Renowned, strong and intelligent, Bob Ogbuagu, a consummate media guru, joined the nonagenarian club a fortnight ago. Correspondent, SAM NWOKORO, x-rays a bit of his towering persona.
‘News Talk’ of the Imo State-owned broadcasting outfit known then as Imo Broadcasting Service (IBS) was his brainchild. Presenters regularly mentioned his name to affirm this. Today, in the media outfit that is called Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), such programme may be called commentary.
Bob Ogbuagu, one of the few remaining Zikists – those who uphold the ideals of the late President Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe – was popular in the IBS wavelength those days as a critical analyst of Nigeria and Igbo social condition. He wrote every day in IBS after-news talks on the way forward for the then newly-created Imo State and its place in Nigeria. Dee Bob was writing as an indigene of Imo State even though, today he is from Abia State courtesy of the creation of Abia from Imo nearly 24 years ago.
Not that he was a typical fighter of Igbo cause, for his people had just started recovering from the after-effect of the armed campaign to get their proper place in the Nigerian space. But his insight and mastery of events in Nigeria were very arresting. Thus his News Talk then was a must-listen-to in the east of the Niger.
A prolific writer, public relations guru, orator and intellectual, Ogbuagu, who has now joined the nonagenarian club, has ever remained a voice that can hardly be ignored in national affairs. But the urge to speak on current issues as it affects his people did not start with his witty commentaries on IBS in the 70s and 80s. He has long been in the struggle for the emancipation of Nigeria in particular and Africa at large from the shackles of colonialism. And he recalls with nostalgia the genesis of his penchant for nationalist agitation, a principle that was later to shape his life into the Zikist Movement.
He recalls: “The interesting thing about 1945 and 1950 was that it was the beginning of my activism with the Zikist Movement. I entered the Methodist College Uzuakoli in 1939. While there, I was interested in current affairs and had a column called ‘BEKKOS’ at a corner of the blackboards where we run comments on issues concerning the students and the general affairs in the country. Three weeks to the Cambridge exams, I was expelled along with some other students for being vocal.”
The traditional title-holder’s forage into national politics has been beneficial to Nigeria and the Igbo race. A prominent member of the Zikist Movement, his zeal for the self-assertiveness of his compatriots in the affairs of their land, having been fired by his experiences at the Methodist College Uzuakoli, his alma mater, is not in question.
As soon as Zik kindled the campaign for the white men to leave Nigeria, Ogbuagu was always in the movement with him, from the project of Zik’s Pilot newspaper to the meetings of the various political formations Zik created as platform for the agitation.
Dede Bob was an epitome of moral uprightness. Even during the Second Republic politics in the old Imo State where he was one of the henchmen of the Governor Sam Mbakwe administration, he was not known to have capitalised on his closeness with the administration to enrich himself nor prowled the Government House for contracts.
He showed the patriot he was then by speaking up against the unprincipled politics of the then opposition National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the state led by Collins Obi. The NPN hawks took it upon themselves then to torment the government of Dede Sam, the only governor whose developmental stride in the East has remained unparalleled ever since. This goes a long way to show Ogbuagu’s cleanness of spirit. Those who know him claim he does not identify with evil, only what is right and virtuous.
The elder statesman was also critical of the then Shehu Shagari-led federal government.
Ogbuagu was a consummate priest without a robe on his neck, says his longtime friend, Gab Osuagwu-Iheukwumere, a social commentator and writer of international hue.
“Chief Ogbuagu is the voice of the people. He is forthright and honest. His analysis of contemporary issues is prophetic and his advocacy is candid,” he said.
Ogbuagu is an administrator par excellence. Not only did he successfully handle the Zikist Movement’s campaign against colonialism in the country, he also sustained the tempo of mass consciousness in the Nigerian Pilot established by Zik to fight colonialism.
He was among those who successfully kept alive the spirit the then dying Champion Newspapers published by Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu in Lagos. A vibrant newspeper columnist, Chief Ogbuagu till date writes on a variety of national issues.
The President Emeritus of the Federation of African Public Relations Associations (FAPRA now APRA) was born on Sunday, May 25, 1925, to a school teacher, Francis Udegbu and Janet Ogbuagu.
He joined the Eastern Region Development Corporation as a Press Officer. Within four years, he had occupied all available media-related poisitions in the corporation. In 1958, Dee Bob did a short stint with a Film Production Company in London, and attended a United States of America Leadership Programme in 1960.
Versatile, hardworking and erudite, in 1977, he attended the Top Management Course at the Prestigious Brookings Institute, Washington D.C. He later held other top positions in government as Managing Director, East Central State Government’s Agricultural Development Corporation; Founding General Manager, Imo State Government Agricultural Development Corporation; and Commissioner-in-charge, Special Duties, in the Executive Office of the Governor of Imo State as well as the Adviser to the Governor on the operations of all government companies and parastatals from 1980-1981 to mention but a few.
Ogbuagu’s career spins around communication – advertising, PR and newspapering, management and administration. He had been Director, Nigerian Glass Industry, Port Harcourt (1962-1966); Director, Presidential Hotel Limited (1962-1966); Director Independence (now Golden Guinea) Breweries Limited (1962-1966); Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (1975-1977); Chairman, Ebony Paints Nigeria Limited (1975-1977); Director, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (1989-1991) Director, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (1988-1991); Managing Director/Consultant, Union Trust (1981 to date); Director, Luncheon Vouchers Nigeria Limited (1982-1998); Member of the Extra-Collegiate Board, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1986-1991). Director, Scan African Nigeria Limited (1981-1998);Vice President, Enugu Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Mines (1972-1980); Member of Council, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (1974-1980); Member of Council, West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry; (1974-1978); Director, Champion Newspapers Limited (1988-1995); Managing Director Editor-in-chief, Champion Newspapers Limited (1995-2000).
Always using the PR platform to build goodwill among people, Rotary International and Methodist Church gave him better leverage to exhibit his humanitarian tendency. A five-star Paul Harris Fellow and Benefactor of the Rotary Foundation, Ogbuagu was elected Governor of District 911, Rotary International, Nigeria, in 1983-1984. Rotary opened tremendous avenues of service, as he attended over 18 Rotary international conventions.
Apart from many other positions in the Church, Ogbuagu has been Enugu Arch Diocesan Lay President (1992-96) and later first Umuahia Arch-Diocesan Lay President (1996-1999) of the Methodist Church Nigeria. He was invested as Knight of John Wesley in 2001. As recently as Saturday May 14, 2010. The National Council of Methodist Church Nigeria Lay Presidents conferred on him the Lay President Most Outstanding Award on the 25th Anniversary of the Council in Enugu.
Chief Ogbuagu has been involved in several organisations some of which have honoured him. For instance, apart from being a Life Member of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, he is Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (1981); Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (2001); Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Ghana (1986), Member of the British Institute of Public Relations (1963); Member of the International Public Relations Association (1982); Honorary Member, Arab Public Relations Association (1985); Member Nigerian Institute of Management (1982); Member British Institute of Directors (1982-1989); Member Nigerian Institute of Directors (1983) to date; Life Patron, Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (2002); President Emeritus Federation of African Public Relations (1992).
He played a frontline role in the establishment and sustenance of Dr. Michael Iheonukara Foundation which he has consistently endeavoured to organise thought-provoking and challenging lectures as well as other activities aimed at immortalising Dr. M.I. Okpara, Governor of then Eastern Region.
For his efforts, he was awarded Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the federal government. He is the Onu N’Ekwuru Oha of Nkwo Egwu Autonomous Community in Umuahia (1979); the Ome Okachie of Eziama, Aba (1983); Motoye of Ijanikin, Lagos State; (1983); Aka N’Achi Mba of Ohuhu (1988); Otun Babagonwa of Mushin (1998); High Chief Oke Osisi Eji Mara Mba of Okaiuga Alaike (2001).
The author of the book, Amazing Grace, Ogbuagu is married to Cecilia Chinyere Ogbuagu since 1950. They have six children – three men and three women, 18 grandchildren and one great grandson at the last count.
