Gun Glory (1957)

THE CLASH OF THE TITANS

Just the other day, my sister and I were reminiscing about classics. I mean, you have you Top Gun, Rambo, Sounds of Music… (Okay, so I am joggling them up… bite me). Anyways, we both paused when my brother mentioned Clash of the Titans. Now, I don’t know about you but that film really scared the crap out of me when I was younger. There is a saying that, ‘when two elephants fights, it is the grass that suffers’. To be caught in the crossfire when two mighty giants fight is not something that is on my things to do before I reach 50. I was on my way home yesterday when this newspaper vendor tried cajoling me to buy this Encomium magazine… actually; I think it was City people. Aaarghhhhhhhhh! I get so confused. I mean, they both do the same thing and report the same news and gossips. Anyways, I stood for a while reading this very interesting caption even though I didn’t actually pay for the newspaper… What?!! I am a Nigerian; born and bred…we like free things… have you forgotten?

Anyways, one of the story captions read, ‘Otedola reveals Chemical Ali’s many sins’… or something like that. Now for those of you who don’t know, Femi Otedola is the billionaire owner of the multi-billion naira indigenous oil giant Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited. Zenon, which is directly run by Otedola is the dominant force in diesel business among oil marketing concerns. It supplies this all important fuel used to power the generating sets of most Nigerian industries to nearly all the major manufacturing firms in the country. These include Dangote Group, Cadbury, Coca Cola, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Unilever, Nestle, and Guinness among others. Otedola is the son of former Lagos State governor, Sir. Michael Otedola. Otedola owns one of the largest oil storage facilities which he purchased for N2.8 billion. He bought hundred brand new trucks purchased for N1.3 billion to strengthen the distributive arm of his business and acquired a massive flat bottom bunker vessel with a storage capacity of 16, 000 metric tonnes of diesel for 6.8 million dollars. Zenon owns four cargo ships. He owns Atlas Shipping Agency, Swift Insurance, FO Properties Limited, FO Transport.

Otedola started Zenon few years ago and within a short time seized control of the market. Today he has become the pacesetter in the downstream sector while expanding the frontiers of competition. NNPC Group Managing Director, Engr. Funso Kupoloku acknowledged this much when he said Zenon was now the company to beat in the downstream sector. From nowhere, Zenon is today rated among the top five companies in the country, with a huge turnover currently sitting at the commanding heights of the nation’s diesel and kerosene business.

Apart from being the biggest diesel and kerosene marketer in Nigeria today, he is said to be the biggest ship owner in the country, which partly explains his nomination as President of Nigeria Chambers of Shipping, a powerful and highly influential body in the maritime sector. The oil baron and shipping magnate also bought 100 brand new DAF trucks from Netherlands to strengthen his distribution arm. Zenon now boasts of a total storage capacity of more than 147,000 metric tonnes total holding of diesel making it the biggest depot owner with the largest single storage capacity in the country.

He is also the owner of Atlas Shipping Agency, Swift Insurance, FO Properties Limited, FO Transport and Seaforce Shipping Company Ltd. His appointment last year into the board of Nigeria Investment and Promotion Council, NIPC, observers believe, is the President’s vote of confidence on the young man’s business abilities. It is for this that he was also nominated by the President on the team of top Nigerian businessmen to go on an investment drive to South Africa They were essentially to meet and interact with the south African business community and the former South African President, President Thabo Mbeki. On his part, Otedola contributed well over N100 million to the President’s re-election expenses. And under the aegis of friends of Obasanjo and Atiku, he contributed N25 towards the rehabilitation of the National Mosque in Abuja. He was one of the co-launcher of Obasanjo Presidential Library, where donated N200 million. He is said to have direct access to the President.

Now, a lot of you might think of this article as a boring, one of dem political propagandas and bla bla bla and… I am not gonna lie to you, somewhere along the line, it is but what really got me interested was that before this article, I was putting together a piece about the 10 fattest pockets in Naija and our 2 titans- Femi Otedola and Chemical Ali, made the list, as a matter of fact, one is in the 2nd spot, while the other is following closely behind. By closely I mean, $500 Million behind. You might want to close your mouth before flies get in them.

For those of you who are not familiar with the nick names allocated to some of the godfathers in the political spheres, Chemical Ali is the nick name given to, according to Forbes Magazine, Nigeria’s first billionaire; Aliko Dangote. Yea I know! I was shocked as well. I mean, I practically used to worship this guy.

Aliko Dangote who was born on the 10th day of April, 1957 in Kano, Nigeria is a businessman based in Nigeria. He is the owner of the Dangote Group, which has operations in Nigeria and several other countries in West Africa. A wealthy supporter of erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo and the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) (Yea… now we know how he carted away all them contracts huh? (Nudge, nudge, wink, wink), Dangote controls much of Nigeria’s commodities trade through his corporate and political connections. With an estimated current net worth of around US$ 2.5 billion, he was ranked by Forbes as one of the richest black African citizens and the third richest person of African descent in the world behind Mohammed Al Amoudi ($9.0 billion) and Oprah Winfrey ($2.7 billion.)

The Dangote Group, originally a small trading firm founded in 1977, is now a multi-trillion naira conglomerate with operations in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Dangote’s businesses include food processing, cement manufacturing, and freight. The Dangote Group dominates the sugar market in Nigeria, as he is the major sugar supplier to the country’s soft drink companies, breweries, and confectioners. Dangote Group has moved from being a trading company to Nigeria’s largest Industrial group, including Dangote Sugar Refinery (the most capitalized company on the Nigeria Stock Exchange, valued at over $3 billion with Aliko Dangote’s equity topping $2 billion), Africa’s largest Cement Production Plant: Obajana Cement, Dangote Flour amongst others.

Dangote played a prominent role in the funding of Obasanjo’s re-election campaign in 2003, to which he contributed over N200 million (N200 million). He doled out N50 million (N50 million) to the National Mosque under the aegis of “Friends of Obasanjo and Atiku”, and contributed N200 million (N200 million) to the Presidential Library. These controversial gifts to members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party have contributed to concerns over continued graft despite highly-publicized anti-corruption drives during Obasanjo’s second term.

Now, I did the best I could to dig up the dirt on these two and why they have been on each other’s throats for some time now. For goodness sake boys couldn’t you buy bigger and better toys to play with if you were that bored? Anyhoos, I was directed to this websites called facts Nigeria and you will not believe the accusations Otedola dolled out to Dangote. I mean, I was speechless the whole time while I was reading it.

Now, from a professional point of view, it is possible that a good number of the accusations could be false but it also could not be; the long and short of it is that it doesn’t make the gist any less sweet.

This journalist likens Dangote to Adolf Hitler (jeez… you really hate him that much don’t ya?) as a matter of fact, he goes as far as saying that he is his protégé. He accuses Dangote of working behind the scenes, deceiving and manipulating Nigerians. Anybody feel manipulated? He doesn’t stop there. He goes on to insist that If there is anybody that will continue to regret his kind gesture to uplift his nephew from the grip of poverty, it will be no other person than Alhaji Usman Dantata, Aliko Dangote’s uncle who gave him N100, 000 then for him to travel to South-West to come and try his luck in business. In a twist of fate, rather for Aliko Dangote who came to Lagos by train to reciprocate Usmans kind gesture, he instead opted to deal a heavy blow to the man who helped him to be what he is today.

If you don’t know, Usman Dantata is currently bedridden with a serious ailment. Dangote, rather than help him to recover from the ailment, dealt him what sources say is the “knell that may aid Dantata’s death”. He had wanted to purchase one of Dantata’s properties in Apapa, “Polo House” without success before the man took ill. He seized the opportunity of his uncle’s sickness and his influence in government circle to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of the property and took over the title. That was two years ago.

This journalist delves into Dangote’s relationship with other billionaires and the part he played in their minor misfortunes. He writes that the problem that the billionaire chairman of Globacom, Otunba Mike Adenuga had with former president Olusegun Obasanjo was masterminded by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the cause was envy of the ever rising status of the silent but meticulous multi billionaire, Mike Adenuga. It all started when Adenuga acquired the Old National Oil which he transformed to Conoil. “Chemical Ali” went to town claiming that Adenuga used funds from Bureau Of Public Enterprises.

Same thing reared its ugly head when Adenuga acquired the second National Carrier Licence which enabled him to join the world mega business of telecommunication. He smeared the names of Adenuga and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar. He claimed that Atiku who oversaw the then Petroleum Trust Fund helped pay for the licence from the funds cover.

This was the final straw that broke the camels back of camaraderie between Atiku and his former boss Obasanjo. These incidents made the guru as Adenuga is fondly called to go on voluntary exile. Adenugas sins according to Dangotes gospel is due to his unapproachability.

He claimed that the guru was too arrogant, taciturn and always elusive to the extent that Adenuga could not be asked for favours like using his private jet because his own jet, a rickety 14 year old NS 125 old cargo which he bought from the Federal Government always broke down constantly without notice and also because Adenuga is richer than him.

The hatred for Adenuga got worse few years ago during one of the editions of Nduka Obaigbenas This Day Awards. In that years edition of the award despite the fact that the Globacom boss was not there live, Adenuga was the cynosure of all eyes as his representatives were busy collecting awards after another on his behalf whilst Dangote with all his pride and ego was just there looking at the glory of Adenuga without a single award. Since then the attempt to ruin Adenuga started because he didnt want anybody to surpass him.

To further humiliate Adenuga after he had succeeded in setting EFCC after him, “Chemical Ali” was always dramatizing how Adenuga was behaving when he was to be arrested by EFCC operatives and during this time one will always see him holding white handkerchief and waving it at the EFCC operatives which signals peace as Adenuga was pleading.

Now your girl paused here and logged onto another site that posted a brief interview that Ibrahim Jimoh granted a couple of years ago and I gotta tell you that it made for a good read. Excerpts

So, you feel diminished when you were listed along Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola et al?

I feel heavily diminished. What is the basis? One of them said his father was very rich, his grandfather was very rich. My father is not rich. My father is a bricklayer. My mother is a food seller. So, why are you putting my picture among them? Aren’t you embarrassing me? I had my L.L.B. from Ife, have my BL in Nigeria. I attended Harvard where I studied Taxation for one year and I came out with some good results. Why are you putting my picture among illiterates? I have been conferred with some doctorate degrees; about three of them from various universities. I’m not saying that I am the best but at least, I’ve not disappointed my generation because I went to school. So, why are you putting my picture along all these people with diploma in printing? The argument the other time was that I didn’t join (Lagos) Boat Club. What is boat club? I’m from the riverine area (Ondo State) so what am I going to do with boat? My house in VGC is waterfront. We’ve been living there for over 11 years. So, how can I go and buy boat now and be riding it at a time when I’m supposed to be employing more university graduates?

But Alhaji Dangote postulated that it is impossible for a business man to completely isolate himself from people in power?

In fact, the joy of a good businessman is to isolate himself from power. Allow those who are running government to run their government, you go and run your business. Out of respect and courtesy, they will write and invite you. This is when you are celebrated. You don’t go there and be loitering around. For what reason? I read in the interview Dangote saying in that interview that you cannot even sue government let alone fight it. Maybe, Dangote took a strange coffee that morning to have said that. Is the government above the law? It depends on who the president is. If the president is a garrulous president, then you can have problems but look at the person of Yar’Adua who is a university graduate and read Applied Chemistry. Did he say you should not take him to court? Even after taking him (Yar’Adua) to court, he still described Buhari as his elder brother…

…So, you have to understand it. Until you return the money from the bank, you cannot celebrate any billion. For you to now come around and say they’re billionaires or that one is the richest in Africa, I don’t understand what you are saying. Maybe, they’re drunk or took unusual coffee, I don’t know.

Heavy words there from Jimoh Ibrahim who, born to poor parents in a family of about 17 siblings, is today the most inspiring Businessman in Nigeria, and possibly in the world, inspiring in that he loves urging people to do what he did-which is a near overnight success.

His official story is that he made his first millions while studying law at O.A.U when he ran seminars for all local governments on taxation. He came into the limelight in 2002/2003 when he contested for the Governorship post in Ondo State on the platform of the ANPP. After that he quite politics, and started Global Fleet-a petroleum marketing company. His strategy was to acquire rather than build-so he acquired and still acquires filling stations, instead of building from scratch. As of this month, he has over 250 of such stations and recently he got licensed as an Independent Marketer.

He also in the last 1 year bought Great Nigeria Insurance-sold it for profit, and then bought Nigeria’s number 1 Insurance firm-NICON. He also bought EAS Airlines and renamed it NICON Airlines. And bought the Meidan Hotel in Lekki-renaming it NICON Hotel. He equally has a furniture making company in VGC that brings in income in the hundreds of millions.

His rapid expansion is traced to his ability to borrow from banks and PAY ON TIME-indeed faster than they expect, so banks are eager to lend him. Now, no one has accurately being able to determine his worth but we can say that he controls assets and businesses worth over 100 Billion Naira (N100 Billion). He delivers free lectures through City People on how Nigerians can start from nothing to make millions in any business.It usually holds once a month at Excellence Hotel, Ogba.

Some have said and still say that Jimoh Ibrahim is the present and future of Nigerian Business. He recently clocked 40 years and is married with children… (Bugger! Just my luck) Wow! The dude does have an impressive resume but as regards his online interview… Um… I really don’t know if Dangote or Otedola read that but I don’t think I want to be the one to pass on that message even if it was a couple of years ago.

On reading this, I jetted back to the previous websites and tried finding out what the real beef (if there is one) for Otedola. The journalist states that Aliko Dangote is after the young billionaire boss of Zennon oil- Femi Otedola simply because since Otedola joined the business circle a few years ago, he came, he saw and he conquered.

Because of his midas touch, everything that he usually touches turns to gold and within a few years he has done more than what Aliko Dangote has been able to achieve since he started over 30 years ago. What many people don’t know is that Dangote despite his claim to fame likes to climb on peoples back. During the bid for the purchase of the refineries, Otedola was set to bid, but Otedola after much persuasion from his friend had to succumb to the pressure of joint partnership.

Even though Otedola was initially skeptical about the partnership he kept his cool. But in his characteristic manner Dangote displayed his greediness when he asked to be allowed fifty one percent of stake in the Bluestar Consortium, which Otedola because of his meekness agreed to.

But unknown to Otedola, Aliko had another thing in mind, and that is to destroy the young Epe billionaire having seen his metric rise both within the business and political circle that he will in no short time practically leave him behind, hence he resorted to blackmail and plotted to kill him. Part of his plot to ruin Otedola is the manipulation of AP shares. Manipulation? Yes. He was named by Mr Eugene Anenih as the mastermind of the manipulation before he shamefully recanted. He also confessed that he manipulated the AP share over 30 times from February 11 to march 20 when AP management raised alarm. Eugene Anenih also confessed that he always briefed Aliko Dangote on the phone after carrying out the heinous financial crime.

Now, I don’t know about you but I am trying not to believe that this beef (if it does exist) is basically a ‘my horse is bigger than your horse’… thing. Please tell me that I am wrong. People are dying of hunger, AIDS and diseases everyday and two of the world’s billionaires, according to Forbes are getting pissed off because one’s rattle is slightly bigger than the other’s? What is this world coming to?

Email me on graye@goodlife.com.ng and tell me what you think of all this and if you are a guy and you mail me that crap about it being a guy thing I am going to put a hex on you. Till then, catch ya online… Toodles

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