Political stalwarts, friends, associates and family gathered in honour of immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kola Ologbondiyan, recently in Abuja.
Chairman of the occasion, former Senate President, David Mark, commended Ologbondiyan for his dedication to duty while serving as PDP Publicity Scribe.
Mark with whom Ologbondiyan worked as Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) said “We are here to celebrate a worthy Nigerian. A man who has distinguished himself among his colleagues, a courageous gentleman.
He added “There was a time in this country when we needed a detribalized Nigerian and that was when Kola came on the scene.
“You can see that people here cut across states, regions, religion and party lines and even people without a party are even here with us. That is what Kola truly is- a man who is truly patriotic and a man whose comments at the time he was telling them made people afraid, the former Senate President stated.
“I used to call him and say, I fear for some of these things you are saying oh. But we need a man to say what he was saying. Those of us who are close to him are very proud.
“At a point in time, he was not just the voice of PDP or the opposition; he became the face of opposition and that is what Ologbondiyan is most known for.
“He has left the National Working Committee, NWC of the PDP but we believe that the good works he has done will follow him all the days of his life.”
In his remarks, John Cardinal Onaiyekan urged the gathering to take peace very seriously, noting that without peace, there will be nothing.
He said “We have not recognized how important peace is. All human beings all over this world, are all brothers and sisters. How much more in this little corner of the globe called Nigeria, not to talk of my Kogi State.
“All you need to do is look at the face of the person next to you. He could well be a blood brother or cousin. When you meet children talking together, they don’t just care where you come from. That is the basis of a peaceful society and I believe it is possible if only, we take peace seriously.
The former military administrator of defunct Bendel State and later Akwa Ibom state, Brig. Gen. Tunde Ogbeha said Ologbondiyan as a PDP Publicity Secretary “never disappointed Nigerians because he was responding to all situations and responding appropriately and very well. So it is a good thing. He has served, completed his job as national publicity secretary on a very high note and we do congratulate, commend him and ask him to apply his energy and wisdom to his local chapter, Kogi state.”
“I think the journey to his political eminence is just beginning. For the rest of us, I hope he has set a standard that we need to emulate,” he said.
Also at the event, media mogul, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi said Ologbondiyan spoke truth to power and damned the consequences.
Dokpesi said “We are here to congratulate Kola for facing the very unfortunate challenges he had to go through, the challenges of offices, the collapse of the Nigerian economy, the lowering of Nigeria as the poverty capital of the world, with the unemployment rate hovering over 33 per cent.
“Indeed, as opposition spokesman, he had the courage, strength of knowledge to preach a better Nigeria. It is not an easy task. It is not an easy task to run as a spokesman when you have no budget at all. You have to depend on the goodwill
Ologbondiyan thanked the organizers for the honour done him even as he pledged to do more in the future.
