Boss Picks

NDLEA Arrests 48 Suspects at Fola Aiyesimoju’s UPDC Resident Apartments in Amuwo Odofin

Published

4 years ago

December 4, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The 28th of November, 2020 brought a near positive climax to the activities of criminal elements living and operating within the UACN Property Development Company Plc (UPDC) residences, which shares a common compound with the high profile Festival Hotel (formerly Golden Tulip Hotel) and Festival Mall, which houses Shoprite.

Relishing in the euphoria of the successful raid conducted by officers and men of the Nigeria Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the early hours of November 28, 2020, the executive committee of the Golden Tulip Residents Association, an umbrella body, which also accommodates the UPDC Residences and residents led by Mr. Moses Olanrejwu, in a press statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr Oke Odhomor, the executive expressed profound appreciation to the agency for their intervention, stating that “For almost a year, the EXCO has complained to the UPDC management about the short let operations within the building which has attracted unsavoury characters that use the temporary accommodation for illicit activities including drug use, internet fraud and many illegal activities.”

Building regulations agency officials inspecting a collapse section of the building

The PRO remarked that the raid was just what the residents needed to stem the tide of untold criminal activities that have gone on for long, and had got so bad that residents and their families live in fear of the unknown while most of them have found alternative accommodations. It will be recalled that it was from this estate that someone or a group of persons were seen throwing money in large quantity from the window of the second floor, causing a stampede below.

The PRO wondered who in his right senses does that, or who will ever do that if he makes his money legitimately.

“It has gotten so bad that residents and their families are not comfortable within the environment while some have been moving out,” he said.

He blamed the facilities managers for the high crime rate in the estate, stressing that the company failed to live up to expectation in the discharge of their duties, especially their involvement in the unlawful act of allowing people to sublet apartments to unknown characters, who in turn become uncontrollable nuisances.

He noted that all the efforts the residents have made to stem the tide of crime in the estate were rebuffed by the facilities manager Mrs. Alaba Fagun of UPDC, whose security personnel were indicted as being in cohort with the criminal elements.

The chairman of the Resident Association Mr. Olanrejwu Moses in one of his letters to UPDC management read in part:

“The EXCO has made several entreaties to UPDC verbally and officially (we have the letters as evidence) requesting that they terminate the running of the short let operations because it is the source of the illegal activities.

A snake killed within the building

“The very act of the commercial operation is an illegality as one of the clauses in the UPDC rules and regulations is that the apartments are not to be used for commercial and illegal activities.

“However, UPDC Plc has flouted this regulation and has encouraged the use of the apartments for short-let accommodation which has attracted a number of criminally minded youths who use the place for internet fraud activities, smoking of illegal substances, rowdy parties that break all the COVID-19 safety protocols which has exposed residents to physical and health dangers.

“The operations are done with the full approval of the security personnel and UPDC on site facility managers Mr. Tomiwa Fasida.

“It has gotten to a point whereby the influx of these temporary occupants have made legitimate owners uncomfortable in their homes.

“Throughout the year, there have been security incidents caused by these short-let occupants which has disrupted the peace and quiet of the environment.”

Wrong and faulty air-conditioning unit installation

In their reaction however, the UPDC management communicated to the residents through individual email after the raid, saying that all was well, and they were on top of security matters.

The UPDC residences, which comprises 198 apartments of one and two bedrooms, and also houses offices and staff rooms, have been in the news for a while for the wrong reasons as residents consistently complained of siege and barefaced insecurity owing to activities of criminal elements, who found their ways to the estate through shortlet accommodations initiated and perpetrated by the facilities managers, UPDC.

In their desperation to make the estate habitable for the occupier/owners and their families, residents engaged UPDC to live up to their professional billing, including inviting the officers and men of the FESTAC Divisional Police station, who intervened and made some arrests, but that did not deter the facilities management.

More so, some whistle blower letters, especially the one dated July 23, 2020, which was sited by The Boss were also sent to the Chief Executive Officer, UPDC, Mr. Fola Aiyesimoju, to get him to react positively, but he never did.

LASEMA officials inspecting damaged areas

The residents claim that over 27 petitions have been sent to Mr. Aiyesimoju on such matters.

RESIDENTS LOSE CONFIDENCE IN UPDC

On November, 24, 2020, another letter, addressed to the CEO Mr. Fola Aiyesimoju was sent by the Golden Tulip Residents Association, who at this time has lost faith in the administration of the facilities managers as a result of the dilapidated state of the estate, inability to repair or replace damaged installations despite huge service charge paid by residents which amounted to N1,045,000 per apartment of 1 and 2 bedrooms. This is one increment, according to the PRO, the Resident Association considered illegal because the procedure for such in the UPDC rule books which provides that before any increment is made, the residents must approve of it and shall jointly manage the facility with the management company but that was not followed coupled with the state of insecurity that has turned residents into vegetables in their own apartments.

The Executive Committee, by the letter had demanded within 24 hours a detailed account of income and expenditure of the estate so as to know why there is paucity of funds to attend to estate development affairs.

The following were areas the EXCO find the facility managers wanting, and demanded explanations according to the letter:

BUILDING INTEGRITY
“We are also bringing to your notice the on-going works at the section of the collapsed ceiling on the 4th floor. Please see attached pictures showing that the contractor is using planks as props and not timber as was stated in the letter sent to the EXCO by UPDC. The industry practice is that steel props are used in cases like this.

“The EXCO has previously requested that UPDC assesses the qualification and experience of the contractor that it is engaging to carry out this work as UPDC will be held responsible for any injury or loss incurred by residents during the repairs of this building.

Dilapidated state of the facility

INSURANCE
“The EXCO is aware that residents have been paying the insurance premium for the building.

“We would like to know the insurance company that is providing cover for the building and evidence of premium payment.

SHORTLET OPERATIONS
“Despite the notice sent on the termination of short let operations, this activity is still going on.

“The temporary occupants are still causing a nuisance within the building including the smoking of weed in the common areas and lift.

“We would like to know what measure UPDC is taking to implement the termination order?

“Can you give a timeline as to when this activity will stop?

SECURITY
“The EXCO is still awaiting the security report on the October 2020 break in of the 4 hoodlums into the complex and also when the physical security audit will be carried out.

“There are still gaps in the security architecture of this complex and the mobile policemen are not staying at their beats.

Fola Aiyesimoju, CEO, UPDC

“We do not know when there will be another security incident within the vicinity of the complex and the complex should not be left exposed to attacks.

GAS PIPELINE/GAS CYLINDERS
“The EXCO would also like to remind you about the potential danger of not securing the area around the gas pipeline.

“This gas pipeline was channelled by UPDC to the complex to feed the IPP so UPDC has a responsibility to ensure that the area is well protected.

“There is an abandoned container and other illegal commercial activities taking place on the gas pipeline route which should be a cause for alarm to UPDC.

“The cooling system for the gas cylinders behind the shopping mall has still not been fixed. This is extremely dangerous given that an explosion will probably cause fatalities and multiple damages to buildings and properties in the vicinity. We are approaching the festive season and it is expected that the complex will be well populated by families and young people who will come to enjoy the facilities that the complex offers. UPDC needs to urgently get experts to fix the faults in the cooling system.

“We will continually remind you about all outstanding issues and we pray that you take on board our concerns and the UPDC does the needful in resolving all our concerns,” the letter noted.

DIARY OF SECURITY BREACHES UNDER UPDC-LED MANAGEMENT

The residents, many of whom told The Boss that their lives are insecure in the environment, lamented security breaches. In their separate responses, they narrated as follows:

In February 2020, some members of the resident association security committee had to call the UPDC Plc former Chief Security Officer, Mr Jude, to control the activities of drug smokers in the car park.

In March 2020 members of the Resident Security Committee apprehended a short-let occupant smoking cannabis in the car park and handed the person to the UPDC former CSO, Mr. Jude but to our dismay the matter was not handed over to the police or NDLEA and It was not recorded in the security log book or included in the weekly activity report given to the EXCO of the resident association.

There was a rape incident by six boys that happened during the year that was not reported by ASCO Security, (the security company employed by UPDC Plc to guard the complex) despite the fact that the rapists were arrested but later released by the former CSO and the Mopol attached to the Festival Mall. In fact the CSO of ASCO security confessed to the DPO Festac Town on phone when he was interrogated on the rape case.

Again there was no follow up nor was it logged in their security log book.

On 28 August 2020, there was an incident that went viral on social media were some temporary occupants of the short-let apartments caused a disturbance and were seen throwing naira notes out of their windows to a crowd of people in the car park area facing the Festival Mall. There were three ASCO security personnel in the crowd captured on video.

It took the action and presence of the police to restore peace and order.

Alana Fagun, UPDC Facility Manager

A fight broke out between two temporary short let occupants over a deal that went bad and it took the intervention of a Colonel who was in the building to control the soldiers that one of the parties brought in.

In July, the car park was invaded by over 50 youths smoking illegal substances and loitering in the area constituting a nuisance. This was done in the full view of the ASCO security personnel who allowed them into the complex. It took the presence of a team from the Area E Commander who attempted to round up the youths, most of them escaped aided by the UPDC security who allowed them to exit through a black back gate.

These were also contained in a petition which the Exco said is ready to be sent to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, through the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba as obtained by The Boss

The residents believe that the incidents show the scale of the problems “we are facing within the complex all caused by our facility management company, UPDC Plc who have continued to allow the short let operations that is attracting unsavoury elements into the complex”.

They accused the shortlet operators of not even having a registered business with the CAC.

APPEAL TO SECURITY AGENCIES

The residents noted that they have appealed to the police and other security agencies including Barr Babatunde Irukere of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to come to their aid as the crisis supervised by UPDC is getting out of hand. They allege that criminal elements are getting comfortable in the environment as they have bought over the security personnel, expressing the fear that it won’t take time for them to take over the environment and upgrade their illegal activities thereby exposing genuine residents to attacks, robberies, kidnapping among others.

They are demanding investigation into the activities of the facility managers, suggesting that the CEO, Mr Fola Aiyesimoju and the on-site Managers, Mrs. Alaba Fagun and Mr Tomiwa Fasida as well as the owners of the shortlet apartments and their agents be interrogated to ascertain the extent of their involvement.

“Why will they continue to allow this illegal operation to run despite numerous complaints from the EXCO and knowing fully well of the criminality that it brings to the complex,” Mr Moses had inquired in his petitions.

Further in his contribution, the PRO, Mr. Oke Odhomor, maintained that the problem with the estate transcends beyond criminal elements, who had infiltrated the environment to total disregard of infrastructure maintenance as almost every corner of the former high profile quarters is a shadow of its self. This he blamed on the unprofessional conduct of the managers of the facility.

“The way it stands, it is like our facility managers are out to meet a certain target considering how they bill the residents, and do little or nothing with the money. Take for instance, the air-conditioner broke down at a time, and UPDC gave us a bill of one million, seven hundred and fifty naira (1,750,000). We decided to try someone else and behold, it cost just about N10,000 for a fuse and everything was back to normal. So you can imagine what we have been going through all along.

“The fourth floor of the building is totally dilapidated, and likely to collapse. The same with the gas area. There, even people from the Amuwo Odofin local government collect parking fees from people who park their cars and articulated vehicles on top of the gas pipeline taped from the Gaslink pipeline, and no one is saying anything. An explosion could happen at any time. NNPC has a caution sign at the place yet UPDC looked the other way. If that explodes one day, the casualty level will be greater that what happened in Abule Odo sometime ago.

“This UPDC people are totally lawless and cares nothing about the comfort of the residents they are managing. I understand that they were chased away from managing the 1004 Estates in Victoria Island as well as the Anchorage Estate among other places they have exhibited their incompetence.

“We have at various times invited the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Engr. Abiola Kosegbe, and the General Manager, Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, to come and view first hand the state of rot at this estate. Mr Mojola at his last visit was quick to shut down the illegal event centre established by UPDC. However, no one can tell what happened afterwards, and the place was reopened, and has remained in operation till date.

“The teams acknowledged that there has been non-compliance by UPDC to Lagos State building regulations specifically there is no evidence of structural integrity test and comprehensive structural stability report and no evidence of certificate of completion and fitness for habitation before use of the structure,” Odhomor stated.

When The Boss sought the opinions of both officers, their phones were either unavailable or rang out without being picked.

RESPONSES FROM THE UPDC MANAGEMENT

The Boss investigation reveals that apart from Mr. Fola Aiyesimoju, who is the CEO of the company, the likes of Mrs Alaba Fagun, the New Head of Facilities Management, Nicol Omeruah, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Kunle Oshilaja, who is a Non Executive Director, are some of the members of administration of the company.

In a telephone chat with Mrs Fagun, The Boss was made to understand that she was not in a position to speak on the matter. Mrs Fagun quickly referred this reporter to the CEO, who she said was the only one authorised to speak on the issue. She claimed it was company policy.

“I don’t have the capacity to speak. We have a company policy. Don’t put words into my mouth,” Fagun said before hanging up.

Calls put across to Mr Fola Aiyesimoju, the CEO, to get his position, were neither answered not returned in as much as they rang out. The text message also sent to his phone was ignored as well.

On the other hand, the phone of Nicol-Omeruah, the Deputy CEO was switched off when The Boss tried to reach out to her.

The Boss also tried to get the views of Mr Oshilaja, but he vehemently refused to speak on the matter, saying categorically that “it is not my business as I am only a non executive director. It is the management and executive that has a right to talk about it,” a rather angry Oshilaja said, ending with “I don’t want to talk to you” as he dropped the call.

In 2017, the occupiers of the apartments, who are not tenants but owners invested in the property with the expectation that the facility will be well run and managed efficiently by UPDC Plc. And for three years, the occupiers and the management have been having a running battle as a result of a renege in the agreement that brought them together.

The two parties, from the onset, agreed as follows:

• the apartments were to be jointly managed by UPDC Plc and the owners;

• UPDC Plc will provide a safe and peaceful environment

• Service charge budget proposed by UPDC Plc would be approved by the EXCO before any expenditure is carried out

• Ban on commercial and illicit activities

• Ban on street parties and noise pollution

• there would be a dedicated recreation area for residents and their families to relax (a rooftop garden and an area within the complex earmarked as a recreational centre)

But the owner/occupiers have claimed that none of these agreed terms has been followed through.

They call on the Federal Government and Lagos State Government to conduct a thorough investigation on the affairs of the estate as well as other private estates to determine the level or rot and corruption being perpetrated.

They accuse private facility managers of maximising profit to the detriment of the owner/occupiers through illegal and criminal activities.

It would not be forgotten that to give credence to concerns of the residents, on Saturday November 28, 2020 a team from the NDLEA stormed the UPDC Residence Apartment, Amuwo Odofin LG at about 6:45am and arrested about 48 male occupants of the short let apartments who were in possession of illicit substances and materials all found inside their UPDC managed apartments.

In his parting statements, Mr. Odhomor reiterated that “there is a high pressured gas pipeline feeding the IPP which runs along the perimeter fence of the complex. UPDC Plc has allowed abandoned vehicles to be parked on top of the gas pipeline.

“We have made several complaints to UPDC Plc about the vehicles parked on this pipeline that has the potential to cause an explosion if not cleared but our concerns have fallen on deaf ears.

“We have recently discovered that there is another potential hotspot right within the complex. Behind the shopping mall, there is a gas tank that houses two giant compressed gas cylinders which is designed to have a cooling system to ensure that the compressed air and gas do not reach extremely high temperature and explode.

“Apparently the cooling system has been faulty for several years and is yet to be fixed by UPDC Plc so this chamber is running without the required and essential component.

“The gas chamber is situated directly behind the shopping mall which attracts over three thousand people daily many of whom are children!

“There is also a Children fun park very close to the gas tank. The children park attracts over 500 children during the weekend.

“This potentially dangerous life threatening situation has been left unresolved for several years.

“You can imagine the impact of an explosion of this magnitude, the loss of lives and damage to properties.

“The public outcry will be unprecedented, especially as this will be coming on the back of the recent explosions in Lagos,” he warned.

Only in October, a gigantic snake was found and killed within the complex. The residents believe that it could only mean that there are others maybe even within the building itself and its environs.

“There is no gainsaying the obvious; nothing works in this estate, except high unbearable service charge and noise pollution occasioned by the marquee mounted and leased to party makers every weekend to disturb the peace of the occupants; government should help us get rid of bunch of managers,” Odhormor concluded.

UPDC reportedly makes a sum not less than Two Hundred and Six Million, Nine Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (N206, 910, 000) on deposit service charge collected from residents. A total of 15 per cent of the above sum is paid to the company as management service fee and another 10 per cent as mark ups for power/energy fee. It is therefore, not expected that the company would cut corners for any reason, to the detriment of the residents.

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.