Why Okowa's Principal Secretary, Hillary, Is The "Street Governor", A Bridge Builder To Deltans
Hillary Ibegbulem, is the Principal Secretary to the Delta State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. He hails from Ute-Okpu, in Ika north east local government area of the state, same council with his principal, the governor.
Okowa's Principal Secretary is a graduate from the Delta State University, the almighty DELSU.
His first name, Hillary, dominates his surname, Ibegbulem, so much that the name Hillary, has become a household name.
He has a terrifying body build like a heavyweight lifter or best, one of the www.champions.
He is one of Okowa's strong but very loyal supporter right from Okowa's days as Commissioner to Secretary to the State Government (SSG), to the National Assembly (NASS), as Senator who represented the good people of Delta north to his current status as governor.
Although, he is from Delta north, his popularity spread across the three senatorial districts following his desire to impact on the youths; as no day passes him without doing good to someone. Though, his body builds and facial expressions may send strangers quivering especially those meeting him for the very first time.
Hillary, is described by some of his admirers as the “Street Governor”, as no one comes in contact with him and remains the same. He has a way of solving problems of those he don't even know, “Hillary may have gotten his large heartedness from the governor himself. Anyone who really wants to be a true follower of governor Okowa, must be large hearted because governor Okowa is very much large hearted, you can’t be with him and you tend to be otherwise. We all benefited from his generosity, because of his large heartedness, that is why we are all here. We all have relationship with him way back and he has this ability to carry everybody along and that is what large heartedness is all about, he tend to meet your needs as much as he can and Hillary has been with him quite long. So over time he may have imbibed that virtue of been large hearted because that is what the governor is all about and that is what Hillary is following”, Mr. Ameachi Udemba, said.
Udemba, who is one of his associates, former reporter with Channels Television and currently the Special Assistant (SA), to the governor on Electronic Media, while speaking with our correspondent said he had a good working relationship with Hillary and never had any cause to disagree over anything or his reports.
“As a reporter with Channels Television, I had very good cordial relationship with him. We always access Dr Okowa, then because he was not even a senator at that time, through Hillary. He has always accorded us all the opportunity and all the respect, he is a gentleman to us. I can’t recall having any altercation with him as a journalist not to talk of now that we are all working together even though he is a senior colleague as it were but as a journalist we had very fantastic relationship”.
He went further to describe Hillary as the "mirror" that best describes a loyal, humble and accessible person of whom many of the appointees are trying to follow in his footsteps. "Hillary, as a senior colleague, has been of fantastic help to all of us".
"To me, I see him as the mirror through which you see loyalty personalized because he is fiercely loyal to this administration and some of us are trying to emulate that because you need to be able to stand up for this administration, if you want to be counted and that is the kind of person Hillary is, he is a loyal person to this administration to the core.
What struck the senses of this reporter was his receptiveness. During the just concluded governorship election when this writer met him. Hillary, displayed a humble character far befitting his status which corroborated Udemba's position.
"Hilary is not a proud person, he is accessible and somebody who is accessible cannot be said to be proud. That is my own perception, he is very accessible, he is somebody that you will call and he will pick your call, he is somebody that you will go to his office and he will answer you, no matter, whatever it is. He is not the type that will shy away from responsibilities, the much I know. So when people say that he is proud, I really get confused about that. He is not proud", Udemba, insisted.
The proponents of non-participant observer, a Mass Communication theory, believes that you should not be personally involve, yet, you are directly a stakeholder in a process. But Udemba, is of the opinion that, "before you can form an opinion about somebody, dig in a little bit, do a research and find out things about the person. We are living in a political environment where people peddle all manners of rumour just to draw the other person down and before you will draw conclusion just access the person and try to find out more”.
To Ossai Ovie Success, another political aide to the governor, Hillary has played his role very well by trying to bring everybody together, “You recall that recently he hosted the social media. Is all part of bridging the gap, because what he did there, he encouraged those young men and women that this administration is worth celebrating and supporting and that is what he has always been doing to everybody whether journalists or not. He has always been a bridge builder by bringing people together. So, to me, he has been of tremendous help to this administration, his impact has been felt by all and sundry, directly or indirectly".
The Principal Secretary, is one that demonstrates true love for mankind across all works of life “Over the years, I have known Hillary, he has true love for humanity, he has elevated some youths in the state, he has contributed to some of the big shots in the state, he is a lover of the youths, I can count thousands of youths that he has empowered so far across the state. Despite the fact that he is from Ika north east, he has spread his tentacles across the state, there is no local government today that he doesn’t have boys who he has empowered and there is no local government that you will not see youths singing his name that is because he is an open minded person.
“He is someone who believes that wherever he is today, it could have been somebody else so there is need for him to use his office in empowering people out there that as at the time when he is leaving people can represent him and also empower others who are coming behind.
While likening Hillary to the state governor, Success said, “Just like the governor, he believes in the youth, he believes in taking youths from grass to grace. He is the governor of the street, the youth governor. In this current government of today, he is one man who has differentiated himself from others through empowerment of people even in the private sector, he has employed some people through his good name and recommendation, he has been able to change some people’s lives.
Hillary’s foundation helps the less privilege people in the society. A few weeks back, an underage girl who was forcefully married to an elderly man was brought to his knowledge. “So, we rescued the lady and today he opened a brand new apartment for the young girl. The young girl has a good environment that she is leaving in today. That is because of the love he has towards humanity out there.
“He is someone who loves helping people; he doesn’t get tired in helping people. If you have heard him, you hear him talking about how a day will not pass without him doing something good for someone, that is Hillary for you and he is very simple; his humility is something else but sometimes when you see him outside, his facial expression, he looks very hard but once you come close to him, you will know that he is a different person entirely, he is someone who loves accommodating people.
“You can’t have a problem and you meet him and you tell him your problem and he won’t find a way to make sure that the problem is solved even if he cannot solve it personally but he will look for ways to solve it so that your burden will reduce, that is the kind of person he is. He is a leader of inestimable values.
According to Success, who said his story won’t be complete without Hillary's input, said: “Personally, I am an example of Hillary’s goodwill. Before the government started, I have been with him and his hospitality, his humility, his helping hands has been able to bring us up. I can’t write my story without mentioning Hillary’s name. As the youngest appointee in Delta state, Nigeria, I can’t write my story without Hillary’s involvement.
“While working with Okowa, while he was a senator, he was always with him, so we worked together, whenever I have an issue he is always there to solve it, give a helping hand. So he has been the boss, he has been a great leader who has affected people’s lives positively. I, telling my story of how I became an appointee at the age of 23, Hillary’s name will be involved in it. He is one of the instruments that have helped in my political career so far as a young boy growing up. So, I am a living example, he has affected my life.
Four years counting, Hilary has been able to make the governor’s image known to everybody as a good leader; he has been a good representative of the government of governor Okowa. He is someone who has been able to reduce crises around today. He has helped in the peace building of Delta state and he has helped in unifying the youths together, he has brought hope to the youths. With his support even his personal funds alone, he has been able to help those the government couldn’t reach.
Youths who have not benefited from the empowerment programmes of the state governor have in one way or the other been blessed from Hillary's goodwill.
"You know the government cannot reach out to everybody but from his personal angle, he has been able to reach out to youths across the state, he has been able to empower thousands of youths all over the local governments. Not just youths alone, even men and old women. He has helped them, many people are driving their own cars today, courtesy of Hillary, many people are earning salaries today, courtesy of Hillary, and many youths are smiling today, it is the courtesy of Hillary".
At several occasions, youths gather round him, like swams of bees on the honeycomb, "There is no function we go with the governor, without you seeing the youth surrounding him that is the kind of person he is. So, he is a lover of the youth and Deltans have been able to know him apart from the governor, they have been able to know him as one man who can change someone’s life within a second, he is a youth friendly person".
On why he is been referred to as "The Lion", Success said: "You know in this part of the world when you are good to certain envionment or community or society, the masses tend to call a names that signifies what you have done for them. They call him Lion because he has a large heart to accommodate people out there. That is why they call him Lion because of the effect on the masses. So, whenever the people see him, they call him Lion".