By Victor Olali

On August 19, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, turned 50. A milestone. For a man of his status, you would expect a birthday bash complete with the dainties of vanity. And why not? A golden jubilee for a man of undeniable accomplishments deserves a festoon of golden confetti in Dubai, the Caribbean or any of the exotic offshore getaways.

But not Ogbuku. He chose a different path. A path of value, decorum, and compassionate reflection on humanity especially on the well-being of the Niger Delta region. A true born of the region, precisely of the Ogbia ancestry in Bayelsa state, Ogbuku was raised to cherish value, integrity and uphold the dignity of his family tree, a family that through the ages has endured as an emblem of honour and veracity.

So, rather than get drowned in the fountain of merriment and high spirit of splash and dash as some persons are wont, Ogbuku chose sobriety. He embraced scholarship and intellectual exegesis. He chose the occasion of the birthday memorial to unveil two books that not only provide a veritable inquisition into the past and struggles of the Niger Delta people but also offers a reliable and feasible roadmap to the birthing of a prosperous future for the region.

The birthday coursed through Abuja to Port Harcourt before hitting home in Bayelsa. A tripodal trail, each event and venue symbolizing the essence of his life and the office he occupies. In Abuja, two critical books were unveiled:  Strategies & Imperatives for Developing the Niger Delta; and Rethinking the Niger Delta: Thoughts and Writings. Both books empirically reflect Ogbuku’s character and commitment to thought leadership even as they offer nuggets to sustainable development of the Niger Delta. The book presentation ceremony turned out most expectedly an intellectual fellowship, epitomizing the inclination of the NDDC boss to critical thinking, strategic visioning and cerebral value system.

Then, there was an anniversary dinner in Port Harcourt, the headquarters of NDDC. The dinner, typical of Ogbuku, had all the trappings of decorum, moderation with noticeable sprinkling of refined elegance. It was a dignified gathering of family members, friends, colleagues and a coterie of stakeholders who came to honour a life of service to humanity and a man who trades with virtue as his currency. There was a defined spiritual dimension to the celebration underscored by a thanksgiving service at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ayakoro, Bayelsa State. The service was solemn, void of ecclesiastical charlatanry of any sort. A moment he shared love with family members and people of the local community.

The church component of the birthday was a show of gratitude to God by a man who always esteemed himself of low estate and never failed to acknowledge the fact that God, and only God, had been his shepherd, compass bearer and sustainer. Ogbuku is a man of faith. His family has a deep history of religion rooted in Christianity. He has never shied away from his faith and confession in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Attaining age 50 is a landmark. Doing so in good health makes your debt of gratitude to God even bigger. The three events; books presentation, dinner and thanksgiving are all expressions of value, not vainglory. History is replete with thought leaders at various levels who marked their birthdays with book presentation. On September 17, just a few days away, India’s ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a public presentation of a book chronicling the eventful life of the PM. In Nigeria, distinguished public figures like former governor of Ogun state Aremo Segun Osoba; Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission and global finance expert, Arunma Oteh, among others had at various times marked their birthdays with book presentations. Before he became President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had often marked his birthday with a colloquium during which national issues were discussed. Using the occasion of birthday to unveil books or hold public discourses is not only an act of civility, it is a way of intellectualizing the public space and sharing valuable lessons on the demands of leadership, statecraft and citizenship.

This is the path that Ogbuku, a man with a strong predilection to scholarship and intellectual activism, chose. His books are special treasure troves of ideas. They courageously curated what was, what is and what would become of the Niger Delta region if the lofty standard of leadership he has engendered at NDDC coupled with the right mix of leadership in the states are sustained. The books elicit hope, not gloom and doom. They are firsts of their kind. Historical, contemporary and futuristic. Ogbuku deserves best wishes not a campaign to paint him and the birthday celebration in delusory dark tar.

Any wonder that President Tinubu showered the kindest words on him in his birthday message to the visionary NDDC helmsman. The President noted NDDC’s efforts under Ogbuku in infrastructure development and interventions in health, agriculture, and environmental remediation even as he prayed for his “continued good health, wisdom, and many more years of impactful service to the nation.”

The President’s charge at the book presentation sums it up: “Turning 50 is a golden milestone; it’s a time for gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose. In Dr. Ogbuku’s case, we celebrate not just the years but a life of service, scholarship, and impactful leadership.”

All of this has put a lie to the mischievously conjured tales of a non-existent after-party where obscene wealth or any form of showy adulation for lucre were displayed. The three events that hallmarked his birthday are well documented. And they are noble exertions managed within the limits of decency and moderation. Any other activity only exists in the minds of those who have never hidden their agenda to oust Ogbuku and return NDDC to its inglorious past.

Ogbuku deserves to be celebrated, not condemned, for the bold reforms he has brought into NDDC operations, wheeling the interventionist agency from ‘transaction to transformation.’ Under his watch, there has been sustained peace in the region, increase in crude oil production and reinforced confidence of investors and stakeholders in the region. A leader who has ensured more revenue for the nation, more infrastructure, improved healthcare, education, power, agriculture and active engagement of the once restive youths through empowerment among other totems of development, should be encouraged. He is highly ranked among public officials who are daily adding value to the Renewed Hope agenda of the President.

*Olali, an environmental activist, writes from Yenagoa