Business
‘I’m not happy at 45’ – Business Mogul, Ifeanyi Ubah reveals
Being a man of immense means with vast network of high networth of friends. As the milestone age of 45years,approaches for Nigeria’s business mogul, politician and entrepreneur,Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah.A stirring of a high octane celebration titillated the psyche and resonated blissfully in the hearts of his family,friends and associates.But at dawn,he vanished with his nuclear family for a quiet time abroad. He poured out his mind on the the social media on why he won’t find joy in celebrating.
SOBER REFLECTION AT FORTY FIVE
It’s been 44 long and hard years since my birth. The journey to where I find myself today has been rocky, to say the least. First and foremost, I would like to give all thanks and praises to my Father in heaven for the gift of life. His grace is the reason for my continued existence and all glory must be given to him. In the midst of all that currently defines the world we live in, God has been faithful, extremely faithful. His blessings in my life are too many to mention, such that they cannot be enumerated. May I use this avenue to thank everyone who has contributed both positively and negatively to my journey through life. At 45, I feel very fulfilled. I count myself a man highly blessed by God in all ramifications, starting from family to friends to employees and to business associates, be it financially, cerebrally and otherwise. Today marks the beginning of my 45th year on earth, a day I have chosen to reflect on a country I love so much and a nation so blessed by God. Inasmuch as I would have loved a birthday celebration bereft of publicity as I soberly reflect on the unflattering happenings in our dear country, I recognize the fact that I cannot restrain well meaning Nigerians who desire to wish me well via the pages of the newspapers and on different social media platforms. To these people, I wish to say thank you very much for the public display of affection. All efforts to put myself in a celebratory mood for reaching yet another milestone has proved abortive. I even had to take time off work to travel with my family as I needed to spend ample time with them as well as give myself some room to reflect in sobriety. If I am to be perfectly honest, in the midst of all the blessings God has so much bestowed on me, the current state of our nation Nigeria has rendered me an unhappy man. How can I be happy when all I see around me are people who are wallowing in hunger? What is happiness when my fellow Nigerians can no longer engage in business activities because of the escalating rate of the US Dollars which now exchanges for over N400 per Dollar? Where will happiness come from when Nigeria’s inflation rate keeps rising and prices of common commodities are fast getting out of the reach of the average Nigerian? Nothing is being done to empower our women and some people are able to find happiness? Nigerians are losing jobs everyday and I am expected to find joy in celebrating? I cannot! It is just not possible as I sincerely believe there is nothing worthy of celebrating. My heart is heavy, saddled with so much to reflect on as thoughts on the way forward for our beloved country clouds my mind. In a country with over 180 million people, I can boastfully say we possess the capacity to turn this nation around. Nigerians are very resourceful and highly industrious. The fact that we have not been able to get it right after 55 (soon to be 56) turbulent years beggars belief. As Nigerians, we need to learn to work without greed. Contentment should be the underlying feature in everything we set out to do. As a nation, we must fashion out a multi-policy intervention scheme that will not end up on the screens of our televisions and the pages of our books, but policies that will open up our system for job creation and reduction in the rate of poverty. Our problems are man-made and same man who made it can make things right. But first, those saddled with the responsibility of steering the ship of our nation must favour a government of inclusion. They must open the doors to Nigerians (irrespective of one’s ethnic or political leaning) who possess the requisite skills, knowledge and ideas on how to get Nigeria back on its feet. Earlier in the year, I came out to tell Nigerians that the escalation of the Dollar could be reversed if given the chance to proffer solutions and I meant it. I also challenged the Government of the day to do the needful which entailed making consultations which I offered on a platter, even staking my life’s work to see that this ugly trend is reversed. Regrettably, my advice was not heeded to and my calls fell on deaf ears. Nigeria’s current problem is beyond academics. It is also beyond the vocabulary technocrats are known to toss around. There are other components and qualities needed alongside the technicality associated with education to create the right mix as we seek solutions to the poor state of our economy. I believe that I am one Nigerian who possesses some of these components. I am highly confident in my ability to provide answers to most of the problems Nigeria is faced with and hopefully, God will give me a chance if man would not. Permit me to state this loud and clear to avoid being misconstrued: when I discuss the public policies of the government or make suggestions on alternate policies for our government, it is because I want the government of the day to succeed as their success will make Nigerians happy. I am a Nigerian who derives joy in seeing our people happy. After all said and done, I wish to rededicate myself to the service of humanity. At this stage in my life coupled with the achievements I have made and the milestones I have reached, I believe it is high time I channeled all my resources (financially, intellectually and otherwise) to promoting humanity, starting from Nigeria with Anambra state being my first port of call. My biggest regret in life is that I have not been able to help humanity they way I would have loved to. We can never get things right unless we put conscious efforts into promoting humanity. In view of this, I pledge this day to continue serving humanity to the best of my ability and as the Good Lord permits. At this juncture, I would like to expressly appreciate those who have made my journey through life a laudable one. First and foremost, special thanks must go to my wife and beautiful children who have been my firm pillar of support and strength throughout my journey. Your presence in my life has given me wings to soar as high as I can dream. For this, I remain eternally grateful to all of you. Also, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my employees across all sectors that I am actively involved in which includes Oil and Gas, Media Publications, Sports, Construction, Agriculture to mention a few. Your belief in me has never wavered and your support for me has stood the test of time. Even at the most difficult of times, you all rally around me, giving me the needed assurance that we are in this race together. My belief in the depth of God’s love for me and his immense blessings upon my life stems from you all. Thank you. To my friends and well wishers, I wish to also say thank you for being there. Your prayers and words of support have gotten me this far and I would not trade you all for anything the world has to offer. To Ndi Anambra, umu nwannem, this piece would be incomplete without expressing the depth of my gratitude to you for all the love and support you ceaselessly showered on me. How can I forget my humble beginnings? How can I forget how my beloved brothers and sisters contributed immensely in shaping the man “Ifeanyi Ubah” and all he has achieved today? From the bottom of my heart, I say daalu umu nnwannem. Let us endeavour to keep our leaders in our prayers as we continue in our quest for greatness. My fellow compatriots, our strength lies in our togetherness. Let us keep praying for Nigeria and her leaders. Let us keep believing in our country and strive to ensure that we make the best out of our nation. We have no other country to call our own. We must make Nigeria great for ourselves and for the generations yet unborn. To our leaders, I wish to remind you all that the position which you find yourselves in today is God given and has a mandate attached to it. I implore you all to do all you can to better the lives of those who voted you into power. The welfare of the masses is paramount and the betterment of their living standards should be the driving factor behind every action of every leader. In everything we do, we should always remember that a day of reckoning will come and we will all be made to answer to the creator. On that day, would the Almighty be happy with your report? Once again, I wish to thank everyone for the birthday wishes. I feel highly blessed and honoured. God bless you all.
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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