By Chief Jones Abiri 
Published by NIGER DELTA-PROGRESS-REPORTERS 
September 27th, 2025
In recent times, some individuals have taken delight in attacking the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief (Dr) Samuel Ogbuku, on pages of newspapers both online and offline to call him names and portraying him as incompetent in terms of governance in use of public funds. One such example is the uproar over the Ogbuku's birthday celebration reference to billions of naira. The critics rushed to brand him incompetent and spending extravagantly in the commission, unknown to them it was sponsor's by his committee of friends and not as what they erroneously said with such unverifiable figures to draw public attention inorder to cause disaffection in the commission against the people.

But what makes this laughable is that in the same write-up where the writer labeled the Managing Director who refused to publish the audit report of the commission, the critics without realizing that the said audit report is not within the purview of the Managing Director. But the same audit report which was published in 2022 during the last administration of former president Muhammad Buhari, were all project were published on This Day newspaper and several other dailies.

In respond to their false claims, several road projects were flag off by the Honourable Minister in charge of the commission including Chief Dr Samuel Ogbuku who has been commissioning projects on daily basis.

 For clarity, I do not wish to make the critics feel special with my reply, giving attention to baseless criticism is often counterproductive, but sometimes it is necessary to set the record straight for the sake of the public.

And here is the truth many deliberately ignore: the five billion naira  mentioned was not traceable to any record in the commission. The Managing Director's birthday was solely sponsored by his friends for being happy with the president on his appointment and progress made so far in the region in terms of projects execution that the people were yearning for in the Niger Delta region, yet, critics have twisted this context to mislead the public and cast aspersions on Chief (Dr) Samuel Ogbuku's capacity to lead the commission as mandated by the NDDC Act.

 The Managing Director is out in the field, working, inspecting projects, and pushing for development in the region. That is what true leadership requires in any society.

Those who sit behind keyboards to nitpick on words without acknowledging the bigger picture are not serving the people; they are merely entertaining themselves with empty criticisms to be known by all means. Such armchair experts in criticism with twisted figures to embellish their wrong intent to put the agency in disrepute before the people were uncalled for. Governance is about delivering roads, ensuring security, providing jobs, and restoring hope to the people which is the true reflection of Ogbuku's wisdom to the commission.

Let it be clear to his sponsored critics that such branding the Managing Director against the government and other staff in the commission will not stop his commitment or diminish the leadership which he has trusted for. 
Niger Delta region needs development, not endless distractions. Those who truly love the region will focus on substance, not semantics that will not take us anywhere.


Chief Jones Abiri, a Journalist writes in from Yenagoa

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