To The Hollowous Writers Appointed Against Dr. Uche Ogah

GREAT IMO JONATHAN 

 

As we draw closer to the Election Day, it is expected that political mercenaries will be deployed against candidates that have the popular endorsement of the populace. Hence, I am not surprised to read two different articles in one day, from two different characters attacking Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Abia State.

The first one came from one Nelda Okafor. She in her article alleged that “Dr. Ogah’s company has long stopped production after successfully wrecking his fuelling stations business and converting them to mad people’s refuge”. Whilst the unfortunate one came from someone who claims to support Dr. Alex Otti of All Progressive Grand Alliance, Nicholas Okwu. In his article, entitled: Neither Ikpeazu Nor Uche Ogah, he declared “Uche Ogah is vulnerable, he is heavily in debt, he is indebted to the banks as well as his workers, his indebtedness to the banks is said to be in excess of N50 billion”

 

Both articles tried to undermine Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah’s credibility and ability to handle the affairs of Abia State. Both claimed that Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah was indebted to banks. But it was obvious that both characters are adduced almost by the same source and are driving the same narrative. But again, it is obvious that both consider the man they were attacking as the obstacle to their candidates’ and must be brought down.

 

And I don’t think they are the only ones attempting to do this, I am expecting more attacks from various other sources and I am literally expecting the narrative to be the same. Because having searched all avenues to see what to attack Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah with, the opposition in their frustration thought it may possible to dig something from his private business activities. And as they get more jealous about his business success and wonder from what sources he gains his financial muscle, they are also more confused because they have been unable to track his business to trample it. Hence, the only thing that could resonate from their poor imagination is allegation of indebtedness. Yet he does not owe their family, he does not owe them as individuals and they are not even aware of his business operational modules.

 

But assuming without conceding that Ogah is owing a bank, is it not expected of a good businessman to borrow money to increase his capacity to engage more? Will any bank agree to borrow money to these cheap authors and others alike who does not know how to manage money, to increase one kobo to one Naira? The answer to both questions is no. Bankers only give loans to good businessmen who have developed systems and structures that enable them manage bigger financial inputs. Every notable businessman in the world borrows to build something bigger than he currently possesses in business. Even advance nations borrow to build their society and there is nothing wrong in that. As long as it is rightly invested and investment is recouped, engaging partners will be happy. In fact, at times businesses fail. But that does not deter a good businessman because no venture as they say, no success. A good businessman is a risk taker. And as Alexander the Great said, “Fortune only smile on the courageous”

 

Unfortunately these crap writers’ are ignorant of these facts because they have never been engaged in something great and does not have any experience to refer to; they are simply empty heads trying hard to impress their political masters in an attempt to help them bring down Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah. But at best they are hollow.

 

These hollowous writers are operationally ignorant and meddlesome, lacking in facts and obviously instigated to get involved in a cheap propaganda.

 

The question to ask is: are the authors of these inanities members of board of Masters Energy Group to know what businesses they are currently engaged in? Are they the account officers of the company to declare it insolvent? Does Masters Energy owe these interlopers? Or has any staff of the company approached them to help out with his or her salary? Again the answer is no.

 

It is funny when you read lazy characters that have no business address talk about a man who only 11 years ago set out on a mission to create a magnificent business entity that has metamorphosed into a conglomerate of 16 companies, with a direct and indirect workforce of over 18,000 people and billions of Naira in cash balance and assets.

 

The most unfortunate is to read such a cheap gossip from people who have no facts to reference but opposition media delusion.

 

To start with, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah has a right to divest into any business of his choice at any point he wishes so to do. If he was capable of taking his business from ground zero to a global conglomerate, he is capable of making the right choice of business anytime.

 

Furthermore, these hollowous writers are unable to tell us how much the business tycoon owes and from who he borrowed from. In an urchin like debacle they imagine that owning fueling stations is the ultimate goal of a man who has earned the reputation to become a member of the World Economic Forum, with a global network that opens virtual international business opportunities that accrues mega profit beyond the authors’ minor’s thinking.

 

With the reputation of owning the biggest tank farm in sub-Saharan Africa, a good business man in the petroleum industry will rather concentrate on dispensing to fuel retailers and play more in the upstream sector where it requires huge capital base that he currently possesses. Having invested in banking, insurance, energy, aviation, agriculture, manufacturing and importation of consumables, Ogah knows where to engage his money deeply. Profit and loss, all belongs to him, he owes no cheap character any explanation, and neither does he offend the public by choosing his interest in a clearly private endeavor.

 

Ogah has never worked for any government and has never mismanaged any public fund. He resigned from banking as an Assistant General Manager with an unblemished record in one of Nigeria’s thriving banks and he holds an accolade in the bank that has been attained by only 4 persons in the history of the bank.

 

But beyond that, Ogah’s record of impact in the lives of Nde Abia is unmatched by any of the candidates in Abia State today. Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah started giving scholarship awards to deserving students from Abia North in the year 2011. A few years after, he extended it to all deserving Abia youths. As at today, over 1000 Abia youths have benefited from this visionary initiative of his that is meant to support less privileged students and to encourage academic excellence. Some of them are even on scholarships abroad and some have graduated.

 

Apart from the over 1000 scholarships he has given to Abia youths, he went further to build a magnificent auditorium for Abia state University, worth over 800 million in current value, a building that is comparable to any major Conference Centre in the world; fully air-conditioned, with projectors, subs and a well furnished E-Library and underground facility.

 

Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah transformed his community through massive infrastructural development using his personal fund. He built ICT based school in his community; he built houses for widows and less privileged people, pays stipend to widows, orphans and less privileged in the society. Honestly it is hard to believe.

 

He empowered youths by giving them jobs. He gave buses to Abia youths to get them gainfully employed. In like manner he gave countless number of people money to start businesses. That is the man for you.

 

Ogah built a functional health center for his people, electrified his community, built an ultra modern water scheme with mini dam, constructed roads into his community with a beautiful community gate comparable to any major estate in highbrow areas of Abuja and Lagos, built a palace for his king and built the house of God for his people. He transformed his community from an obscure village into a magnificent community with street lights and CCTV Cameras in strategic locations; thereby providing security in the community.

 

Honestly Dr Uche Ogah’s work of charity and milk of human kindness is hard to believe. He has a track record that is there for everyone to see.

 

This is a man with 16 years banking experience with accolades. He rose to the zenith of banking profession as Assistant General Manager of Zenith Bank Plc. He resigned voluntarily to take a personal risk in the volatile world of business. In 7 years he built his business into a conglomerate of 16 subsidiaries. In just 10 years he has employed over 18,000 people and they are well paid. He built the biggest oil storage depot in sub-Saharan Africa, with 16 loading arms. His company has automated tank gauging and dispensing systems, two finger jetties that can conveniently berth two vessels simultaneously; functional and dedicated jetty with about 9m draft at low water and his jetty is included on NPA Global Map.

 

With the 18 billion Naira industrial estate housing 12 industries he is building in Abia State, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah’s Masters Energy Group, has a target to have 42,000 persons in its workforce by the end of 2022 and remains the highest private employer of labour in Abia State.

 

If Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is a bad man, I will wish that all bad people in Abia State will be like him. Because if all bed men from Abia state can invest so much in their environment and their people, we would not need good men to make Abia a wonder on earth.

 

Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is obviously not the richest man from Abia State but his love and passion for Abia State is unimaginable. If only those who have stolen from Abia State or any government at all had invested in the state like Ogah, our state would have become an economic power house. Imagine if councillors, LGA chairmen, house of assembly members, commissioners, reps, senators and governors can invest their loots in their communities and Abia State, create jobs, employ our youths and pay taxes, we will rise beyond our imaginations. But without being in government Dr. Ogah has done these much good to our people. How much more can he not do when given the opportunity to lead?

 

Hence, it is important to mention that we are not clamouring for Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah because he has money but because he has the love of Nde Abia at heart, he has capacity to transform Abia, he is a builder of society and he is passionate about our development. And of all the manifestos we have seen, his is the most comprehensive and he has shown his ability to achieve them.

 

Nobody becomes a leader because he has money; many of those who have governed Abia and Nigeria were not money bags. Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah has the vision, the plan, the love and compassion for Abia State and that is why we are clamouring for him to govern us.

 

Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is a man that has resolved not to speak evil about people, but he has also resolved not to keep quiet in the face of the need to take Abia State to Eldorado.

 

There is so much to talk about Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah that cheap propagandists and interlopers will need to discover for themselves. All I want to say is that he has the qualities of leadership required to transform Abia.

 

 

 

Great Imo Jonathan writes from Umuahia, Abia State.