In my over five decades on mother earth, I have never
comprehended the import of the cliché ‘’never judge a book by its cover” until
by divine providence, I met Rt Hon Victor Onyekachi Ochei, the Speaker of the
Delta State House of Assembly, during the recent Annual Conference of the
Nigerian Guild of Editors in Asaba. His inclination to listen, discuss and
offer advice to the teeming and enthusiastic crowd, devoid of the Bonapartean
carriage of c’est moi d’etat (I am the state) was a sort of curious paradox.
Though I was enthralled by his simplicity; I was determined
to unearth this enigma, who had been severally and erroneously classified as
haughty. My inquisitiveness provided an interesting vista on his innumerable
accomplishments in diverse fields of human endeavour, which stemmed from his
courtship with courage and confidence as core components in achieving success.
Unarguably, Rt Hon Victor Ochei’s accomplishments find unshakable
base on the Shakespearean postulation that “there is a tide in the affairs of
men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of
their life is bound in shallows and in miseries”. In other words, the rare
combination of courage and confidence are somewhat predisposing factors in the
quest for success.
If not for the above, what could have prompted Rt Hon Ochei,
who in 1994, qualified as a young chemical engineering graduate, plunged into
the vicissitudes of self- employment, by setting up a one-room boutique within
the Asaba, Delta State metropolis in apparent acquiescence to an Thomas Henry’s
submission ‘’that the rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only
to hold a man’s foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat
higher’’.
His undiluted sense of purpose in 2003 further elucidates
the topic in focus, as he was the only minority member of any state legislature
in the South-South zone, a feat achievable by only the courageous and
confident, because during that period, the Aniocha North constituency was a
strong base of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which paraded an array of
political stalwarts. Against all odds, he emerged victorious at the polls.
His educational resume validates these virtues as central to
his inter- professional accomplishments, obtaining a first degree in chemical
engineering, then crossed over and got an MBA in financial management,
subsequently schooled in corporate governance at the Leeds Metropolitan
University culminating in a masters degree, added a diploma in Education
Management from the prestigious Harvard University as well as a law degree from
the Delta State University(DELSU).
What could be more ensconcing than his submission in a press
interview that, “people miscomprehend confidence for pride, I am a confident
man and nothing gives me confidence other than education. That is why I give so
much to education”.
Reasonably, he has acted this submission by his numerous
contributions to the growth of education, ranging from the primary through the
tertiary levels in the state, by way of providing over 20 brand new buses and
books worth millions of naira to secondary schools and DELSU, Abraka
respectively , institution of annual awards to the best 10 graduating students in
10 departments of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba worth
over two million naira and assistance to indigent students in tertiary
institutions in the payment of fees and other sundry charges, just to list a
few.
His resume as a philanthropist which transcends
ethno-political and religious bias, provides further illumination on his avowed
inclination to enhancing societal development through educational and economic
empowerment programmes, a trait that exudes courage and confidence.
From 2002 till date, he has empowered over 10,000 people in
his Aniocha North constituency and beyond, as exemplified by the recent
empowerment of over 1000 women with materials and cash worth over N25million,
which he has pledged to replicate in the remaining twenty-four local government
areas of Delta State, which by the multiplier effect theory, translates to
almost a million people.
His helmsmanship at the Delta State legislature gives an
interesting insight as a confident, courageous and focused leader, illustrated
by the numerous administrative and infrastructural innovations, a feat that
elicited commendation from his colleagues through a motion moved by Hon Talib
Tebite and unanimously adopted by the House.
The summation of this man of several positive attributes, is
his unflinching belief that courage and confidence are critical factors in
soaring to unassailable heights, thus; aptly lending incontrovertible credence
to an American poet, memoirist, actress and an iconess of the American Civil
Right Movement, Maya Angelou’s submission that “courage is the most important
of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue
consistently”.
Written By Keith Ebiuwe
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