Bode George: Leave Wigwe and Elumelu Alone
The last time I squared off with a man of this age and standing, it was the police they used to pursue me. Not that I fear police o, but annoying a “daddy” may have some ancestral connotations so one must tread very carefully. Anyways, a very old video of Chief Bode George has reemerged on the eve of the very sad and tragic passing of the influential Access Bank honcho. In the said video, Chief George railed about bank chiefs and how in his own estimation they have milked the system and made themselves fatuously wealthy to the point that they are “advertising their private universities on CNN.” In his moment in the sun, he mentioned names of which these two didn’t sit well with me - Wigwe and Tony Elumelu. To be fair to him, the video is dated but dark cowards have gone to fish it out for their devilish and mischievous purposes. So, I would be totally wrong if I took aim at the sweet and chubby granddad who looks like a “Father Christmas” instead of taking aim at the faceless miscreants who have seized Herbert’s sad passing to throw bile at his legacy. Daddy, these two have worked very seriously at delivering certain set visions which have grown beyond them and have taken root globally. They have and still in the case of Tony built huge financial conglomerates with very serious international and multilateral investing organisations embedded. These organisations do not joke with corporate governance and best practices and as such would have been the very first in pushing back and we would not have to wait for you to wake up from your siesta to come and be telling us tales by moonlight when you are not working for NTA. Access Bank and UBA under these two gentlemen have grown so big that their imprints now cascade the continent, berthing other such massive enterprises in other sectors of the economy leading to huge job creation, massive infrastructural development and much more importantly inspiring confidence in our economy. As an investment banker, I laugh at all the “useless” write-ups on how Herbert stole Intercontinental Bank that is circulating. As one that was very close to that transaction, I can say for certain that these stories are just pigwash aimed at rubbishing a tight and well curated legacy. For Tony, you all know I am not his fan, but what we cannot deny is his influence in all sectors he is playing. Such huge entrepreneurial spirits come rarely. From philanthropy to power, from finance to leadership, he continues to push and pull garlands towards himself and the nation. So, singling them out as the main reason for the “shitty” situation we find ourselves in is just an exercise in tom foolery. Daddy, shouldn’t we be with the grandkids at this time, telling them stories of yore under the mango tree instead of lending our personality and weight to philistines who are running around with tar in a futile attempt at tarnishing well-built reputations and legacy? We never learn. It’s simply the crab mentality. We remain crabs, I swear. Annoying.