By Matthias Ogbagah

DELTA – The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) the apex socio-political body of the South-South region, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike to urgently resolve all issues regarding the purported revocation of land belonging to the first Nigerian to be enrolled in the cadets of course 1 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), late Col. Paul Ogbebor.

PANDEF in a press release signed and made available to newsmen by PANDEF national spokesman, Chief Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, said the news of the purported revocation of the land belonged to the first Nigerian to be enrolled in the cadets of course 1 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), late Col. Paul Ogbebor came as a grave concern and shock.

“The news of the purported revocation of the land owned by late Col Paul Ogbebor rtd, one of Nigeria’s finest and foremost nationalist and military heroes before his demise, has come to the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) with grave concern and shock.

“It should be noted that late Col. Ogbebor rtd was the first Nigerian to be enrolled as Cadet Number One in Course 1 of the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). It’s to his outstanding memory that he fought for Nigeria’s unity and progress on so many battlegrounds both at home and outside Nigeria, for which he was one of the most decorated officers of the Nigerian Army.

“He was also the first Quarter Master General of the Nigerian Arny. His records of statesmanship are regularly recounted in the annals of the Nigerian Armed Forces, including by some of his contemporaries such as former Heads of State, General Ibrahim Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and General Muhammadu Buhari.

Later in life, Col. Paul Ogbebor was one of the conveners and founding fathers of PANDEF, the umbrella body of the people of Niger Delta, during the period when the nation was witnessing a sharp dwindling in oil production due to militancy in the South-South Region.

PANDEF noted that the late Col. Ogbebor was amongst those in the forefront under the aegis of PANDEF who worked towards the current peace. Today, the record of production has moved positively upwards.

While calling on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, as a matter of public importance to display a high spirit of statesmanship in bringing the issues surrounding the revocation to a timely and amicable end, PANDEF said the labor of our hero’s past must not be in vain.