Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), marked his golden jubilee in a manner befitting a leader of humility and thought. The celebration was hinged on three simple but profound events: a book launch in Abuja, a dignified dinner in Port Harcourt, and a thanksgiving service in Bayelsa. Together, they revealed the essence of the man who is a thinker, servant, and believer.
In Abuja, two books were unveiled: Strategies & Imperatives for Developing the Niger Delta and Rethinking the Niger Delta: Thoughts and Writings. Both works echo Ogbuku’s belief that the region’s healing must come from vision, strategy, and dialogue. “You cannot miss the depth of his commitment,” said one attendee. “He has never been about noise; he has always been about thought.”
Port Harcourt hosted an evening of fellowship. Family, friends, colleagues, and stakeholders gathered to honour his life of service. The gathering was dignified, restrained, and filled with warmth. “People came to celebrate a man who has carried others on his shoulders,” another guest reflected. “There were no excesses, only respect.”
Bayelsa brought the celebration home. At St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ayakoro, gratitude was offered to God in humility. The thanksgiving was not a performance but a prayer, the kind of prayer that binds a leader’s purpose with the faith of his people. “He has always known that power without God is empty,” a member of the congregation observed.
Yet, no man of substance is without detractors. Whispers have been sown by claims of after-parties and excesses. The false rumor was spread out of malice, not truth. The record is verifiable: a book launch, a dinner, a thanksgiving. Plain truth, without embellishment.
Anonymous voices of those present affirm this truth. “The allegations were shocking to us,” said one witness. “We were there. We saw everything. There was nothing of the sort.” Another added, “It looks like some people simply wanted to tarnish a good man’s name. But lies don’t last; character does.”
At fifty, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku’s name rises above falsehood. His journey reminds us that leadership is not built on applause but on conviction. He has chosen the path of truth, thought, service, and faith and those choices cannot be undone by mere malice.
