By Emmanuel Abi Couson
Great Ovedje Ogboru is a Nigerian businessman and politician who was the gubernatorial candidate for the Alliance of Democracy, AD, the Democratic Peoples’ Party DPP and the Labour Party in the 2003, 2007 and 2015 Delta State governorship elections. He was also the gubernatorial nominee for the All Progressives Congress APC in the 2019 .
His entrance into the ADC has been generating lots of comments. What does his coming to the party portends?
Born on 10 April 1958 in Port Harcourt and received his early education at Municipal Primary School, Port Harcourt but ended up at Oharisi Primary School, Ughelli while his post primary was at the popular Government College, Ughelli, from 1971 to 1975.
He started his career as a classroom teacher while he studied to obtained an external advanced level certificate in 1980.
His pursuit for excellence took him to the United Kingdom, where he attended The Chartered Institute of Marketing, London and later Huron University USA in London, a branch of Huron University in South Dakota, earning a Master of Business Administration degree. He also obtained a master’s degree in international relations at the University of Kent in Canterbury.
After his studies he returned the shores of the country and choose not to remain in overseas where there was so much opportunity. He began as a marketing officer in a fishing company in Lagos and later as a man with vision and mission decided to set up his own fishing company . Due to his zeal for excellency and economic independency , he ventured into other businesses before the period he was fingered for allegedly sponsor of coup, which led to him fleeing the country, staying ten years in exile.
Upon his return, Great Ogboru did not seek to return to politics but was focused on reviving his ailing business empire with a view to putting smiles on the faces of those who he employed .
Thereafter he decided to throw his trowel into the ring of politics bringing to bear his extensive experience in leadership and management in the task of governance.
He hit the ground running with the formation of the South-South Rainbow Coalition, SSRC, to mobilise the people towards a detribalised, non violent and intellectually sane political leadership direction in Delta politics that brought both only healthy competition and dynamism in that space but also provided an alternative platform for Deltans.
A very simple pragmatic personality defined by vision, resilience, tenacity, integrity and purposefulness ,Great Ogboru who did not had greatness thrown at him, but worked assiduously to achieved it, as evidenced from his exploits as a young man, has now pitched his political ship in the African Democratic Congress.
And his acumen as an industrialist , philanthropist and trust worthy leader will be of immense value to the ADC. Therefore his triumphant entry into ADC might signal a win-win situation for the party and Deltans if ever he vies for the gubernatorial elections in 2027.
A man with an eagle like vision, who look out for the details in all he does has the ability to lead the party into Osadebe House in 2027.
Delta State we all know is a major producer of oil and gas in this our beloved country, Nigeria and has untapped natural resources to making her a destination for investors.
The people of Delta State as of today still live in abject poverty as she depends on oil and gas which has not only caused environmental degradation but destroyed the sources of livelihood of the people.
In some cases, where spillage occur, it is “double wahala” for the people. As farmlands and streams are heavily polluted. Fishing, which is the main stay of the people becomes considerably impossible. The discovery of oil in our state, Delta, has taken our people backwards, causing poverty, ethno-cultural diversity.
As a bridge builder he will ensure the ADC handshake resonates amongst all the ethnic groups in the state and thus, creating an atmosphere of sustainable peace for the state development especially in the rural areas where he will oversee the establishment of cottage industries in the hinterland of the state close to the place of raw materials.
