Sugar Daddies of Nigeria

Coming off a wrecking “indecent” outing in the United States, one would expect Africa’s long-reigning richest, Aliko Dangote, to be calming down, at least for a while. Maybe not when a threat is hovering over his $11.3 billion US (about N5.4 trillion) wealth. Who will not want to defend such worth with blood. King Solomon, the one who got special wisdom from God, is right with his Ecclesiastes classic; “whoever loves money never has enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”

At every opportunity, Rotimi Amaechi, ex-that, current-this in Nigeria’s money-spinning power corridor is always reminding his listener how he chose not to love money. His decision is scriptural. Not unexpected; he is a devout Catholic and his “service” in the Vineyard, has been recognised by men. About 19 months back, he was promoted to the highest rank in Catholic Church.

He was conferred with the Exemplification honour of the Knights of St. John from Grand Master, Nigerian Temple Noble and Exalted Knights of the Holy Cross Knight of St. John International! Yoruba will say, Rotimi, iwo nikan tan, (All these for one person).

So, where is his erstwhile buddy, Nyesom Wike, getting all these stories about missing billions when Amaechi was governor? First, the governor claimed the N13 billion busted in Ikoyi high-rise in 2017 belonged to his immediate predecessor. Well, we may never get to know who actually lodged it there, except Magu chooses to deliberately leak his mouth, when Buhari is out of office. Then, one Integrity Group claimed a total of N242.4 billion flew away, from official coffers on Amaechi’s watch and asked EFCC to probe.

The group even chose to be definitive. It quoted a certain $757 million, stacked in a US Bancorp/Minnesota account, while listing the period between December 1st and 8th, 2014 for a suspicious transfer of N21 billion from a 25, Trans Amadi address. That should not be difficult for security agencies to trace, but the transfer timing appears to be very close to the 2015 election, when Amaechi served as Candidate Buhari’s campaign Director General. His candidate won. So, Amaechi is clean, at least for now. But he left a telling prophesy as governor. At a Dec. 13, 2013 event, he said to his audience, “we steal, because you never stoned us, for it”. Maybe, it is about time.

Maybe, it is also about time, to resolve the constant corporate wars among Nigerian “quota” billionaires, which regularly have Dangote at the centre, allegedly trying to preserve a twin business evil of protectionism and monopoly. In the past, it was Dangote Vs Femi Otedola. That was in 2009. It was about you “chuking” eye inside my diesel business through MRS acquiring Chevron and I will “chuk” $2billion-eye inside your sugar and cement. Yar’Adua as sitting President intervened. Even Olusegun Obasanjo, the President, believed to have made the duo and handed out the diesel and sugar monopolies, also waded in, taking both on a foreign trip at Yar’Adua’s request, and the two still refused to shake hands. After almost destroying each other’s financial empires, through questionable court injunctions and stocks manipulation, with Otedola alleging attempt on his life at a point, it was Nduka “Duke” Obagbeina, who eventually got things together at a curious breakfast in his Lagos residence. Give it to the maverick media mogul nau. Well, both made up and became what somehow called, “bosom enemies, bitter friends”.

With the latest venom coming from the camps of Abdul Samad Rabiu of BUA Group and Dangote, with John Coumantaros of Flour Mills, completing the on-going triangular war over, what else, if not sugar, and who is trying to undo who, in getting it, to Nigerian homes, at a relatively cheaper rate, it is certain that until government allows wider participation in the importation and production of the sweetened stuff, the current deliberately-shrunken trading space, will continue to produce bad bile in our collective taste bud.

When supposed official communication and document roam the information highway, especially the social media, unhindered, someone who thinks he has a good case with public opinion court, is trying to incinerate his opponent, with the outrageously-emotive Nigerian public. As I write this, Dangote is almost done, to be skewered. Mentioning “quota” particularly in his letter to Niyi Adebayo, Trade Minister and Ekiti wannabe returnee-governor and seeking sanction for BUA over its Port-Harcourt Sugar Refinery, is keeping the rage against him. A moniker has leeched, “quota billionaire”.

Samad may be a more difficult battle for Dangote. One, unlike Femi, BUA lord, is a Northern darling like the Africa’s moneyed Jewel. Both are loaded to the hilt, with green-back, enough, to suffocate a ramrod adult. Samad’s response to the minister’s query also presents him as a dangerous foe to contend with, with the way he tied all of anti-presidency, anti-Muslim and anti-people’s sentiments on Aliko’s brand! He even tried to split the combo of Aliko and Coumantaros, reminding the foreigner, how Aliko once used EFCC against him and his aged father, due to a trade war, between them. Haba Rabiu!

Like their US counterparts, octopoidal corporations with massive election donations, control our politics and government. Government supposedly controls the business climate. But do Yoruba not always talk about the owner of slaves, owning all?

A Niyi Adebayo, who is dreaming of a return to Ayoba Villa in Ado-Ekiti, to complete “his tenure”, can’t possibly dish out right and wrong even when glaring, in a battle involving those who may end up, with the three highest donations to his campaign. President Buhari has almost become the toad and tail discussion. I remember a joke about a boy asking his mum, to allow Chelsea FC take his custody, because they “don’t beat anyone again”.

If Aso Rock doesn’t even beat those in government for wrongdoings, what hope is there that whoever is trying to take the people for a ride in this sugar game, would be called to order. I foresee a draw. Whoever is threatened now, would just be asked to name another favour and pronto, he gets it and everywhere would be quiet again. But something tells me, one day, monkey go go market….

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