I am sure you guys have been following the huge problem between two of Nigeria’s most prolific gentlemen.
Nduka Obiagbena is a legendary media man. He has given to Nigeria the kind of media that has put us in the face of the world
His contributions can never be diminished no matter what.
His foray into entertainment has seen him blowing the roof with interventions in music and fashion that have brought the world to its knees in massive obessienace to his genius.
Femi Otedola, on the other hand, is a whirlwind impresario.
His foray into investments continues to push the boundaries. He has berthed and deepened interventions in Finance, Power and the rest
To say he has achieved a strong level of business immortality is to make an obvious statement
My huge respect for both men remains extremly very strong
I am very sure that a solution amicable to both sides will soon be reached for the betterment of society and the economy at large
But in all these, there is a gentleman that I have loved for over 15 years now
He is Ken Etete, and he is caught in the middle of it all.
In the last few days, news of the seizure of an oil cargo aboard his FPSO was widely reported.
Ken owns the FPSO and he is the grass on which the elephants are fighting cos he is the one who is operating the oil field that is in the middle of the Wahala
Ken, unlike the proverbial grass under the elephants, is not suffering.
Immediately after I read the news, I reached out to him to console him.
He was as usual, in good spirits, calm and not fazed.
Edgar, you are a major voice, so do your research very well on these things and stand by your convictions- he ooened the convo with.
He went ahead to explain to me the issue from his perspective and in the end, I had a clearer view
But I was not bothered about the issue but how it was affecting his business and by extension his state of mind
I met Ken through the late Albert Okumagba and since then built an emotional relationship with him
He is the GMD Century Group an Energy Infrasture group that is playing very critical roles in the industry
His firm remains an influential player to the point that all players from regulators to the last can’t live without Century.
Ken is a strong human resource in the upstream sector, internationally revered and a calm soothing voice in the turbulence that is Nigeria’s oil and gas industry
I have remained inspired by Ken. His approach to turbulence, his philanthropy and his immense love for people are attributes that continue to endear him to all and sundry.
As he spoke today, his voice belied what possibly he could be going through as he calmly talked about international oil politics his favourite topic
Not fazed about the current issue, Ken took time to lecture me on the intricacies of the oil markets
I have seen Ken under tremendous pressure – betrayals by close confidants, harrassments from authorities as a result of his famous surname, huge debts owed him affecting the running of his huge company, rigs not meeting full potentials, crisis on and offshore, sudden deaths on platforms but all you see is the calmness that continues to amaze me
Ken, I hear your man just passed this afternoon – I said as I walked onto his main office expecting the usual Nigerian reaction of hand on the head exclamation
But No, Ken is calm sipping from his cup of herbal tea and asking me to sit down where he goes into the philosophy of life
Ken is now deeply spiritual. I was invited to his annual New Year Thanksgiving at the church-this Presence house
I watched him from afar as he gave it all to Christ with his beautiful wife in full attendance.
As I rounded up the conversation yday with him, I thanked him for his maturity and calmness in the face of this virulent turbulence
In response, he said – Edgar, I was in a meeting when I saw your calls. I knew you would be worried, but there is nothing to worry about; this would be over.
Honestly, I cannot even wait for all of that to be over and a mutually beneficial solution to be reached, but until then, I look towards Ken’s approach to life as a pillar in the turbulence of life generally.
Ken is a man, I tell you.
Nice guy
Duke of Shomolu