BELLO OYAKHILOME: A SINE QUA NON IN DEVELOPMENTAL GOVERNANCE “

…Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them…” – William Shakespeare A bove quote is from arguably the greatest English Playwright, William Shakespeare in his famous play, “Twelfth Night” written in 1602.

Today, the quote is still as very relevant as it was over 500 years ago. These words which Malvolio mentioned in a letter where a twin got separated from each other during a storm that wrecked their ship still speaks to the reality of human endeavours till date, especially as it relates to political cum business bigwigs in the Nigerian space.

One of such stalwarts who fits in accurately into this quote is the cosmopolitan All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Honourable Bello Oyakhilome.

Hon. Oyakhilome is a young US-based progressive and serial entrepreneur with thriving business interests spread across continental borders.

Born with no silver spoon but into a military family and raised by a single mother, he struggled through life vicissitudes to attain greatness. OYAKHILOME AS AN ACHIEVER OF GREATNESS I f on the other hand, greatness is achieved by dint of hard work, then Hon. Oyakhilome can equally pass for a man who dared it all to become great.

Regardless of his humble beginning, and recognising the need to put his footprints on the sands of time and history, he worked harder, making indelible impact in many business ventures which today have made him one of the most sought-after young entrepreneurs in Nigeria and the United States. His leadership footprints, especially on the political scene over the past years have not only endeared him to the hearts of, particularly young Nigerians, he has equally carved a niche for himself.

Hon. Oyakhilome is the true definition of determination is the key to succeeding in life. He has consistently worked harder and made big difference in his chosen adventures in life – on the first hand, and his country’s political space on the other hand. Not many with a similar background today in Nigeria can boast of working the extra mile to achieve further greatness to sustain the altitude as examples abound. From pioneering a number of companies which include, but not limited to Havilah Holdings Inc, Dollars for Junk Cars Inc and Wealth Power Inc and others, Hon. Oyakhilome has achieved and still achieving greatness on all fronts.

OYAKHILOME WITH A THRUST OF GREATNESS I n life, there have been several occasions where greatness was thrust upon some persons.

One of the beneficiaries of such fate is Hon. Oyakhilome who has been fortuitous on many occasions to have leadership roles thrown his path.

Today, and to corroborate this assertion, he is seated as a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

All his life, he has consistently shown himself as a man

who is very down to earth – whether in his private or business life.

A man of humble birth who would further cultivate the act of selflessness. Before his foray into politics, Hon. Oyakhilome was (and still is) an accomplished and astute business mogul.

A young entrepreneur, and no less philanthropist who has consistently impacted on the lives of people and the society at large. Albeit, he may not have been born with silver spoon, history has proven time and time again that majority of those born underprivileged in life necessarily make good and humane personality in life, and Hon. Oyakhilome is a shining example of that. The case with Hon. Oyakhilome is a rare one and worthy of emulation.

He has remained a role model to the youths, a beckon of hope to the downtrodden, a harbinger of glad tidings to the hoi polloi and no less a friend of the masses.

OYAKHILOME AS A BUSINESS ENTHUSIAST A scion of Ewu Eguware, Irruah in Esan Central of Edo State, the APC chieftain has cut a knack for his expertise across varied human endeavours.

Today, his business interests, thriving on all fronts as a young man with the technical knowhow in revenue generation and business sustainability point to his sterling qualities, towering above his peers as an indispensable metier by all standards.

His business trajectory is marked by a somewhat ‘tectonic’ positive development in the private business environment.

With a number of flourishing business establishments to his name ranging from logistics service, auto dealership, information and communications technology, human capital development and prominent among which are Havilah Holdings Inc, Dollars for Junk Cars Inc, Wealth Power Inc, and Wealth Power Integrated Trading (Nig.) Limited among others, the progenitor of ‘I Believe World’ (a not-for-profit making organisation) and Oyakhilome Bello Foundation (BOF) can best be described a ‘plenipotentiary’ of repute.

His latter decision to venture into politics actually brought out the hidden qualities in him as an exceptional leader with people-centric credo.

In so short a time of joining politics, he has hitherto equally proven to be a man with the Midas touch in terms of leadership deliverables.

OYAKHILOME AS A POLITICAL METIER, MOBILISER W ithout sounding la-di-da or highfalutin, and with every sense of modesty, Edo people have come to identify with Oyakhilome’s personae as a great asset, not only to the state but the country as a whole. Prior to the 2023 general elections, Hon. Oyakhilome was everywhere canvassing for support for the (now) President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. A similar gesture he extended to the Governorelect of Edo State, Sen. Monday Okpebolo using his personal resources.

I recall an event where Hon. Oyakhilome threw his weight behind the then gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Sen. Okpebolo to a reception in the United States to garner diaspora support.

Hon. Oyakhilome Bello also held a townhall meeting few days before the election in Ewu-Eguware for a man Edolites believed would retool the state from its current comatose state as to-be bequeathed by the outgoing MoU-signing administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki whom many have described as a humongous failure by all standards.

Hon. Oyakhilome again proved his mettle as a leader with distinct character that he is when he led delegates from his United States base to Nigeria to equally canvass support for APC’s Okpebolo and Idahosa. He was the first diaspora member to have led a delegation in August to have met with the party’s leadership at the National Secretariat.

His impactful support during the recently concluded poll in Edo State through grassroots mobilisation, house-to-house campaign initiative and provision of logistics before, during and after the entire exercise has put him forward as sine qua non to the party’s success in the state.

As a result-driven personage who is passionate about a working and egalitarian society built, not only on communalism but also unity of purpose and altruism in a heterogenous complex country like Nigeria, he had a meeting with the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Ahmed Usman Ododo, former Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Kayode Opeifa all aimed at ensuring a successful outing for his darling party in his state of Edo.

OYAKHILOME AS A HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT ADVOCATE H onourable Bello Oyakhilome has repeatedly shown a leader extraordinaire that he is. His breed is very rare in Nigeria’s political trajectory of many decades. Leadership is not just about having great ideas – leadership is the ability to deliver results even in the face of adversity, and knowing where to dedicate your and other people’s energy.

Hon. Oyakhilome has shown himself as a benison of a personality whose simplicity is unequalled and unparalleled. With his Oyakhilome Bello Foundation (OBF), he has shown himself as a man who never waited for government before making visible impacts in the society. He believes life is good when everybody feels helped and blessed.

His foundation has helped (and still is helping) many youths across states of the Federation in human capital development.

Only recently, his Oyakhilome Bello Foundation (OBF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) where Nigerian youths are expected to be trained in sustainable renewable energy development, especially as the attention of the globe is geared towards alternative energy sources away from carbon and fossil fuels.

A lbeit the debut novel of Ghana’s Ayi Kwei Armah, ‘The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born’ has been largely situated with African leadership in general, conceptualising this and narrowing it down to the Nigerian political situation may throw up a lot of argument as to the congruity of such notion about an entire country. If one must concede without admitting that the beautiful ones may not have been born in Nigeria’s leadership structure; it goes a contradistinction without giving consideration to all of the human capital development that make up the enclave dubbed Nigeria. And from this latter viewpoint, do we conclude then that there are no individuals – men and women who can change the narrative? Of course, one man stands tall and has made a name for himself in the political firmament of Nigeria. That man is no other person than Hon. Oyakhilome Bello.

OYAKHILOME AS A SINE QUA NON IN SEN. OKPEBOLO’S CABINET A fter all said and done, the gubernatorial election in Edo State has come and gone, and a winner in Senator Monday Okpebolo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged.

As the Governor-elect prepares to take over the mantle of leadership from the under-performed and failed administration of bete noire Obaseki, it is important that the Governor-elect surrounds himself with a cabinet of people who can help deliver on his mandate to Edo electorates and the entire citizenry.

And there is no denial of the unequivocal fact that beyond optical hoodwinkery, Hon. Oyakhilome Bello has shown that he has all it takes to make meaningful impact in the incoming administration.

As a whizkid with the magic wand to turn things around, Sen. Monday Okpebolo as the governor will find him – Oyakhilome an asset indeed in delivering democratic dividends to the people of Edo State.

Omogbolahan L.A. BABAWALE Public Affairs Analyst Convener/Lead Resource Person The Think-Tinubu Initiative (3TI) riches.babs@gmail.com/officialczar2@gmail.com Wuse, Abuja