Yenagoa – Chief Samuel Ogbuku, a kinsman of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan from Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Wednesday insisted that the former president meritoriously served the nation as president to all and never acted as a sectional leader.
Former President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the State House in Abuja
Chief Ogbuku, a former Chief of Staff to former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress, (APC), said the blackmail of non- performance against the former President and attempt to tag him a sectional president was misleading and unacceptable.
He was reacting to an article (in one of the national dailies, not DMATRIXNEWS) purportedly authored and published by one Chief Richard Kpodoh, titled “Why Niger Delta Delta Will Vote for PMB in 2019”.
Chief Ogbuku, who is the Deputy Paramount Ruler of Ayakoro community in Ogbia Local Government Area, the same council area with the former President, said the spurious claims by the author to set the Ijaw people against each other over the unfounded allegations that Dr. Jonathan favoured the people of Ogbia area more to the detriment of others were most wicked.
He said, “President Jonathan was a President to all Nigerians and not a president of Ogbia or Bayelsa State. He is a symbol of pride to the Ijaw people and the entire Nation. Could Kpodo have forgotten this early that President Jonathan got accolades for his feat in office both here in Nigeria and from the international community?,Ogbuku stated.
He said the publication mischievously sought to portray the Ogbia people as the only beneficiaries of the Jonathan’s administration in the Niger Delta and supporting the warped argument with the few names of Ogbia sons currently going through an ordeal in the hands of anti- corruption agents.
“Firstly, I may not be a friend to those he mentioned, but I can’t remember any Court of law finding any of these Ogbia sons guilty since the law says an accused is innocent until he is found guilty. So, for now, nobody has the right to pass judgement on them. Moreso, some of the persons the author mentioned are not under any kind of investigation, so why blackmail successful and purpose-oriented businessmen like Dr. Eruani Azibapu,” he said.
Chief Ogbuku called on every true sons and daughters of Ogbia to speak up and set records straight to protect the collective image of the people.
According to him, Dr. Jonathan remained a celebrated national and international leader and that any attempt to denigrate him must be resisted by the people of the Niger Delta irrespective of party affiliations.
He urged Bayelsans and Ijaw nation to guard against divisive characters, who tend to pitch one part of Ijaw against the other.
“People are free to criticize, as long as it is done constructively and not in a manner that tends to demonise others. I wish to state that I have nothing personal against the author even if some people would want me to align with his submissions just because the people being attacked are members of the People’s Democratic Party.
On this matter, politics should not be an excuse to peddle lies and baseless allegations against hardworking Ogbia leaders and entrepreneurs. As an Ogbia Chief, I cannot hide under partisanship to allow unscrupulous characters to needlessly insult our people and heritage. In a democracy, the author has the right to talk about any subject or criticise and express his views. What is not acceptable is deliberately portraying Ogbia in bad light.”
Ogbuku stated
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