Former Niger Delta agitators and regional stakeholders have cautioned against what they described as a coordinated campaign to discredit the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, warning that such actions could derail the region’s ongoing progress.
The group, under the banner of the Coalition of Ex-Agitators Stakeholders in the Niger Delta (CESCND), issued the warning after an emergency meeting held in Port Harcourt over the weekend.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, its spokesperson and pioneer national secretary of the First Phase Ex-Agitators, Nature Dumale Kiegha, urged traditional rulers, political leaders, and other opinion leaders to rally around Ogbuku, describing him as “a visionary leader transforming the NDDC through accountability and grassroots impact.”
Kiegha noted that under Ogbuku’s leadership, the NDDC had prioritized need-based projects, such as the Light-Up Niger Delta initiative, which has improved security, reduced youth restiveness, and provided access to power in rural communities.
He added that in the third quarter of 2024 alone, the commission completed over 300 projects across the nine Niger Delta states, including roads, bridges, housing, renewable energy, and water supply systems.
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Kiegha emphasized that Ogbuku’s reforms—such as prompt contractor payments, youth empowerment through Project Hope, expanded scholarship programs, and agricultural initiatives—have restored confidence in the agency.
He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ignore detractors and continue supporting Ogbuku, saying:
“Dr. Ogbuku has changed the dynamics of the NDDC. This is not the time to pull him down but to stand united for the development of the Niger Delta.”
