As real gold passes through the blasting furnace and melting pot to achieve its glistering acceptability, so have men of honour and sterling greatness go through scathing, debilitating criticisms of traducers.
I heard the name “Dr Ogbo” for the very first time in 2016. The name was then besotted with many negatively created descriptions on social media. After Governor Yahaya Bello and the then Chief of Staff, Sir Edward Onojoa, Dr Ogbo was the third most popular name on social media in Kogi State associated with vitriolic criticisms.
As I said earlier, the name (Dr Ogbo) was then highly pilloried with critical attacks of sponsored social media warlords that I was so curious to know the face behind it.
By 2018, I had established contacts with and talking to Dr Ogbo. Meeting him for the very first time in his office in KSU was eventful, memorable and pleasant. That day, I saw a fearless comrade whose life then was an encouragement to me. I wondered how a government worker would be so bold to face the power that be. But that is who he is: intrepid, poignant and forthright.
Leaving his office for Yola, I decided to draw from the cistern of his critical and fearless lifestyle because it worked in tandem with the world I wanted to create and live in.
Though he had held local positions in KSU, Anyigba, giving him international responsibility at the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja brought out yet another aspect of his life many of his social media critics didn’t see coming.
Here at the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja I yet again have the rarest opportunity to learn full frame what good, unalloyed leadership quality is from Dr Ogbo.
His ability to fearlessly dismantle the shrines, idols and totems of corruption, compulsive sales of textbooks to and extortion of students under many guises, held in high places in the Polytechnic before he came; his marching gallantly on the ground of academic and structural success many of his predecessors feared to tiptoe, breaking the hex, and erecting structures that uplift the general interface of the Polytechnic all confirm to me his ability to manage whatever and whoever is committed to him. By this, I’m further convinced to believe what impeccable trait I held so dear in him: his managerial dexterity and intrepid disposition.
With the rare gift of tact and diplomacy, he has been able to live and work with people of many strangest character or trait from time immemorial, and he humbly transferred this into me through a free piece of advice he gives me on how I could grow as a man, the piece of advice other motivational speakers would have asked for silver and gold from me before I get.
As a budding writer, I have always aspired to grow in the writing world, and Dr Ogbo’s comments on my posts on Facebook were inspirational. He equally hones my speech-writing skill through the trainings he humbly and selflessly offers me. I’m fortunate among all of my equals and peers to have particularly benefited from his fertile brain.
On a final note, I want to daringly say that Dr Ogbo imbues me with the spirit of boldness, facing life and my odds without trepidation (if and only if my own sins are not haunting me).
I pitch my tent with his and will forever remain faithful to his ideals of a sane, prosperous, progressive and empathic society where social, infrastructural and human capital development are prized and are a sublime priority.
– Odih Daniel Nuhu