The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has dismissed reports that his recent 50th birthday was marked by extravagant celebrations, insisting that the events were modest, intellectual, and spiritually inclined.
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Responding to criticisms sparked by a SaharaReporters article titled “Extravagance of Power: A Critique of Dr. Ogbuku’s Lavish Birthday Amid Niger Delta’s Enduring Misery,” Ogbuku clarified that his golden jubilee was not about pomp and pageantry, but about reflection, scholarship, and gratitude.
He explained that the commemoration was anchored on three key activities: a book presentation in Abuja, a dinner in Port Harcourt, and a thanksgiving service in Bayelsa.
According to him, the highlight of the Abuja event was the public unveiling of two books—Strategies & Imperatives for Developing the Niger Delta and Rethinking the Niger Delta: Thoughts and Writings. He described the works as a roadmap to the region’s future and a contribution to the intellectual space.
In Port Harcourt, the celebration took the form of a modest dinner attended by family, colleagues, and stakeholders.
The final leg, in his hometown of Ayakoro, Bayelsa State, featured a thanksgiving service at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, which Ogbuku described as a solemn expression of gratitude to God.
“All of this has put to bed the mischievously conjured tales of a non-existent after-party where obscene wealth or any form of showy adulation for lucre were displayed,” he stated.
Ogbuku added that his decision to mark the milestone in such a way was inspired by global and local examples of leaders who use their birthdays to advance public discourse through intellectual contributions.
He stressed that his stewardship at the NDDC is driven by transformation rather than transactions, citing achievements in peace-building, increased crude oil production, youth empowerment, and investor confidence in the Niger Delta.
The NDDC boss urged critics to focus on the developmental strides being recorded under his leadership rather than attempt to malign his personal milestone.
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