Boss Picks

My Plans, Vision for Ondo State – Prince Dapo Adelegan

Published

4 years ago

July 6, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

He is not just an accomplished entrepreneur, industrialist and prolific go-getter, he is a politician with a human face, whose humanitarian efforts and achievements speak volumes. His name is Prince Dapo Adelegan, the Chairman/CEO, Celtron Group as well as President of PR African International Limited. Adelegan has not only distinguished himself in the area of public relations, marketing and events promotion in the last 20 years, including the smooth organisation of the highly successful Lekki Sunsplash Concert in the 1990s, he has affected the lives everyone who has crossed his path, and justifiably craves for the governorship seat of Ondo State.

In an interview with Chief Dele Momodu, monitored on Istagram by Lawal Adetayo, the governorship hopeful disclosed his plans and vision for the people of Ondo State among other issues. Excerpts:

I’m very pleased to welcome you dear friend, perfect gentleman and brother of many years. In the first place, as a mega music producer/ promoter, what are the memories you have of Majek Fashek, who recently passed away, taking into cognizance that you featured him in the Lekki Sunsplash, which shut down Lagos?

Thank you for having me, it’s a great honour. As you also celebrate your birthday, I wish you many more years of success and prosperity. I received the news of the passing away of Majek Fasek with a mixture of pain and celebration; pain because it is the passing away of a great talent, a patriotic African, and on the other hand it is a celebration of a talent. It is not the length of time spent that is important here, but the impact he was able to make. He might not have spent as much as he should, but he was a philosopher in the realm of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. We are proud to feature him on Lekki Sunsplash on two occasions. He is a great loss, but a life to be celebrated.

Fantastic! It’s obvious you have done Africa very proud and Africa must celebrate you because if we don’t celebrate good people, bad people will thrive. Therefore, we will start by asking you to take us down memory lane as regards who you are

Thank you Dele. I was born April 20, 1962. My dad and mum got scholarship to school abroad when I was two years and my grandmother then lived in Yaba, and she encouraged my mum to go with her husband. For about nine to ten years my parents spent in England, my grandmother held me back in Nigeria. The foundation of what I am today was built in those years I lived with my grandmother. Within those ten years I spent with her, I also lived with my uncle in Idi-araba, as well as with two of my aunties in different parts of Yaba, and many lessons were learnt during that period. As a young child growing up in Lagos, life was fun, when my parents arrived, I went to CMS Grammar School for my secondary education. The critical years of my life were those years without I spent with my grandmother, those were the formative years of my life, and the foundation of my faith in God because my grandmother was a ‘wild’ Christian. It was from her that I learnt how to read the Holy Bible in Yoruba at the age of nine, and that has been my shield. Everything else I have done, I believe were as a result of the grace of God.

Can you take us through your secondary school days, what was it like?

CMS Grammar School, founded in 1959, is by all standard is the first secondary school in West Africa. It is a Christian institution then, and still run by a Reverend Father as the principal. It was a great institution. I can say with all sense of responsibility that CMS Grammar School was a transformational institution for me, it was there I built my confidence, and I think that is also fundamental to who I’ve become in life.

Do you remember some of your greatest moments in school?

One of my most important moments was a visit to my school by the late Chief Henry Oloyede Fajemirokun. He was the first president of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce. I remember when I was sworn in as the 14th president of the chamber, I invoked some of his memories and that of Chief Adeyemi Lawson on a frame; those were the first and second presidents of the chamber, and they were old ‘Grammarians’. The day he visited the school was the first time I ever saw a black man being driven by a white man in a Rolls Royce. He spoke to us about how he left school at form 4 to become a trader in perfumes. He was 55 years old at that time, and he was the President of the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, he was averagely the richest Nigerian at that time, and the moment he left, it ignited my entrepreneurial spirit and my capacity to dream beyond any circumstance.

Okay, could you tell us about Chief Adeyemi Lawson, I remember around that time, he was also an industrialist?

Yes, he was. The late Adeyemi Lawson was a great industrialist…

You studied English Language in the university. What prompted your decision? Was it your experience in Ilorin?

I studied English Language at the University of Ilorin, but I grew up in the university of Lagos campus. My mother was a catering manager and because I had lost my father, I had a lot of fathers. There was this decision that as a result of my tendency to be an advocate that I should study Law, but I was told to read English Language first before moving Law. Though I had splendid A’ level result to enter for Law, I was then referred to the Department of English, and Professor Akin Adesola was then the Vice-Chancellor. I read English with the intention of coming back to UNILAG to study Law.

So, what was Ilorin like? I always want to have feel of schools

Ilorin was like any other university in Nigeria; it was fun, studies, parties, activities, travels among others. We didn’t just go through the university; the university went through us. I was particularly active on the social scenes on campus. It was difficult to have a party in Unilorin at that time without me being involved; the party was going to flop. This is because of my capacity to organize resources and all of that; so the foundation for my event management, activities and competencies were laid at the University of Ilorin, where apart from being a student, I was a social activist.

I read that you prefer a religious worship in Yoruba, why?

It’s because my grandmother taught me how to read the Yoruba Bible as a small child, and I sincerely believe that people should read Bible in their mother-tongue. I believe that with my experience in reading the Yoruba Bible all the time even with a degree in English, I have been able to have better connections spiritually with the Word of God. This is why I encourage people to get a Bible in their mother-tongue, aside from reading the Bible in English language. There was a reason God made me a Yoruba man; he could have made me an Indian. The relationship between religion and culture is very important to my spiritual, mental and physical growth.

I can see that your resume is lengthy and massive, but I took them one by one because there are many great people who are not properly celebrated in our country and you happen to be one of them. Now, at what age did you start the Lekki Sunsplash project?

I was twenty-five and I was serving as a teacher of English and Literature. One of my clients from the Ilorin days who I organized parties for wanted a beach party. I, with a couple of friends then discovered the Mayegun Beach. At that time, the beach was privatized by Julius Berger officials, and I was able to convince them to allow us come in from time to time to have a party of twenty or thirty people. It was from one of those parties that I got the inspiration to organize a bigger party of 5,000 people. It wasn’t that I wanted to make money out of it at that time, but just to fulfill a promise that I would organise a big party on that beach. So when some people came from Polygram Records, they asked me how much I wanted to charge for entry fee, I said it should be free, that I only want to do it during my youth service and go back to study Law, as I didn’t want to make it a career. My plan was to become a lawyer. However, when I saw millions of people turning up at the beach, I broke down; it was overwhelming. From that breakthrough, I knew that my life had changed forever, and I knew my life will be spectacular. I thank God it is till now.

Could you recollect some of the artistes that you promoted at the time?

Before I talk about the artistes, I need to talk about prominent names in the music industry that really made it happened. I had the idea, and Polygram bought into it and brought people like Pa Ajilo, Charly Boy, Sunny Okosun, virtually the who is who in the music industry at that time. Ali Baba was my P.A then, and in fact, everybody in the Nigeria music industry was active in the success of the Lekki Sunsplash. I was just the creator and the face, but the entire music industry made it happen. Even you Dele, FAJ, Mayor Akinpelu and other prominent journalists. So, it was just my idea and creation, but its manifestation was made possible by many people. It was awesome and indescribable.

You did that at under 30, what does it tell you about the age factor in leadership?

My view is that there are two critical elements that I think the Nigerian youths need to develop; the first one is courage of conviction and the second one is faith. Our faith was stronger because of the kind of background we had. I’ve been trying to write a book about the story of the Lekki Sunsplash to show the world that you don’t have to become something before doing great things; all you need is the courage, what we call Ayagbangba in Yoruba, and the God factor as well.

Before we go further into your robust CV, I also remember that you are a health freak. Could you please tell us about your physical health?

I play Tennis. I was introduced to lawn tennis by my doctor, and it has been a lifesaver. Lawn tennis is a beautiful game. With one hour of tennis, you will sweat and forget all the problems and challenges that come with entrepreneurship. A good diet too is important.

Now, I will go into a passion that I know you have and that is for “Made in Nigeria products”, can you tell us about your passion and how you developed it over time?

Well, in 1999, I was a junior member of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce. I joined the delegation to our annual bilateral talks to the United Kingdom; that was my first trip with the chamber. During the discussions, I noticed that most of it were centered on businesses into Nigeria, so I opined at that meeting that isn’t it the time that we also changed, and push the interest of Nigeria globally.

I remember meeting you in a lot on flights, and at the airport, and I’m aware that you went through a lot of rigorous training abroad, could you tell us some of these trainings you attended?

I had executive management trainings in institutions in Kenya, Barcelona and United Kingdom. I attended Owner Manager Programme at the Lagos Business School in 2002. I was also a member of the Chief Executive Programme in the same Institution ten years later in 2012, and I have the singular honour to be the president of that class. The Lagos Business School gave me a very good exposure particularly, the Chief Executive Programme that I went for; it is about Globalization and Succession Planning, and that has helped my business and activities so much.

Your foray into PR and advertising has been quite monumental. In fact, you are synonymous with PR, could you tell us some of your adventures because you’ve really done a lot?

I thank God for those opportunities. It wasn’t easy, but it is just grace. When I was 30, in the fifth year of Lekki Sunsplash, I was on holiday in England when I saw an electronic billboard and the names of some of the brands in Nigeria like Coca-cola and others on it. I approached the company and I played the 5th anniversary video of the Lekki Sunsplash, and they could see the brands advertised and I told them I would like to bring those kinds of billboard back to Lagos for my clients. We achieved that in 2002 with the first Ultravision Billboard at Allen Avenue. That was how I had my way into the industry, I was the first to bring electronic outdoor advertising to Nigeria.

What are the principles of Public Relation that you can briefly teach readers? Let me put it this way, is there a difference between having the knowledge of media and Public Relation?

By the grace of God, I think by October, we will have a PR/Media practitioner as the Governor of a State. The most essential tool of politicking is understanding human relations and Public Relation as opposed to branding and marketing of a product for consumption or others. PR is actually the foundation of public engagements in politics. So, there is a relationship between Public Relation and politics in the sense that the politicians and political parties that does not understand public perception cannot really deliver the code of Democracy. Democracy is defined as the government of the people, by the people and for the people, it is all about the people, and the reason we are having problems in this country is because we haven’t separated politics from governance; there is a huge difference. It is only in Lagos that you see technocrats become governors, starting with Asiwaju himself, and Lagos happens to be the fifth largest economy in Africa, potentially surpassing Kenya in the next few years. Hence, there is the need for us to bring the arm of Public Relation into government, and governments built around compassion. Compassion means putting the moods and welfare of the people as the fulcrum of all administration. It is about using Public Relations to know the needs of the people and using the powers of government to address them. My view is that Pubic Relation should be adopted as a tool for governments to meet the needs of the masses.

Fantastic! We will still come to your foray into politics. There is COVID-19 ravaging the world and I know that in the past, there was another epidemic that ravaged the world, HIV and you were actively involved. What can you teach us based on your experience with dealing with HIV at that time?

The truth of the matter is that the COVID-19 pandemic is a referendum on governance in Nigeria, particularly in Africa because in England, a lot of our children are working from home, learning from home and they have water to clean their hands, we don’t have that. I told somebody that if you go to hospitals in England that a single bed has a facility of over five million. As a result, this referendum on governance is a clarion call for our people to ensure that the right people with the right skills and mindset can govern in this era. I think the most important thing is testing and tracing; if you remember NACA under the late Professor Osotimehin and Professor Femi Soyinka of Society for Family Health in partnership with the Federal Government and the United Nations. I worked with them to organize the International Conference on AIDS, and we hosted over five thousand delegates from all over the world. Bill Gate and his wife were our visitors; they were invited to encourage people to do testing, and the success of the tests helped in the eradication of HIV, because once you are tested, you can be managed and engaged.

With COVID-19, testing is also important, and I think the Federal Government and the state governments are working very hard to ensure that we get tested, then we can trace and isolate those infected. This is the time for us to move further in providing water, introducing e-learning, improve electricity and payment of salaries too, those things are very important, as well as provision of protective kits for health workers, so that we can move forward.

It’s no longer a secret that you want to come full blast into government, especially in your state Ondo, why do you want to leave your clean professional business to go into politics?

Thank you very much. After 30 years of self-employment and various impacts in many industries, in 2018, I felt there is a need to do something new, I was no more motivated in concepts of private enterprise and money. Moreover, I’ve built a home in Akure since 2012, and every month, I find myself spending most weekends in Akure. With the limitations I experienced in my state, in spite of the resources we have, it was clear to me that we are in a society that does not allow its best and knowledgeable in governance. David Cameron was a guest of Babatunde Fashola when he was Governor of Lagos State, I was opportune to be part of the people that was there when he visited, and he said that at the age of ten, he knew that he had 50% chance of becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and why was that? It is because that was a society that has developed a leadership emergence strategy. Moreover, there are special institutions that are relevant to the choice of leadership; for instance, you cannot be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom if you have not passed through the walls of Cambridge or Oxford Universities.

Our Lekki Sunsplash opened up Lekki Peninsula to economic and social development. In Ondo State particularly, where we have three climatic conditions, there is savannah in the North, rain forest in the center and mangrove-swamp in the south, we have the best location for refineries in South-West Nigeria, about 50% of goods imported into Nigeria are destined to pass through the South-East South-South, and they all pass through Ondo State through Ore, with up to N5million worth of goods every week, making Ore the California of Nigeria. But unfortunately, we benefit nothing from these travelers except when they stop to eat pounded yam and bushmeat, Ondo State is more than that. Just so you know, California is a city that benefits from the goods coming from the west coast to the east coast of America. It has become a city with a robust economy; fifth in the world. Hence, with our analysis of almost a million people that pass-through Ore-Ondo-Akure-Owo-Ikare every month to Abuja, we will generate more revenue beyond the local farm produce.

As a result, if we are to go by our geographic location, beyond our human resources, we are indeed a blessed State. Which is why one of my key projects will be to create an opportunity that will take advantage of every goods coming from the West to the North and South-East that passes through our borders, making Ore a capital hub of the state for more revenues. I want to use my network and experience in trades to leverage on these opportunities and generate global investment which will create jobs for people. We can’t continue to wait, and keep losing billions of Naira, especially in the light of this 21st century where technology thrives. Therefore, we need a leader with sound knowledge, competence and compassion, who will bring in social welfare, students’ loan and many more opportunities to the people through proper governance. So, it is not that I just want to be a Governor. I thank God that for over 32 years I’ve been able to make impacts in my little way without being in government, but it is time for us to rise up and give back the best of our experience and expertise in rebuilding our state, and it will be important that we should be allowed to come in and put everything in a better position.

But there are people who feel every politician makes these sorts of promises before they have power, and once they grab power, everything seems to fall apart. How do you reassure people that you will be different because these promises are not strange?

In 2015, I called on some experts to let us develop what we called the “Ondo Advantage”, that was five years ago and I said any governor that will allow me to assist in dimensioning the economy of their state and help them market it globally, I will work with them. But the challenge has been that our leaders personalize government; they believe that once they are in a position, that it is their right to choose who they want to choose, more so, those imposed on them, which is why we lack competent hands in the public service sector. And we know that any government that doesn’t allow competent hands, locally and internationally, will hinder the development of that state. My credentials, my experience and what the Lord has done for me, reconfirms to me that whatever I lay my hands upon, and desires to do, gets done! So, this isn’t just mere talks, but a plan that we have already dimensioned and analysed towards achieving in four years.

So, the reality is that I am not a politician that promises and not keep my words. I was a technocrat before politics; you know what that means. Many times, when people come into government, they don’t even prepare, they don’t know what they want to come and do there; they just want to add the experience to their CV and enjoy the comfort of being a governor. It is not wearing Rolex and agbada that makes you a governor; it is about getting the job done, creating a better life for your people. I want to come in as a governor and bring Ondo indigenes all over the world to redevelop the state, and trust me, we will do it. My plan is to globalise the economy of the state, I’ve done it for Lagos, I’ve done it for the Federal Government and I will do it for Ondo State within months of my election as well, and we have all it takes to do that.

Which party are you contesting under?

All Progressives Congress (APC).

In APC, you have a serving governor who also happens to be my very good friend and brother. So how do you hope to get your party ticket knowing how difficult it is to unseat an incumbent during party primaries?

Let me quickly say this. I’m close to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu just as you are. We share the same ancestry. He is a fellow Owo son and I’m proud of him as an Owo man. The reality of governance in today’s world is that for our society to move and fast-track development; for our people to be opportune to live a meaningful life, there are certain skills that are required in governance, and if those skills don’t exist currently, it is our responsibility to negotiate their existence. Without prejudice to Governor Akeredolu’s credentials, he is a distinguished attorney, a SAN, a former president of the NBA and the current Governor of Ondo State; nobody can take those experiences away from him. However, I sincerely believe that he needs to go back home at the end of this first term, and allow somebody else with the right exposure, network and global understanding of the economy of Ondo State to take it to a greater level. If you look at his emergence, he was a dark horse like me, who was also assisted by grace to become governor. Unfortunately, he has not been able to manage that opportunity very well in his first term, he has sidelined majority of the members of our party in Ondo State and eight out of every 10 members of our party don’t want Akeredolu to go for a second term, and that’s the reality.

That seat is about symbolism and representation; it’s about the way you communicate with the people. If you communicate with the people like an emperor, and you tell them your son can be the Chief of Staff and nobody can do anything, it will backfire against you. Unfortunately, the people of Ondo State are proud people; we don’t like being intimidated.

The gold standard of governance in Ondo State so far is Chief Adekunle Ajasin of blessed memory; he achieved a lot in four years with less than what some of our governors are taking as security votes every month. He built a university, established a bank, and created industries across the length and breadth of Ondo State; nobody has surpassed that till date. Now, another Owo man has the opportunity to govern and build on that foundation, but the last three and half years has not been full of impact in Ondo. In the state, boyfriends are sacrificing their girlfriends for rituals, that is more than pandemic, there is pandemonium and a general tendency for despondency, and the political process has been truncated. The current governor has not been conducting meetings at ward or any level. We have a number of highly intelligent citizens of Ondo State he could work with but only the governor his family are in power. No state will accept that!

As a result, it is of paramount importance that he allows a more competent hand to take the leadership, and let us complete the next four years, to redeem the image of our party. Moreover, this generation represents global competency and local footprints will not allow a situation where our state will suffer. Hence, my motivation is to encourage my brother to finish this four years and move on, then he should allow another Owo man with the right skills to take the reins of power, and dimension it economically and market it globally to bring in investment, electricity, portable water supply among others. That is what we are here to do, and what we are saying is otoge! We cannot accept his style of governance any further. Like I said, he has tried, and leaving the seat for another person to take over won’t take anything away from him.

With regards to the primary election, we are asking that it should be direct, so we can give everybody an automatic say, because with indirect, the Governor has both the knife and the yam but with direct primary, I know that Ondo state wants a change.

Do you foresee a situation where governor will cause a breakup of the party if you are able to muscle him out, thereby giving room for opposition to take advantage?

The truth of the matter is that every single aspirant in all the political parties in Ondo State has the constitutional right to come out as long as we are qualified. One of the limitations of the governor is that he didn’t allow other party members to work with him when he emerged, as a result, that was one of the reasons we lost the state in the last presidential election. Maybe he doesn’t have the human relation skills to galvanize all interests, even the opposition. So, the reality is that the people are tired of Governor Akeredolu and they want action. We need a new hope, a new vision and my generation of Ondo citizens are ready to come back from all over the globe and change the narratives. I’m telling my brother to go home and rest for the next four years, and allow us with new energy and new ideas, especially in this post-COVID-19 era, to bring in the skills and competence to exploit our economic prosperity for the joy and the happiness of our people.

On this note, I think you deserve a standing ovation while looking forward to engage you further as you progress in your mission. Thank you so much

Thank you very much

Boss Picks

Massad Boulos: Inside Story of SCOA Nigeria CEO

Published

4 days ago

December 16, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Rising to the pinnacle of one’s career is not a mean feat. Becoming the chief executive officer of any organization, let alone a multinational firm, or by implication, a multi-dimensional company, is an achievement worth celebrating. It is even more legendary when the subject is internationally connected and has enduring links with notable figures, especially America’s President-elect, Donald John Trump, and is thriving without an iota scandal. Mr. Massad Boulos, the Chief Executive Officer of SCOA Nigeria, is that one person.

Born a Lebanese in 1971 to a Greek Orthodox family in Kfaraakka, Koura, Boulos has over the years, while growing, and through career trajectory, acquired three more national identities including American, French and Nigerian. These have projected to the category of international personalities, looked upon as fostering world peace and coexistence.

His name, which translates to Paul to the Apostle, in Arabic, betrays his religious inclination, but his close-knitted relationship with Arab Muslims and other Muslims of the world further cements his open minded attitude towards humanity even as he categorically and vigorously campaigned for Former President Trump, who is today the President-Elect, awaiting the coming of January 20 to become the 46th President of the United of America.

While the campaign and election lasted, Boulos prized himself as Trump’s ‘envoy’ to Arab and Muslim Americans, shuttling through the states of Michigan, Arizona and Florida to convince them that Trump is a better candidate, capable of bringing the Israeli/Hamas war to a sudden end. His efforts paid off as Trump won the election with a landslide.

“Our community in Arizona is so big and so important, we can make a difference. We can make sure we get that margin,” he was quoted as saying by Washington Post in August.

He has been a solid ally of Trump since 2018 when his son began to date Trump’s daughter, Tiffany. Both got married in 2022, and in December 2024, Trump, who described him as an ‘accomplished lawyer’, named him his Middle East advisor.

Going down memorylane, The Washington Post in September, captured the origin as follows: “The war, which began 11 months ago after Hamas-led militants carried out a stunning cross-border attack on Israel, has reduced much of Gaza to rubble. The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 dragged back into Gaza as hostages, according to the Israeli government.

“But months of negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have failed to deliver a cease-fire and hostage-release deal. Meanwhile, fewer than half the hostages have returned to Israel alive, while the war has given rise to starvation and disease throughout the enclave.”

A product of a political hegemony as his father and grandfather were prominent politicians, funding the Free Patriotic Front, Boulos however, chose the path of his father-in-law, Michel Zouhair Fadoul, who came into his life much later in existence, and became a truck seller; a profession he committed his very all, and rose to become the Head of its Nigeria axis. That is the SCOA Nigeria; a prolific truck manufacturing and marketing firm.

He however, had political stint as an ally of Michel Aoun’s FPM and represented it in Nigeria, where his business is domiciled.

It was reported that in 2009, the FPM shortlisted him, though by 2018, he was supporting Frangieh’s Marada. Consequently, hia appointment by Trump defines hia capacity to shuttle between both ideological prism, and bring harnessing in Middle East politics.

He said of the Israeli massacre and the subsequent and ongoing war, “Those massacres would not have happened if there was a strong president at the White House. The entire war wouldn’t have happened.

But Trump’s “clear and unequivocal position on this is that he is totally and absolutely against this war… And he’s totally and absolutely against the killing of civilians.”

The Trump Vance team captured his person as follows in a press statement by the Spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, while defending him over an avalanche of ‘fake’ information:

“The truth is Mr. Boulos is a highly respected businessman who has proudly served as the CEO of some of his family’s group of companies based in West Africa for more than 27 years and his family has employed tens of thousands of people around the globe.”

The statement further allocated the following achievements to Boulos:

• Mr. Boulos has degrees in both business and law.
• SCOA Nigeria PLC, a member of the FADOUL Group, is a well-known conglomerate that exclusively represents numerous global brands for decades.
• SCOA and the other family group companies have been very successful in the Nigerian market providing high-end products and specialized services to the largest companies in the country.
• SCOA is also part of the Fadoul Group, which is one of the largest privately-owned family businesses in West and Central Africa with a presence in 10 different countries since its founding in 1966.
• The FADOUL Group employs more than 20,000 hardworking people
• The Boulos and Fadoul family companies have developed into a family group with over $1 Billion USD in value and hundreds of millions in assets.

Soundly educated, Boulos, who moved to Texas as a teenager graduated from University of Houston-Downtown in 1993 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He moved to Nigeria to work for SCOA at the completion of his education.

Today, he is a notable shareholding authority in the conglomerate. Boulos, as a matter of principle, will say much about his Enterprises because he “made a practice of not commenting on his businesses”. He allows entities to make their own various conjectures.

A man of peace and saddled with the responsibility of keeping all and aundry qith arms length, Boulos reportedly has ‘links with Christian politicians and parties in Lebanon, including Suleiman Frangieh and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) both of which are Christian allies of Hezbollah, but maintained talks with opposition parties like the Lebanese Forces, says Wikipedia.

It was therefore, easy to portray Trump as supportive of “global peace” in the 2014 election campaigns.

As a positive identity and credential, Boulos has acted as an intermediary between the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas and Trump.

Boulos is married to Sarah Fadoul Boulos, who was born in Burkina Faso in 1986? She lived in Houston, Texas, and was a student at Houston Baptist University until 1996, then moved to Lagos, Nigeria. She is a dance instructor, who in 2005 founded the aspirationally named Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria as a tiny studio in her garage.

More recently, she has been a franchisee of Creative Education International (CrEd) Lagos Island. As at 2020, she worked at La Pointe Delicatessen, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Together they have four children. While one of their son, Michael, is married to Tiffany Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, another son, Fares, is an actor.

Though he would be holding an important position for the American government come January 2025 when the administration of Trump is inaugurated, Boulos, who has undeniable roots in Lebanon had said his time like during the electioneering will be split.between South Florida and Nigeria, where he oversees his family’s billion-dollar conglomerate, SCOA Nigeria.

Boulos is a longtime proponent of the Grand Old Party (GOP), another name for the Republican Party, His support therefore, for Trump is rooted in both politics and family, and so believes in the Trump Vance Transition Team verdict that, “President Trump wants peace and prosperity for all people.

“President Trump will once again deliver peace through strength to rebuild and expand the peace coalition he built in his first term to create long-term safety and security for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.”

The count begins therefore, on January 25 as Trump resumes office.

However, the management of SCOA in a statement titled “Celebrating the Legacy of Massad Boulos Leadership at SCOA Nigeria”, to further project his image, and prove fake narratives wrong, noted as follows:

Recent media criticisms questioning the breadth of experience and business acumen of Mr. Massad Boulos, the incoming Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, are not only misguided but also dismissive of the remarkable track record of both the man and the companies he has been instrumental in nurturing.

For instance, SCOA Nigeria PLC, where Mr. Boulos serves as Managing Director/CEO, is far from being just another company. It is a formidable force in Nigeria’s industrial and economic landscape. With roots spanning over four decades, it holds the distinction of being the first European automotive assembly plant in Nigeria.

In the 1970’s, SCOA Nigeria PLC made a name for itself by assembling Peugeot 404 and then 504 pickup trucks at its assembly plant at Apapa, Lagos and service center at its Lapal House facility on Lagos Island. Today, the company continues this proud legacy, assembling, distributing, and marketing M.A.N trucks and buses, power generators, tractors, agricultural equipment, industrial equipment and other heavy-duty construction and mining machinery critical to Nigeria’s key sectors.

SCOA Nigeria PLC’s clients include some of the most prominent and respected names in Nigeria’s construction industry, such as Julius Berger—widely regarded as the nation’s leading construction firm—Lafarge Africa PLC, a major cement producer, the Chagoury Group, renowned for developing the prestigious Banana Island, a premier residential enclave in Lagos, the DANGOTE Group, and many others.

Beyond trucks, SCOA Nigeria PLC is a trusted supplier of concrete, road construction and mining equipment, partnering with leading infrastructure companies to drive Nigeria’s development. For example, Julius Berger relies heavily on SCOA’s equipment for large-scale projects, including the 376km Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway and the 43.6km Lagos-Shagamu stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano Highway.

Similarly, Hi-Tech Construction, currently working on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road network, depends significantly on SCOA PLC for the machinery and technology required to execute these ambitious projects, aimed at enhancing connectivity and trade across Nigeria’s southern, central, and northern regions.
Similarly,SCOA PLC has also been instrumental in the development of Eko Atlantic City, a groundbreaking urban project built on reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean. This visionary initiative, designed to address Lagos’s urbanization challenges and promote sustainable development, has been made possible in part by state-of-the-art machinery supplied by SCOA. Notably, Eko Atlantic City is set to host the United States Embassy, projected to be the largest of its kind globally upon completion, further underscoring the strategic importance of this landmark project.

In fact, SCOA Nigeria PLC’s impact extends beyond Nigeria’s shores. As a member of the FADOUL Group – one of the largest and most successful family-owned businesses in Africa – its influence spans across West and Central Africa. The FADOUL Group, established in 1966, operates numerous successful enterprises, employs over 20,000 people, and is valued at over $1 billion, with hundreds of millions of USD in assets. This legacy highlights the scale and scope of the operations under Mr. Boulos’s leadership.

Contrary to unfounded claims in certain media outlets, the suggestion that Mr. Boulos is not a billionaire is both baseless and misleading. As President-elect Donald Trump rightly described, Mr. Massad Boulos is a “deal-maker,” a characterization grounded in fact. His proven ability to negotiate and execute complex international transactions has facilitated significant partnerships between Nigerian, German, and French businesses, delivering substantial value and mutual benefit.
As a Non-Executive Independent Director of SCOA Nigeria PLC since 2012, I have witnessed firsthand Mr. Boulos’s instrumental role in driving the company’s success. His ability to navigate the complexities of international commerce, exemplified by the supply of a significant fleet of trucks to Lafarge Africa through a tripartite arrangement between a logistics firm, GPC and Union bank plc, has earned him widespread recognition and respect.

Mr. Boulos’s leadership has not only been vital to SCOA PLC’s achievements but also to the broader international business successes of the FADOUL Group. This is precisely the kind of experience and strategic vision he brings to his new role as Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to President-elect Trump.

As noted in a press release by Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition Spokeswoman, attempts to smear Mr. Boulos’s reputation are part of a broader effort by opposition elements to undermine President-elect Trump’s nominees. The truth remains that Mr. Boulos played a pivotal role in mobilizing the Arab-American and Middle Eastern-American vote, contributing significantly to the Trump-Vance victory—an achievement that underscores his political and organizational acumen.

Efforts to denigrate Mr. Boulos’s qualifications and achievements are not only futile but also a disservice to the facts. Mr. Boulos’s expertise and accomplishments are well-suited for his new role, where he will undoubtedly deliver impactful results on behalf of President-elect Trump and the United States.

Boss Picks

Celebrating a Man of Outstanding Excellence, Ademola Adeleke

Published

3 weeks ago

November 30, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

“Since I assumed office, I have devoted myself majorly to delivering on our five-point agenda. I deploy my network locally and nationally in support of our noble projects and programmes for Osun. I am elated that our contributions are being noticed” – Governor Adeleke

In May 2024, two historical events took place to further cement the tag of ‘Performing Governor’, for which the Governor of Osun State, Asiwaju (Senator) Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, is known, and justifiably so. They include the conferment of the Asiwaju of Edeland title on him by his community, represented by the Timi of Ędę, HRH Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal (Laminisa 1), as well as the best governor of the year award conferred in him by the Vanguard Newspaper.

The prestigious Asiwaju title was previously held by Governor Adeleke’s elder brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who passed away on April 23, 2017.

Today, two years into his administration as the Number One Citizen of Osun State, Governor Adeleke has proved all doubting Thomases wrong, and lifted the state from comatose to prominence with verifiable, welfaristic and people-oriented projects that speak for themselves.

Recall that while stating the reasons behind his award as the Governor of the year, the General Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Jide Ajani, has said the governor’s attention to Infrastructural development of the state, has been topnotch, with special emphasis to his approval of infra upgrades of several tertiary institutions in the state.

The governor, in his humility, dedicated the award to the entire people of Osun State.

“We watched the video with the Vice Chancellor listing several approvals and even with the Governor asking the University to look into what other areas of intervention the state should act on. That video excites our curiosity and we proceeded to investigate further by leveraging on our team on ground here in Osun as well as a team from the headquarters.

“We discovered what the Vice Chancellor said in the video was a tip of the iceberg. Osun is indeed a huge construction site. You have continued to complete abandoned projects. You have completed many inherited projects from your predecessors

“We have your records on roads, bridges, water, school and health center upgrades among others. We read your multi-billion naira infrastructure plan and its ongoing implementation. You did not play politics with the development of your state.

“It is the totality of your passion for development that convinced the judges to confer the award on you. It is our hope that this recognition will spur you to an even greater push to deliver on your governance agenda”, Ajani had said.

In response, the Governor acknowledged as follows:

“Since I assumed office, I have devoted myself majorly to delivering on our five point agenda. I deploy my network locally and nationally in support of our noble projects and programmes for Osun. I am elated that our contributions are being noticed.

“I dedicate this award to the good people of Osun state. They made our positive records a reality. We have the unconditional support and love of our people in our push to take Osun to greater heights. I will personally attend the conferment in Lagos.

“Our government is forging ahead with our systematic physical and stomach infrastructure agenda. We are working on a new airport, an inland beach resort, cocoa sector revival, upgrade of the free trade zone for agro-industrialisation, robust climate change agenda and digital economy programme. We are on a mission to place Osun on the path of sustainable development”, the Governor told the visiting delegation.

THE MAN, ADEMOLA JACKSON ADELEKE

Born of the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State on May 13, 1960, Adeleke commenced his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Surulere Lagos State before he was privileged to relocate to Old Oyo State to continue his education at Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire.

Adeleke was born Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke to a Muslim father and Nnena Esther Adeleke, an Igbo Christian mother. Like him, Adeleke’s father, Raji Ayoola Adeleke was a Senator and the Balogun of Ede land in Osun State. His father, Raji Ayoola Adeleke was also the leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

On completion of his primary education, he moved on to The Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede to begin his post primary schooling. In the later years however, he attended Ede Muslim Grammar School Ede, where he completed his secondary school education and subsequently relocated to the United States of America, joining his two older brothers, who were also studying there.

In the United States, he joined Jacksonville State University, Alabama, and studied Criminal Justice, with minor in Political Science.

To prove doubting Thomases, who wiped up controversies around his educational qualification, wrong, he went back to school and got enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2021.

A businessman and administrator of no mean repute, Adeleke was the humble Group Executive Director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016, where his credible performances shot the company to enviable heights; a height it is still enjoying till date.

It is imperative to note that before he joined Pacific Holdings Limited, Senator Adeleke worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor from 1985 to 1989. His dexterity to work earned him a progression in career, and he berthed as Vice President at Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company. His meritorious stewardship lasted a period of five years, from 1990 to 1994.

Not a few has described Adeleke as the philanthropic capital of Ede, as his influence in aiding the less privileged and downtrodden remains top notch. He is a voracious believer in community development, and has not spared any expense to see that his community receives global influence.

Politically, Adeleke is a beacon of light and hard nut to crack, having remained an albatross to opposing powers and a reference point to ideal administration.

Shortly after he lost his brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who died in April 2017, he contested the Osun West 2017 Senatorial by-election after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the Peoples Democratic Party, where he decamped to from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Having emerged senator, Adeleke’s political influence waxed stronger, an on July 23, 2018, he emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State after defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes. Efforts made to deprive him of the mandate was twated by the courts.

Adeleke’s lawyer in his defense claims his secondary school hasn’t come out to deny his testimonial asking the court to dismiss the Case. The court dismissed the suit stating that the plaintiff could not prove Adeleke’s forgery.

Adeleke ran for Osun state governorship election under the PDP against top contenders Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and Iyiola Omisore of SDP on 22 September 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) while Adeleke was leading, and a rerun slated on September 27, 2018. The candidate of the APC Oyetola was declared winner after the run-off. Adeleke protested the result describing the election as a “coup”.

Much as on March 22, 2019, the tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Adeleke the winner of the election, the Supreme Court later affirmed Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election on Friday, July 5, 2019

Popularly known as the Dancing Senator because of his penchant to joyfully react to the sounds of music, Adeleke is uncle to one of Nigeria’s popular musicians, Davido.

Governor Adeleke is married to an equally successful businesswoman and a self-made boss. They are blessed with three children who are all entertainers. They are B-Red and Shina Rambo and a daughter, Nike Adeleke. He is the uncle of one Nigeria’s primus inter pares in entertainment, Davido.

As expected, Adeleke is moving Osun State to the greatest of heights as he promised, and many who know him agree that there are still very many more in the offing.

ADELEKE’S EXTRAORDINARY EASE OF DOING BUSINESS STRATEGY

The governor has shared good news on the ease of doing business in the state as follows:

In continuation of our administration’s effort to improve the state economy and encourage the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), we have completed the harmonization of multiple taxes and levies collected by different government departments, agencies, and ministries across all business sectors of the state economy including the informal sectors into a single bill. This Harmonized Bill curates all levies, which businesses are expected to pay on an annual basis as a single bill.

This initiative is to promote ease of doing business by ensuring seamless and convenient payment of levies and taxes due to individuals and businesses across the state in equal or unequal tranches and ensure the issuance of Harmonized Bill Certificate upon completion of payment of the total amount.

I hereby note to all business owners in Osun state both in formal and informal sectors that the official online payment channels for the state is pay.irs.os.gov.ng; POS machines in Tax stations across the state; commercial banks across Nigeria; and Money Transfer Services for those outside Nigeria.

In addition, we have also completed the deployment of Automation System for improved service delivery on payment of rent and lease on government properties; processing of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) in 45 days; Electronic Affidavit System; Electronic State of Origin and Local Government Area of Origin portal; Mobile tax stations; Online Tax payment system etc.

ADMINSTRATION’S ACHIEVEMENTS AS SHARED ON NEW YEAR DAY

The governor declared as follows:

The good people of Osun state at home and abroad.

I greet you warmly with best wishes of a prosperous and blessed new year. I convey my intimate prayers that the new year will bring us new opportunities, progress and advancement as a state and in our individual lives.

I extend new year greetings to the elders of Osun state; to our royal fathers; to our religious leaders; to the young and the old; to professional elite, to artisans, to students and to womenfolk. Accept my sincere appreciation for your support before my election and for the last one year of my governorship of our dear state. I am humbled by your prayers and mass backing for our administration.

I remain firmly focused on the Five Point Agenda under which you, Osun people, elected us into office. We reaffirm our faith in the principles guiding the five point agenda which are transparency and accountability, open government, localisation, responsive leadership and attunement to citizens’ aspirations.

On the strength of the above, our government devised wholesale approach to governance such as:

●Dismantling bobby traps planted by our predecessor,
●Blocking leakages in public finance, ●Addressing the corruption and revenue diversion in the solid mineral sector,
● Restoring local government administration for grassroot development
● Embarking on mass water project provision
● Executing 91 kilometers of road construction
● Implementing free medical surgeries with over 50,000 beneficiaries;
● Total renovation of 31 schools
● Launching sport sector reforms
● Reviving the major commercial and industrial projects of the state
● Pushing for implementation of agric processing zone in Osun state;
● re-professionalisation of the public service;
● Strong attention to workers’ welfare;
● Tapping into tourism, entertainment and cultural potentials of the state;
● Ramping up efforts for a cargo and commercial airport for Osun state, among others.

Our administration achieved a lot by ensuring belt tightening, reducing cost of governance and denying ourselves many perquisites of office. As a Governor, my official expenditures are covered through the approval process rather than security votes, thereby assuring transparency and accountability.

As of today, our administration is struggling to purchase official vehicles for the state cabinet because the officials of the previous government bolted away with state vehicles. So our cabinet and other top officials have been using their private cars since we appointed them into office. Also, we are still working to renovate the official quarters vandalized by the officials of previous governments. Many of our top officials still operate from their private houses.

Despite the above handicap, our team is determined to continue to deliver on our electoral promises. I am glad to report with gratitude to God that we have remained responsive to the will and aspirations of our people. We get positive feedback and we are satisfied with our high approval ratings.

We are challenged to do more. We are prepared to make corrections where necessary as much as we will remain uncompromising when it comes to anti-corruption drive, transparency and accountability as well due process. As I always affirm, our tenure is married to rule of law and fear of God…

Adeleke is busy creating an Eldorado out of what remained of Osun State barely two years after he took over the driving seat.

Boss Picks

When Governor Adeleke Became Asiwaju of Edeland

Published

3 weeks ago

November 30, 2024

Eric

By Governor’s Office

OFFICIAL PROFILE OF GOVERNOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE, THE NEW ASIWAJU OF EDELAND

Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun state and the new Asiwaju of Edeland is a pan Nigerian by birth, by philosophy and by worldview. Born at Enugu as a son of independence on 13th May, 1960, the new Ede frontliner widely acknowledged as the Olosun of Osun is a tactical politician, a businessman, show business activist and a humanist within philanthropism. The ever lively, urbane scion of the Adeleke family of Ede North Local Government is an innovative entrepreneur, a grassroot political figure and a strong advocate of good governance, then as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and now as the Governor of Osun State.

From his childhood, the Asiwaju is a man of complex character, a young man with multiplicity of talents and an adult with widely praised open heart, strong will and constancy of adaptation to ideas and innovations. From his secondary education at Ede Muslim Grammar School to his sojourn to the United States and tertiary education at the Jacksonville State University, Alabama where he majored in criminal justice, the Ede frontliner demonstrated deep business interest, unconventional approach and a rare mastery of intricacies of politics, business and social life.

Despite hailing from a well to do family, the Asiwaju was in the United States and Nigeria, a man in search of opportunities for self growth and advancement. His passion for self development and business prosperity occasioned his joining the Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor between 1985–1989. He progressed to Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company where he served as Vice President from 1990 to 1994.

A suave businessman and administrator, he served as a Director of Guiness Nigeria Limited between 1992- 1999 where he contributed immensely to the expansion of the multinational company. He was later appointed Group Executive Director of Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016. Senator Adeleke is also an acclaimed creative Industry entrepreneur and mentor. As a talented creative figure, he mentored world rated ace musicians while his family members and children are leading stars in the global music industry.

As a man ever restless in pursuit of self growth and opportunities, the Asiwaju again opted to restart his educational sojourn which he suspended because of business and entrepreneurial preoccupations. In 2019 after he was rigged out of a governorship election he clearly won, Governor Adeleke, in a can do spirit, re-enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021.

All along and considering his family background, the frontliner was for years both a political servant and leader, learning the rope from his father (Senator Ayoola Adeleke) , a second republic progressive Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, the First Executive Governor of Osun State. His business teeth were sharpened by his brother, the global business mogul, Dr Adedeji Adeleke while his political potency was strengthened by his sister, the Yeyeluwa of Edeland, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Adeleke- Sanni. The celebrant of today was eventually elected the President of the Adeleke dynasty, representing the sons and daughters of the great Adeleke family at home and abroad.

Having been thus fortified by his innate personality, his family background and his multifaceted experience, his political participation predated 1991 but he took the front seat in 2017 when he was elected with a landslide victory as a Senator for Osun West Senatorial District in 2017. His popularity reached a peak when he won the Osun 2018 governorship election before the open rigging and manipulation that was globally condemned.

As a man of steel character, the frontliner took the gauntlet again in 2022 and beat the incumbent to reclaim the stolen mandate of 2018. Imole as the Governor is popularly known has since been delivering on good governance, winning applause and praises from far and near.

In December 2023, he was honoured with a doctorate degree by the Valley View University, Accra, Ghana. The Vice Chancellor lauded the Governor’s multi-million naira education scholarship as a Senator, his sterling records on workers welfare as a Governor, his performance on infrastructure upgrades and his commitment to due process, rule of law and fear of God.

He has received several awards including the Governor of the Year Award by Champion newspapers in 2023, Sahel Standard Man of the Year in 2022, Vanguard Newspaper Governor of the Year on Infrastructure and a host of other recognition. The frontliner serves on several national governmental committees including being the representative of the South West on the National Minimum Wage Committee.

The new Asiwaju of Edeland is a strong family man, an avid sport lover, a man of God and a David of our time with incessant passion for praise singing and adulation of God Almighty.

Courtesy: Governor’s Office, 2024.