The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, on Thursday addressed agricultural stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, amid viral social media reports alleging his arrest.
Ogbuku, who spoke at a two-day strategic meeting organised ahead of an agricultural summit, urged the Niger Delta to look beyond oil and embrace agriculture as a driver of sustainable development.
“Agriculture has the capacity to transform the Niger Delta’s economy and create new opportunities for growth and employment,” the NDDC boss said.
The meeting, attended by Commissioners of Agriculture and Permanent Secretaries from states in the region, focused on repositioning agriculture as a key pillar of development.
Reacting to the speculation, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ally of Ogbuku, Yekini Nabena, described the alleged arrest as “false and politically motivated.”
In a message to Vanguard, Nabena said, “We woke up yesterday to see some fabricated social media reports that Dr. Sam Ogbuku was arrested. For what reason? This morning, he was live in Port Harcourt speaking at the ongoing agricultural summit, which was broadcast on two national TV stations. This should put the purveyors of fake news to shame.”
He added that Ogbuku remained “one of the trusted and reliable hands” in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration, stressing that the NDDC boss was focused on his mandate.
The arrest speculation surfaced following the reported raid of the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, by operatives of the Defence Headquarters over an alleged coup against President Tinubu’s administration.
