The Ogbia Brotherhood Youth Council (OBYC) and the Bayelsa State Local Government Youth Presidents Forum (BSLGYPF) has condemned call for the sack of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Samuel Ogbuku.
A socio-political group, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) had made the call, alleging the exclusion of Ogoni people from the just concluded Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit organized by the NDDC.
The Spokesman for MOSOP, Imeabe Oscar has in a statement accused Ogbuku of being sentimental with the choice of delegates for the summit, saying he was not fit to lead people of the region.
But reacting to the call for Ogbuku's sack, the National President of the OBYC Worldwide and Chairman of the BSLGYP Comr. Johnny S. Jonathan, said MOSOP was being too emotional over the issue.
In a statement Jonathan said "The attention of the Ogbia Brotherhood Youth Council (OBYC) Worldwide and the Bayelsa State Local Government Youth Presidents Forum (BSLGYPF) has been drawn to a publication calling for the sack of our pathfinder, priceless jewel, visionary and innovative leader, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, PhD, MD/CEO of the NDDC.
"The publication credited to MOSOP over the exclusion of the people of Ogoni from the just concluded Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit, was misplaced and done to discredit Ogbuku.
"For proper information and record purposes, Chief (Dr.) Samuel Ogbuku by his character disposition is a reformed, refined and detribalized son of the Niger Delta Region that has respect for people irrespective of social status, ethnic tie, creed, political affiliation and persuasion, hence his appreciable collaborative efforts and actions geared towards uniting the people and creating the necessary conditions for social cohesion in the Niger Delta Region through his periodic Stakeholders engagements.
"Consequently, the MD couldn't have contemplated excluding an important ethnic nationality like the Ogoni let alone making a nasty and denigrating comment as alleged by one Imeabe Oscar of MOSOP."
The youth groups further stated that "the Niger Delta region is on a new pathway to sustainable development and the days when a section of people in the region who have mastered the art of pulling leaders down, creating division and conflicts just to gain cheap public relevance under the guise of representing and advancing groups interests are overemphasizing that such crude and destructive actions have become obsolete and counterproductive."
They called on President Bola Tinubu and
the people of the Niger Delta to disregard the vituperations of MOSOP, and insisted that Ogbuku holds all ethnic nationalities in the region in high esteem.
They also urged the apex Ogoni group to always channel their dissatisfaction and grievances properly rather than rushing to the media to deposit contents that are capable of creating division and disunity amongst ethnic nationalities.
"The Niger Delta Region is in safe hands under Ogbuku, any distraction now would have a negative impact on the roadmap for a sustainable development he has created and vigorously pursuing. Everyone should rather join hands with him to succeed", they added.
