Chief Samuel Ogbuku, a former Chief of Staff, to former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Silva has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan was never sectional in his actions as President of Nigeria and advised those trying to sell the idea to forget it.
According to Chief Ogbuku, Jonathan meritoriously served the nation as president to all and never acted as a sectional leader.
He was reacting to the blackmail of non-performance against the former President and attempt to tag him a sectional president was misleading and unacceptable.
The blackmail was contained in an article in a national daily 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.
Ogbuku asked, “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?
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.
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“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 judgment on them. More so, 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”.
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, which 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 demonize 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 criticize and express his views.
“What is not acceptable is deliberately portraying Ogbia in bad light” Ogbuku said.
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