Over time, the name Chief Samuel Ogbuku Ph.D has become a household name, largely due to his positive impacts in thousands of towns and villages in the nine (9) NDDC states and the multitudes of people that Almighty God has used him to bless and transform their destinies.
Like the stories and history of several great men and women in the world, multitudes who celebrate the glory today do not know the story behind the glory.
I got to know my elder brother Samuel Ogbuku closer in 1998/1999 when he aspired and later emerged as the National President of National Union of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS).
Within the same period, I was elected President of National Union of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS), Rivers State College of Arts and Science (RIVCAS) Chapter.
In the process, two strategic Aluta movements that he led as NUBSS President actually helped to expose and also shaped my approach to issues especially official engagements.
The first was during our protest to Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited (SPDC) headquarters in Port Harcourt. We blocked the entrance of the company until the management then requested to meet with some selected members of the leadership of NUBSS. I was excluded because I was president-elect. My predecessor, Comrade Tari Ambaiowei represented my chapter.
The second event was our meeting with the management of Agip now Oando at their headquarters in Port Harcourt.
In that meeting, I learnt something that I cannot forget, and may not be quiet if there is a reocurrence.
Before the commencement of the meeting, the Agip people deliberately kept us in a conference hall where the air conditioner was very high. It was almost at a freezing point.
Everybody was forming and claiming as if we are all used to air conditioners so no one could ask them to reduce or even switch it off for a while. So what we did was going every now and then to stay inside the convenience (toilet), pretending to defecate or pass urine.
I am very sure, the Agip staff were monitoring us through their cameras. They deliberately did that so that by the time the meeting commenced, we were the ones that were urging them to fast track the meeting because of the cold and hunger. They only served us small cups of tea and biscuits that could not quench our hunger as undergraduates.
The tea cups are the exact small sizes that are used in Catholic Mission/Parish houses where too much food is adjudged as sin. The sin of gluttony or thereabout.
It may sound funny, but that is actually the strategies that International Oil Companies (IOCs) use against leaders and representatives of oil producing communities whenever they invite them to meetings. But in their case, they serve them fried Rice, Chicken, Bottle Water and Juice and also book rooms for them to sleep over. So at the end, our people concur to everything they are told by the companies.
While dwelling on the above, it is pertinent to say that some things were unique and instructive about the two historic and memorable meetings.
Comrade Samuel Ogbuku showed the highest level of maturity, responsibility, diplomacy and leadership. I say the above because there were no fights or serious disagreements over sharing of anything.
Then something happened when His Excellency, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha administration gave Five Million (#5,000,000.00) Subvention to NUBSS.
When the National Exco of NUBSS under my elder brother, Comrade Samuel Ogbuku received the money that was cash, instead of lodging in hotels and enjoying like present day comrades, they agreed that every Exco member should look for somewhere and sleep because it was evening and the East-West road then was bad coupled with then recurring armed robbery activities.
The money was left in the custody of the Financial Secretary and Treasurer.
Today comrades will not allow subordinates to function effectively. Then NUBSS pioneering era, every exco member was allowed to perform their duties.
What Samuel Ogbuku, the NUBSS President and his Vice, Kakiri did not know was that, the other exco members had another plan. So, the moment both of them left to their various destinations to pass the night and reconvene in the morning for onward movement to Port Harcourt, the other exco members chartered a vehicle and left Yenagoa that night to Port Harcourt.
So, while the innocent President and his vice were waiting for their colleagues at the agreed spot for onward movement to Port Harcourt in the morning, they heard a Breaking News on radio announcing that Comrade Samuel Ogbuku, National President of National Union of Bayelsa State Students (NUBSS) have been suspended on frivolous charges.
