Business
Aregbesola’s Bulletproof SUVs: 5 Questions For Punch Newspaper, By Kikiowo Ileowo
Having fervently followed Punch Newspapers as a neutral observer for the past 10 years, I am amazed by how often they throw professionalism into the dustbin when the state of Osun and Ogbeni becomes the subject.
What axe does the paper have to grind with the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola? When and how did he offend its management, and why does it often abandon logic and reason in a bid to rope the governor in scandalous issues? It seems Punch Newspapers go out of its way to drag the name and legacy of Ogbeni in the mud anytime the opportunity exists and sometimes deliberately instigate the reading public against him with its captions and banal headlines.
I have read with utter dismay, some stories, articles and features in the Punch where screaming, damning and outlandish headlines against the person of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola were used without relevant bylines and contents for the caption. It is as if the Punch relishes sensationalism and personality attacks for pushing its sales, rather than educating the public.
In its latest attempt at ‘investigative journalism’, the paper through a front page article in its edition of 24th September, 2016 with a screaming caption‘Recession: Governors lavish billions of naira on bulletproof cars for selves, wives’claimed that “A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, listed the vehicles [owned by Osun Government] as three Mercedes Benz product, a bus, G-Class, and a 4matic and two Toyota Land cruisers. It was also gathered that the state deputy governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, has one armoured Toyota Land cruiser.” Emphasis is mine.
From the report, there is no coherent link between the banal headline and the content. An anonymous source listed vehicles in the government house pool without providing the source and a supposedly credible national newspaper used it as a scoop to malign and instigate public opinion against Ogbeni!
To be sure, Ogbeni had a couple of used bullet proof vehicles long before assuming office as the governor of Osun. These vehicles came as contributions from sympathizers and well-wishers during his campaigns for the office between 2004 and 2010. Whereas Ogbeni had two of such vehicles before the unfortunate ferocious attack against his person and aides at the 2007 Oroki Day Festival in which the lives of himself and driver were threatened with high calibre assault rifle shots, but saved by the armored vehicle conveying them.
On that fateful day, the heart of the driver was targeted and shot at while the head of Ogbeni was equally targeted and shot at. It was the reinforced glasses that prevented direct hits and consequent fatality. The bullets marks are evident on the vehicle till today. His friend and financier Alhaji Hazzan Olajokun was not that lucky, he had earlier been ambushed at Gbongan junction and brutally shot and killed in May 2005. These incidents were well covered and reported by major national newspapers including the Punch.
However, in twisting logic on its head, Punch approached a so-called source without adequate information in his/her kitty to form an erroneous conclusion. Fellow Nigerians, we all should ask Punch newspaper to show evidence of lavish spending on bulletproof vehicles by the Ogbeni. Maybe if the newspaper had stuck to professional ethics, it would have found out that bulletproof jeeps domiciled in the office of the governor belong to him and were presented to him by his financiers between 2004-2010.
Rather than purchase brand new bulletproof vehicles, the state governor in his act of prudency, commandeered his own personal vehicles for use in his official capacity upon resumption as governor.
Despite having access to security vote to purchase a replacement bulletproof vehicle when one of his became faulty, he brought other personal vehicles to use for public work, while diverting his security vote to pay the monthly allowances of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O-YES) Corp Members monthly allowance.
What I know of the Ogbeni’s administration is that he has refused to hand journalist posted to Osun brown envelopes at the detriment of workers’ salaries, little wonder they seem to always focus their misguided and misinformed intentions towards him.
Unlike many states in the South West, Osun owes two months’ salary arrears, while Ondo where I am from, disgracefully owes upwards of 8- 10 months’ salary arrears. Without being patronizing, Aregbesola has invested heavily in the people that matter, which is why he can freely work amongst his people even without the use of bulletproof vehicles.
What really matters now is for Punch to clear its name, and indeed proof that it is not being used by interested parties to wreck the reputation of Osun’s governor. The punch newspaper must let us know the answers to the following questions;
- Did it double check its source of story and find them to be correct before publishing it as such?
- Why create the impression that the governor took out of the limited resources in the state to buy bulletproof vehicles?
- Why has Punch Newspaper consistently refused to speak to authorised spokesperson of the state government?
- What was Punch’s motive of featuring Aregbesola boldly on the story’s feature image when evidence suggest the governor hadn’t purchased any bulletproof vehicle during his tenure?
- Why the desperate attempt to malign and cause disaffection amongst the peace loving people of the state of Osun with such misleading story?
While we wait for the paper to clear its name on why it refuse to objectively report on Osun, let them from now on contact the right source when seeking government’s opinion on whatever propaganda it decides to engineer.
Quoting an unofficial source for views of the Osun State Government is nothing short of a disservice to the people.
Kikiowo Ileowo wrote in via [email protected]. Engage him on twitter via @ileowokikiowo
NNPCL and Corruption’s Final Throes
By Pius Olasanmi
In the twilight of the Obasanjo administration, when Nigerians were still capable of being outraged, when Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of refineries was a buzzword that still held some mysticism to bamboozle citizens, during a conversation, a certain man said something profound. The man said, “As a businessman, if I were the owner of these refineries, knowing that they are three decades old, I would take the last money I have, hire bulldozers, raze them to the ground, and obtain loans to build new ones.”
When we pressed him further on why he would engage in such waste, he explained that repairing the refineries is the real waste. He explained that even if the TAM were honestly carried out, a thirty-year-old refinery would never compete favourably with a new one that would integrate contemporary technology. Operating at its best, such a refinery would never be comparatively more efficient. It is therefore pointless to have spent another one naira on the refineries at that point.
A few months later, I had a conversation with a then-lawmaker on an entirely different matter. I mentioned that the National Assembly has failed by not crafting legislation that would criminalise and punish public office holders who foist wrong decisions on the country. The logic: a public office holder need not steal to be punished, wrong decisions should attract penalties for an office holder who opts for the worst of all options when there are less injurious ones.
These established premises speak to the ongoing nauseating efforts at revisionism by those who wrecked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its previous iteration, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Notably, this campaign to rewrite history is traceable to Engineer Mele Kolo Kyari, the disgraced immediate past Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL and his hirelings. They have suffocated the news and the public opinion space with even more lies than they spun while in office.
The Saint Kyari campaign is anchored on convincing Nigerians that the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna Refineries were fully functional when he was booted out of office. So brazen is the campaign that one of its talking heads challenged the group chief executive officer (GCEO), Engr. Bayo Ojulari, to “inform Nigerians categorically what happened to the functioning refineries he inherited from his predecessor, Engr. Mele Kyari.” The effrontery.
We have not forgotten so soon the charade that followed the baffling claim that Nigeria has spent $2.8 billion on the repair of the refineries, while they are not churning out even a single litre of refined product among them. Saint Kyari and his goons played all manner of tricks, all of which embarrassed President Bola Tinubu, who had counted on ticking off the return to productivity of the refineries as part of his achievements, only to realise that he was deceived into celebrating phantoms. Tragic.
Lest we forget, 200 trucks were arranged as props in a well-directed video clip to celebrate the re-streaming of the Port Harcourt Refinery. The disappointment. Nigerians were to learn from several reports that the Port Harcourt refinery was not producing and was instead using old, stored petroleum products to load trucks. Worse still, the Kyari crew was passing off sanction-tainted Russian-sourced crude oil refined in Malta as locally refined products. More insult was piled on the assault on our collective sensibility with the lies that the Port Harcourt Refinery exported semi-finished products. Brazen.
Meanwhile, Kyari and his hirelings called those who pointed out or protested these glaring scams all manner of names. They hid behind industry technicalities and jargon to create the impression that those of us who knew Nigerians were being robbed did not understand what we were saying. The point remains that a $2.8 billion investment can potentially build a refinery with a capacity of around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). Of course, the actual capacity of such a refinery will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the refinery, the technology used, and the location. That is the amount that Kyari’s regime at the NNPCL took and did not give Nigerians refined products.
Fast forward to Kyari’s sack and the appointment of Engineer Bayo Ojulari, who has demonstrated that things can indeed be done differently. Kyari’s exit was expectedly followed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) going after him and his associates. The extent of the theft is better understood against the backdrop of N80 billion being found in the bank account of one of his associates. They went on the run.
Perhaps because the EFCC was biding its time on securing international warrants for the arrests of these characters on the lam, they have become emboldened. They have decided to fight back and rewrite the story of their participation in the greatest fraud against Nigerians. Engineer Ojulari’s renewed mindset, which is entrenching a semblance of the transparency Nigerians demand, became their natural target. The demons that once roamed around the corporation came out with malevolence. They started spinning stories of corruption to tarnish the incumbent who refused to hide their crimes. The objective: bring Ojulari down. But alas, he is winning the war as it stands.
His innocence is proven, and it is glaring that those who want him out are mere charlatans who can no longer ply their corrupt wares because of the impact of the new reforms. Corruption in the NNPCL is in its final throes. The fake news being unleashed against the incumbent leadership is akin to corruption’s last kicks as reforms in the sector strangulate it and its practitioners. The reforms must take place in the NNPCL, whether the industry demons like it or not.
As a parting shot, Kyari and his associates would do well to prepare their defence. In addition to accounting for the $2.8 billion they laundered in the name of repairing the moribund refineries, they must also answer for the poor decision to fix that which is irretrievably broken. Awarding contracts for Turn Around Maintenance of 59-year-old refineries that a right-thinking person had suggested should be demolished almost twenty years ago, when they were only 30 years old, is criminal. Trying to deceive Nigerians that the fake repairs worked is treason.
Olasanmi is a public affairs analyst writing from Lagos.
GRANDIS 5STAR LUXURY APARTMENT & SUITES SET TO REDEFINE LIVING IN VICTORIA ISLAND
Set to Rise elegantly against the Lagos skyline, is the Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites. According to Adejuwon Ademola, The General Manager of the Development company, it is more than just a residential building
“it’s a lifestyle statement. Standing 17 floors high in the heart of Victoria Island, this revolutionary masterpiece of modern architecture will offer a panoramic 360° view of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, and Ikoyi, transforming every apartment into an exclusive penthouse experience for the world’s most discerning elite.”
Developed by Dumarco Construction Limited, a globally acclaimed company with decades of delivering complex, high-value projects in the highly regulated petroleum, oil, and gas industries, Grandis 5Star brings unmatched international safety standards, uncompromising quality, and timeless elegance into Nigeria’s luxury property market.
> “When you live in Grandis, you’re not just buying a home—you’re investing in peace of mind, world-class safety, and an effortless luxury experience that will remain pristine for decades,” says Adejuwon A. Ademola, General Manager of Dumarco Construction Limited.
The Gold Standard in Safety and Quality
Dumarco’s roots in the oil and gas sector mean the company operates to some of the strictest safety protocols in the world. Every stage—from conceptualization, design, construction, to long-term maintenance—follows internationally accepted procedures and quality assurance measures. Cutting corners is simply not in Dumarco’s vocabulary.
> “In the oil and gas industry, there’s no room for compromise. We’ve brought that same discipline and zero-tolerance for mediocrity into property development,” says Ademola. “That’s why Grandis will be one of the safest and most enduring residential developments in Nigeria.”
To ensure transparency and prevent (project complacency), Dumarco deliberately separates the developer, contractor, and consultant roles, engaging only the most competent professionals in each respective field. Dumarco’s project team includes globally recognized contractors such as Julius Berger, Cappa & D’Alberto, and Elalan, Migliore Construczione & Tecniche (MC&T) and their partners VENCO IMTIAZ CONTRACTING COMPANY (VICC) based in Dubai, UAE, Business Contracting Limited, alongside leading consultants like Morgan Omanitan & Abe, LAMBERT, and James Cubitt.
Grandis – Investments, appreciation, returns and profitability
Our selection process for the location of the project alone was pains-taking and completely thorough scientific process. Top professional companies were employed to conduct a scientific data acquisition and analytical survey of the entire Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki and Eko Atlantic before a project site is selected. Analyzing and acquiring areas developmental charts and trends, studying and gathering historical and present sale prices, rental charge and occupancy rates over a 50 year period from every individual street before the selection of the location of any of our developments especially true for the Grandis Project
He adds,
“Our clients and residents can be rest assured that the location of Grandis has been scientifically proven through all existing data to provide our clients with a 100% occupancy rate, highest developmental location, highest rental income and investment returns. ”
The Grandis Experience
Located minutes away from international corporate headquarters, embassies, and landmarks such as Eko Hotel, Radisson Blu, and the Radisson Red, Grandis offers unmatched convenience for professionals, diplomats, and high-net-worth individuals. Every residence is designed for both indulgence and efficiency, with high-grade finishes, smart-home systems, and private amenities that ensure seamless living.
From sunrise over the Atlantic to the glittering Lagos night skyline, residents will enjoy uninterrupted luxury, supported by discreet and highly trained staff, advanced security systems, and a design that prioritizes comfort and privacy.
> “We designed Grandis for people who want everything—security, elegance, convenience, and the assurance that their home will look as spectacular in 20 years as it does on day one,” Ademola notes.
A Legacy That Lasts
With its combination of visionary architecture, peerless safety, and meticulous maintenance planning, Grandis is built to remain iconic for generations. Thanks to Dumarco’s meticulous approach, the building’s service charges are expected to remain low while its value and appeal continue to appreciate over time.
In a market often marred by shortcuts and substandard practices, Mr Ademola says
Grandis stands as a beacon of what luxury living should be—safe, spectacular, and built to last.
“Grandis 5Star Luxury Apartment & Suites — Where safety meets sophistication, and every detail is designed for a life well-lived.”
He added
Website -www.dumarcoltd.com
Project website – www.26idowutaylor.com
Email [email protected]
Tel / WhatsApp +234 9077777883
GM – Adejuwon A. Ademola
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