Oskar Ibru: The Urbane Businessman Turns 57
The scion of the Ibru dynasty, Olorogun Oskar Christopher Ibru added another year to his age last Tuesday, August 11, 2015 as he turned 57.
Oskar, the crown prince of the country’s most notable business family, the Ibru dynasty is the Executive Vice Chairman of what is unarguably Nigeria’s premier indigenous multinational: Ibru Organisation. The eldest surviving son of the incomparable Olorogun Michael Ibru, began taking on more responsibility as his father began a battle with Parkinson’s in the late 19990s.
The Federal Government’s Structural Adjustment Policy (SAP) and the acute electricity supply were killing the Ibru Organisation’s cash cow; the frozen fish when Oskar took over but today he has turned around the fortunes of the conglomerate for good.
The vast empty cold storage facilities that formerly housed fish at Ibafon, Apapa, Lagos was the first thing that caught his attention and has become the veritable platform which 19 oil major marketers use in importing refined petroleum products into the country. It is now a major source of the family’s wealth.
Oskar, the only non-Ijebu person to be honoured by the revered Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as the Otun Boyejo, said he got his business acumen from his paternal grandmother, the late Madam Janet Omotogor Ibru, popularly called Mama Somolu, “Mama was the founder of the family dynasty whose business interests stretch from palm oil to publishing, aerospace and real estate.”
“She gave us her looks, her motivation, even today she still binds us together. We are like a stack of broomsticks. If there is just one broomstick, its easier to break. But we are a whole lot of broomsticks leaning on each other, backing each other up. That’s what makes us strong.”
The Otunba Boyejo of Ijebu land said that even as a teenager living on Moshalashi Street in Shomolu in those early days, he was involving in the marketing of frozen fish (Oku Eko). Hear him: “I was groomed from the beginning to get involved. At 16, I took my first job. Just like my father, I got up at 3 a.m to go to the market to sell fish.”
To describe him as an enigma would not be an overstatement. An event that happened sometime in 2006 during the run-off to the following year’s general election would explain better. Just like his father tried in 1983 to contest for the governor of then Bendel State, Oskar also aspired to be governor of Delta State on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As he embarked on a campaign tour of Ovwor town, near Ughelli. He’s convoy came across some children apparently coming back from the farm. On sighting Oskar’s convoy, they went into frenzy. Jumping up and down shouting and screaming Oskar! Oskar!! Oskar!!! Until his convoy went out of sight.
It is characteristic of him that he likes to have around him in his moments of relaxation those with whom he works. And the atmosphere of his service is that you are working with him, not for him.
He has the precious gift of inspiring the courage of others to thrive and excel. The Ochuko’s Ovie of Agbara-Otor and Odomese of Olomu kingdom loves the simple things. He could make either a king or a commoner feel at ease in his presence.
You need to see him fret over the welfare of the close to him to understand that no father could be more solicitous of the personnel and family welfare of those in his circle. No one works harder – and no one make you feel like working hard yourself – and no one knows better the proper proportions in which relaxation and laughter must be mixed with all well- balanced work.
I once asked him why he is so committed to work in spite of all the fortunes his family possesses. He responded thus: “I know that we have it today only because our fore bearers strived for it, nourished it, protected it and then passed it unto us. That’s a debt we owe. We owe it to our parents, but mostly, we have an obligation to our own children to pass this torch to them.
He embraced the family tradition and went to the famous Igbobi College, Yaba, Lagos for his secondary education before proceeding to Skidmore College, Saratoga, New York for his first degree and he later attended Atlanta University Graduate School of Business Administration for his Master’s degree.
On returning to the country, he joined the Guardian Newspapers Limited as a management trainee in 1983 and then at Emsee Shipping Line Limited in the position of Research and Development Manager. He soon rose to the rank of General Manager and became the Managing Director of the company in 1992.
He was once the President of the governing board of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping and was the 2006 Maritime Personality of the Year.
With the Otunba Boyejo as the flag bearer of the Ibru clan, the leadership of the dynasty in the country’s business environment remains unassailable. Skiddo as he is fondly called is married to the wonderful looking Wanda Ibru and he is blessed with three lovely children and a grand son.