SOCIETY WATCH INTERVIEW; JIMOH IBRAHIM IS AN INFANTILE NOISE MAKER- Barr Kayode Ajulo

- by Al Humphrey Onyanabo. 234 80 2320 1073

You have been saying lofty things about Ondo state lately, but while the State boasts of "individual giants," this pool of human resource seems not to have rubbed off on the status of the State in Nigeria, especially in terms of economic contribution. Is it right to say the State is a sleeping giant and what has been responsible for this?

A million thanks for your thoughtfulness and frankness, apart from the fact that I am from Ondo State, I passionately say lofty things about the State because of the State’s extant fortune, which came as a result of the people of the State’s courage, resilience, principle and progressiveness in ensuring that change eventually come to Ondo State. It is a tortuous journey though, but it eventually came and the State is librated.

I am therefore so proud of my State for its peculiarities, not only that Ondo State is made up of men and women of timber and caliber but with people of finest character and great courage save for former governor Agagu’s years of locusts which ineptitude of state-craftiness and parochial management of the State’s resources nearly run the state aground.

Nevertheless, the present governor, from what we are hearing, seeing and from his dance step is changing the trend to make the State an industrialised states that will attract private investors with the provision of a conducive atmosphere for business to thrive.

I am also glad to reiterate it through this interview that irrespective of the initial incompetence of past administration, the State is a foremost contributor to Nigeria economy, the State is presently the largest producer of natural resources in Nigeria, please forgets about the political permutations going on in Abuja purposeful for derivation revenues and allocations, I stand by the on-the-spot assessment, unassailable forensic statistics and if you must know Ondo State has the longest coastal line in Nigeria, couple with the fact that the State is the most peaceful state in Niger Delta Region.

Not only these, Ondo State has the second largest deposit of bitumen in the world, half of the cocoa money that was used to develop Western Region by Baba Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola came from Ondo State and the State still has Cocoa, palm oil, rice, timber and cassava in abundance for export.

Imagine the full operation of Olokola Free Zone (FTZ) the kaolin, salt, cement production, tourism/culture (Idanre Hills and Ebomi Lake in my town) and all those strategic partnership in mass housing, food processing, the facilitation of a technology village, automobile engineering, Ondo State Gas Master Plan, Ore Sunshine City, Gani Fawehinmi Diagnostic Centre, tourism village, cement production, oil palm revolution, commercial rice production and processing.

Mind you, the State has Oil Blocks which its full exploration will soon commenced and so don’t mind me if I submit that Ondo State is an economy giant not only in Nigeria but in the world that is being waken up with the support of the good, courageous and industrious people of the State.

Ondo State, is indeed a gift to the Nation in terms of human, natural, mineral and agricultural resources, I am sure you’ve heard about the Ganis (Gani Fawehinmi), Ajasins, Fashorantis, Gbonigis, Falaes, Giwas, Elizades, Akinkugbes, Olutoyes, Olagbegis, Akinolas, Akinyeles, Fasehuns, Adams, Fajemirokuns, Adegokes, Oladunnis, Tofowomos, Sunny Ades, Agunloyes, Agudas, Jegedes, Joses, Alabis, Sanusis, Orimolades, Joshuas etc these are legal, religious, investments, industrial and political captains in Nigeria.

As you are mentioning the names of giants and captains from Ondo State, I expected that you will mention Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, the Harvard trained lawyer too, is this oversight or deliberate?

Excuse me, Jimoh who? honestly, this is my simple opinion, which I am entitled to, within my modest but eventful years of existence, I have been privileged to meet several great sons and daughters of Ondo State who are worthy of mention, of emulation, Jimoh Ibrahim is not one of them, tell me, in all and with due respect, what has he done than the usual “gra gra”.

With his utterances, he has no modicum of respect for the State, and in Ondo State we have a name for such attitude … omo ako ti ile ta”

But how do you feel about Jimoh Ibrahim’s recent takeover of Virgin Nigeria?


Jimoh, like every other Nigerians has every right to partake in the opportunity available in our free market economy; this is what we have been agitating for.

However, I am concerned about what his real intentions are for embarking on a spending spree of this nature when banks are on his trail over unpaid loan facilities.

You see, there is no sentiment attached to his so called takeover, apart from my continuous patriotic interest particularly upon the realization that Nigeria as a country has equitable interests in Virgin Nigeria, the company is even a public company. The mere mentioning of Nigeria in the name of the Airline is even enough to raise sentiments of any right thinking and patriotic Nigerians in the fortune and otherwise of the Airline.

And here we are talking about its takeover, interestingly, my Master of Law degree’s thesis is on Comparative Analysis of Takeovers, Mergers, Acquisitions and Winding Up of Companies in Nigeria & the US, one of the things I found so intriguing in the whole takeovers scheme is the seemingly secrecy of the process, takeovers of company is not a tea party, we need to know whether the requisite procedures were followed, we need to know, what happen to Delta Airlines, Nigerians and others shareholders and their agreements but if you ask any question they will quickly tell you that it is their company business. This is unethical.

Another issue is that Jimoh needs to know that a takeover is sine qua non to turnaround and my fear is on the future of the airline particularly when it is one of our national patrimonies.

My apprehension is as a result of the motionless position of other companies taken over by Jimoh. Virgin Nigeria will not be the first Airline Jimoh Ibrahim is taking over, what happened to the previous one? NICON insurance is virtually non-existent, NICON Luxury is behind my office here just take a peep from the window or visit there, National Mirror has continued to postpone its launch date, the proposed oil and gas business in Sao Tome and its university project has remained on the drawing board. Jimoh Ibrahim in my opinion is only full of grand standing as he is yet to prove skeptics wrong about his ability to turnaround dramatically so far in every sector he has interest outside retail selling of oil that my grandmother without seeing any four wall of classroom is well noted for.

Even his retail selling of oil and it‘s export ought to be point of interest to our law enforcement agencies and Oil industry’s regulators.

In takeovers there is no need to be dominating, no need to show off; the focus should not be on me or you but the fortune of the company by allowing the company’s brand to run independently.

Jimoh said he made Gov. Mimiko and can unmake him?

To be sincere with you, I need not bother myself with the two people, Dr. Mimiko, I believe can speak for himself or has those that can say his own side of the story. I will not say what I did not see or know.

But one thing that is so crystal clear to me is that, Jimoh Ibrahim hawked lies and unqualified falsehood targeted at uninitiated members of the Nigerian public who are great in numbers to massage his over bloated ego as some of us and discerning public laughed over his impudence.

In as much as I have tried to ignore him, I, however cannot but be enthused over his recklessness on my state and our collective pride, as this did not only disturbs my sensibility but is a greater affront to me and others.

Everywhere I found myself, it’s always a soothing relief for me to be associated with my state positively and you can then imagine ones feeling to see someone running the entire state and its good people down to massage a self-important hallucination.

Whereas, Jimoh’s case is a case of healer heals thyself first, Jimoh has every opportunity to make himself Governor in 2003, despite his noise here and there, what happened at the end of the exercise he failed woefully, even in his ward in Igbotako, he lost.

Can you see irony of his claim, somebody that cannot make himself Governor now saying I made someone else Governor, anyway that is his headache with Mimiko and I pray, don’t let us reduce this discourse to glorification of one individual against another.

But, honestly we have to out grown this mentality of “I made you or you made me”, it’s too pedestal and it is mean and cheap, by the way, is he God? Let him read his Quran and learn what the Holy Prophet says, on who gives power, power belongs to God Almighty, it is also there in the Bible as I was told that he is now claiming to be a Christian.

What is your take on his recent defection to PDP?

He is free to defect as he is exercising his rights of choice but this shouldn’t be at instance of quest for grabbing power at all cost.

It’s unfortunate that those that play partisan politics have turned the game into business exploration and investments speculation, those that only rely on selfish political permutations, those without ideologies, with no principles, they will be in white party today, tomorrow in black party to them it’s the exigency of their mouth that dictates where they belong.

What else can we call this practice than political prostitution of the highest order?

He promises to capture the Government House?

The whole world knows Jimoh to be an infantile noise maker and we must caution ourselves against this inflammatory statement coming from these people, Obasanjo first use it, now it is Jimoh’s turn to re-echo it, but, I sympathize with them for their lack of knowledge of fundamentals of Ondo State politics, what the State stands for, what the people of the state are known for, their attitudes, their unique way of politicking. Remember, Ondo State is the cradle of progressivism in Nigeria, yes, the home of progressives, Afenifere, hotbed of intellectuals. Recall the roles late Olowo of Owo, Oba Olateru-Olagbegi I and the progenitor of Free Education in Nigeria and former governor of the state, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, played in the formation of Action Group.

I am a student of history, don’t let us be deceived by what the Egbas and Ijebus have been peddling, laying claims to the fact that Chief Obafemi Awolowo is the Eldorado of the progressives, while I recognize the great work of the late sage, Awolowo only emerged through the synergy of great personalities of Ondo State. Action Group was not only formed in Owo, Ondo State but in the Chamber of Olowo’s palace.

Chief Reuben Fashoranti, the Afenifere kingpin is also from Ondo State, Chief Olu Yemi Falae, one time presidential candidate, Chief Shehinde Arogbofa, Comrade Baba Omojola, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Gani Adams, they are irrepressible progressives.

Remember also that the most successful legal practitioner, the defender of the people and greatest crusader in Nigeria that I know, Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi was a proud citizen of the state.

I mentioned these few personalities for the likes of Jimoh Ibrahim to understand the fundamentals of the state, our industries, Ondo people are independent, courageous, resolute, intelligent and principled and they cannot be led by nose as Mr. Jimoh is insinuating.

In fact I consider this statement as an insult on us and just imagine he wanted to capture the State without knowing the population of the state and in a reckless impudence and his usual verbal diarrhea he said “Ondo State is a small State of about 2 million people”, what a freaky and unskilled so called war-general!

Imagine that from someone that wanted to capture the State not knowing exact population of the State, in a better society he would have been sued for de-branding the state and this is the state he wanted to come for votes.

React to the allegation that Mimiko’s government is not investment friendly-

As I said earlier, the governor and his people are in better position to tell us what they are doing to bring investors to the state.

But as a lawyer, I see this allegation as a tainted testimony coming from an interested party of a desperate maniac like Jimoh, he is notorious of making bogus judgment and that’s his style; remember he did something of this nature to Dangote and Femi Otedola.

It is part of the diatribe of our uncontrolled son to disparage the State and his scheme to capture the state at all cost and this has revealed how very intelligent the so-called Harvard trained lawyer is, had it been he faced only Mimiko, his beloved friend, my likes wouldn’t have bother a response to his recklessness. The state is bigger than any individual, bigger than Jimoh Ibrahim. He should face Mimiko and leave the state out of it.

And lets read between the lines as narrated by Jimoh himself of what make the government an investments-unfriendly state, we will see that Jimoh’s definition of investment friendly government is for you to have State’s fund in your account under the pretence of executing one bogus PPP agreement and without you doing your part of the bargain only for you to turn around when the government ask for her money, to made noise.

If the truth must be told, I recently attended an economic summit held at Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, with my friends and many investors, the summit was part of the state government’s determination to turn around the fortunes of Ondo State and attract investors, the State government used the summit to flag off the Friends of the State Gathering, which is a public- private sector-led initiative that would facilitate rapid socio-economic transformation of the State.

That he can sell Virgin Nigeria to fight Mimiko?

Where did he get the information that Ondo State is for sale? And is he the sole owner of the airline?

That is what we are saying, Jimoh is too lousy, very proud to a point of turning it into an embarrassment and at times he make me wonder if actually he is from where he claimed in Ondo State such attitude is alien to our culture, we are modest, respectful and moderate in thought and in deed but what did we have in Jimoh, empty barrel, he boasted that he will depose the King of his town, what an insult on the traditional institution, is he the one that installed the revered Kabiyesi? As a lawyer he should be aware of the law and procedures of doing certain things, doing it the other way he should know will lead to chaos and insecurity, maybe that’s his aim. God Almighty will not allow him to achieve this.

Making people to believe that you have money should not be by force, the other day he gleefully published names of those he invited for jobs interview in thousands, the question is how many did he eventually employed among them, we cannot be fooled, simple enquiries at his companies’ pension agents have revealed the real total number of his staff; very minimal despite his noise, he boasted that he has made money, fine, bravo and goodluck to him but help me to ask him of how much he pays on tax.

And why is he fighting the Governor?

Only Jimoh can explain that, but rumour travels fast, the other day a paper narrated how the Ondo State government’s political and economic masterstroke of full payment of the pension arrears in Ondo State has turned into calamity for Jimoh Ibrahim, according to the publication before the full payment, several pensioners died while queuing to be paid for the monthly stipends called pension but that is the things of the past in Ondo State.

Read and watch the news of how pensioners/sacked workers in droves have been protesting and carrying placards in front of Nicon Plaza against Jimoh for non-payment of their pension/benefit and here a government that decided to pay all the pension at a go, every home in Nigeria at least has one or two pensioners, just imagine smiles in every home due to Ondo State government’s innovative idea.


Do you see him as your Governor someday?

Look, power belongs to God; only he can give power. So I am not God but this I am very sure of, my people will not accommodate a brat, pompous, lousy and rude fellow. He tried to be governor in 2003 but failed, an intelligent man would have asked himself why did I fail in the election? Ondo State needs an “omoluabi” as Governor and Jimoh from every ramification is not, and when it is expected that Jimoh would take the present period as a good time for sober reflection of his life and glory of God in his life, he however for the umpteenth time started to insult and castigate corporate existence of people of Ondo State, saying the State population is too small and can be captured easily, tell Jimoh to think first before opening his mouth, change his character and attitude and surely, it shall be well with him.

He should also be advised that no one can be a Governor in Ondo State by deceiving people, the other day he was in Akure with Obasanjo, all in the name of having a grand rally, he abandoned the stadium already provided for him and designated for political rally, because of the few crowds that came with him.

He, with the organizers of the rally then quickly moved the rally to the commercial hub of Akure Township, between Erekesan market and Lagos motor park, a very clever man by half, knowing fully well that even if he alone starts to cry, crowd and passer-by to the market and the park will come out and ask: what’s wrong with him and he quickly called that, a well attended rally, whereas the market women and commercial transporters are bitterly complaining that Jimoh, Obasanjo, Agagu & Co. disrupted their businesses, my legal assistance was even sought to sue them and their cohorts for criminal trespass, disruption of business and economic loss.

Presently, we are looking for him to serve him with our clients’ claims.

What do you have against him or are you just envious of him?

Haba, I have nothing against him and I have no reason to be envious of him, at the Bar, he is my senior and I will forever extend my utmost respect to him on that basis, even he is at least 10 years older than me, so where will the envy come from.

I am a lawyer and I have no other business than this legal practice, in our Abuja office alone, we have nothing less than 17 lawyers, while we have offices in other cities and towns in Nigeria and abroad as our primary focus is to be the biggest legal solution firm in Africa, this is our dream and I hope I am not already sounding like Jimoh Ibrahim too, but this is verifiable fact, so I am in no contest with Jimoh Ibrahim.

Wittingly and unwittingly, I found my voice raised in the political and social circle which can be dated back to my undergraduate days in the late 90’s, first, being a Student’s Union leaders then.

These instances however should not be misconstrued as having interest in partisan politics or an attempt to vie for political post which may politically or economically put me in competition with Jimoh Ibrahim.

I am more preoccupied with the completion of my doctorate degree in law as well as ensuring flourishing supervision of my law firm, KAYODE AJULO & CO. and her international virtual affiliate, CASTLE OF LAW while I continue to use my God given endowments and resources to help those around me. I also dreamt of turning the whole Africa into egalitarian society, the reason why I founded and financing Egalitarian Mission, Africa, a non-governmental organization.

You see, Jimoh Ibrahim suppose to be our mentor, somebody to look up to but he missed this honour by his cheer insolence and megalomania delusion; this is tragedy of Jimoh Ibrahim.

Until Fortune Magazine brought Harry Akande into our conscience, nobody knows that Harry Akande is the richest person in Nigeria in the 90s, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga and Femi Otedola are humility personified despite the fact that their next-of-kin is ostentatious opulence, Nigerian is blessed with great people Yinka Folawiyo, Wole Soyinka, Tunde Bakare, Adekunle Ojora, Okoya-Thomas, Afe Babalola, Femi Falana, E. K. Clark, Lulu-Briggs, Akintola Williams, Ishiyaku Rabiu, Bamanga Tukur and others these are great people, but did you see them insulting their state or turning themselves to rooftop millionaires, real money and good tidings speak for its owner not the other way round. Jimoh only speaks for his supposed money, all in the bid to be seen as being credit worthy by his bankers and targets.

And if care is not taken, he may end up in jail. There are several issues of dishonoured cheques drawn by him.

Let me round this interview up with this interesting true life story, some years back I was invited by OAU law students to join in honouring our Prof. Wole Soyinka, Jimoh was there too and during his usual boast, he regaled us with how he has been trailing Prof. Wole Soyinka with planes all over the world to receive the Prof.’s handshake and at the end of the speech as usual he made his huge donation by presenting a bank cheque, when it was our Wole Soyinka’s turn he spoke against deceit and warned his audience against the issuance of cheque at donations which may not turned to cash and after explaining that he is not that rich he brought out few amount of English pounds as his own donation, the hall erupted with standing ovation to the Prof, ironically even there in Ile-Ife, Jimoh was denied the so sought handshake and like a prophet which the Wole Soyinka is, of course, the students are yet to cash Jimoh Ibrahim’s mega cheque till this day.
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