A MAN OF VISION: Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Delta, Comrade Ovuozourie Samuel Macaulay

Comrade Ovuozourie Samuel Macaulay is considered a man of vision and a great leader with impeccable qualifications. He was born October 25, 1960, in Oguta in present day Imo State, but hails from Owhe-Ologbo, in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State. Comrade Macaulay has been instrumental in the delivery of dividends of democracy to Deltans. It is undisputed that to run a State, the Governor needs a capable and dependable person as SSG because the SSG “is the hub of the administration whose task is to keep the whole machinery (of state) moving and working smoothly. All major decisions and policies of government are issued through him and he has a direct responsibility to monitor the implementation of the policies.” The Comrade SSG has proven that he is more than capable in the position.

Comrade Macaulay has a wealth and breadth of experience. He was once an Auxiliary Teacher and a Public Enlightenment Assistant for the Federal Ministry of Information. He was with the defunct Bendel State Television as a junior editor and reporter. When Delta State was created in 1991, he moved on to become a Senior Current Affairs Officer at the Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) in Asaba and later as Assistant Manager in charge of News and Current Affairs.

Comrade Macaulay has been in the forefront of trade union activities and the fight for people's rights, especially the workers. He was the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of NUJ Bendel State and then Chairman, Bendel TV Chapel of the NUJ. When in 1991 Bendel State was bifurcated into Delta & Edo States, he was elected Chairman, Delta State Council of NUJ. He later contested and won the chairmanship position of the Delta State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Of course, the SSG is not new to politics and has served Deltans faithfully. His first foray into the political service arena was as Commissioner for Inter-Ethnic Relations and Conflict Resolution and thereafter Chief of Staff in Government House. He later became the Commissioner for Power and Energy before he was appointed to his current position as SSG in 2011.

He is not just a loyal soldier in the Governor Uduaghan's administration, he is also a great believer in the “Delta Beyond Oil” project, along with the 3-Point Agenda of the administration. To quote the SSG, “Conscious of the inherent risk of dependency on Oil as the sole source of revenue to finance government budgets and expenditures, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, the Governor of Delta State, remarked that 'We are conscious of the limitations of an oil dependent economy since oil is an exhaustible resource' and have embarked on an unprecedented diversification of the economy in the urgent task of building a “Delta Beyond Oil.”

Comrade Macaulay is a highly educated man and takes education seriously. His primary education was at three schools: LA School Amai; St Ambrose Primary School, Ughelli (now Ogele Primary School); and CMS Primary School, lluelogbo. This was based on the exigencies at that time with his maternal grandparents and the advent of the Nigeria-Biafran civil war. As for School certificate, he obtained it with flying colors from lluelogbo Grammar School. He went on to the National Institute of Public Information in Kaduna and subsequently obtained a Diploma in Mass Communication from IMT. He later bagged a B.Sc. degree in Mass Communication from Enugu State University of Science and technology (ESUT); and M.Sc. in Mass Communication from ESUT Business School. His thirst for knowledge is not quenched as he is still an avid reader.

When you visit Delta in general and Isoko land specifically, you will understand more how influential comrade Macaulay is and how much he is loved by his people. The community sees him as not just a great leader, but a very patient man with intelligence and compassion for his fellow human beings. He has assisted so many people to improve their standard of living. The SSG is very approachable and it is not uncommon to see his house or office flooded with people.

Comrade Macaulay has a very large heart for charity work and has been using his NGO Elona Development Foundation to assist the less fortunate. It is as though philanthropy and charity work flows through his veins. The SSG has given out countless scholarships to students at higher institutions of learning. The other arm of his Foundation deals with health and medical assistance. Recently, he provided N1.6 million for the treatment of a child with eye cancer (pictured below).

Mrs. Stella Ovuozourie Macaulay, wife of the SSG, is the President of Elona Foundation and actively researches and seeks out avenues to reach out to the less fortunate.

Also, some youths came to the SSG's office to air their grievances. It was refreshing to hear them say that the Comrade SSG has listened to them in the past and they knew he will help them out again. In fact, the SSG took on their plight including their search for employment.

During the recent flooding in Delta State, the SSG dispatched people to the nooks and crannies of the State. and also personally visited several sites in the company of Delta State Governor, His Excellency Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, CON, to properly evaluate the damages and effectively assist the refugees. This included Ivrogbo, Okpe, Aviara, Ada-irri, Iyede-London, and Ofagbe communities.

The SSG's personal philosophy is summed up as follows: To leave a legacy through loyalty & service to humanity. A very humble man, he attributes his success to his faith in God.

With the comrade SSG, Deltans are assured that a great administrator is at the engine room of the State government.