That Dele Momodu is perhaps, the country’s leading authority on rich celebrity businessmen especially if these flamboyant persons happen to hail from the South West is not news. At one time, you would recall, Momodu claimed to know more about the late Chief MKO Abiola– even far more than the man’s sons and daughters.
The latest task the famous celebrity watcher has set for himself is that of throwing up Akande as a righteous paramour, who surprisingly, has been hurt and victimized by his own country, Nigeria and his own people. Momodu, dripping with pity, describes this as “man’s inhumanity to man.”
Something was however, not quite right. It appears rather curious that, after Momodu has laboured hard to establish Akande’s reputation as a very rich and powerful businessman with far-reaching connections and influence across the globe, he then, tells us that the same Chief Akande who has dined and continues to dine with the high and mighty across the globe, would then, suddenly, become so powerless that he can easily be victimized by some people in his own country, Nigeria. Very curious, indeed!
Of course, this make-belief by Momodu is so far from the truth. Rather, on the contrary, it is Akande, the flamboyant and powerful Nigerian-born international businessman and former presidential aspirant of the ANPP(All Progressive Peoples Party) that has failed to deliver on his sweet talk.
Using his powerful connections, he got the concessions to build and operate these facilities at the MMIA before year 2000, but soon after, could not muster the investment required to keep his side of the bargain. If the flamboyant businessman and politician has spent most of his personal resources on fruitless political campaigns, with the aim of becoming President of Nigeria, who is to blame for that? The current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and the current Aviation minister are more interested in moving the industry forward as quickly as possible and are not interested in stopping anyone from investing in the sector, especially someone of Akande’s business stature.
If the Aviation minister can go on roadshows to promote investment in the country’s Aviation sector then, it would be absurd to say that she would deliberately oppose Chief Akande’s investment in the sector if he genuinely wants to invest in the sector! The truth is that shortly after the fun fare of the foundation laying at the site at MMIA, Akande and his company, AIC abandoned work at the site. And since government and Nigerians cannot continue to wait for anyone no matter how highly placed at the expense of the country, government revoked the concession agreement. With two change of governments since then—from the Obasanjo administration to the Umaru Yar’ Adua administration to the current Goodluck Jonathan administration, Chief Akande has had ample chances to represent his grievances to government. And at worst, he may have re-negotiated his agreement with succeeding administrations who would have been willing to listen to the prominent businessman and politician. Obviously, he has not explored these options.
The law courts which he has been making the rounds of, have ruled against him twice in recent times. But rather than obey court judgment, Akande resorted to self-help by hiring thugs to fight and throw out legitimate law enforcement agents of government. Today, the land in question, 11.7 hectares of prime land– which is designed in the airports Master Plan for the further development of the terminal, by government remained fallow until recently when the project for the new international terminal for MMA came up. In fact, this site as contained in the Master Plan was designated for the construction of the A, B and C wings of the international terminal.
What most members of the public do not know is that the dispute between FAAN and AIC does not have anything to do with ownership of the land where the proposed AIC hotel was to be built because there is no doubt about who owns the land! The dispute revolves around the award of over 48 million dollars granted AIC Ltd by the arbitral tribunal in 2010 which FAAN contested and won through a judgement of the Federal High Court in Lagos, in June, 2013. FAAN has even gone out of its way to offer AIC other sites for the construction of the said hotel within the airport premises but this has been turned down by AIC, which has continued to insist on the present site, with all its security implications for the airport. With the present security challenges, it is ridiculous for anyone to dream of building a hotel in a land that stretches into an airport tarmac!
While not holding brief for the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, it seems almost inconceivable that that administration would simply wake up one day and revoke the concession agreement granted Akande’s AIC to build his hotel at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA 1, in Lagos for no good reason.
Unsurprisingly, Momodu describes Akande in superlative terms: “The media was awash with stories that this new King Midas (who) was poised to turn the misfortune of that jinxed airport into prosperity.” Unfortunately, as it turned out, there was no“ new King Midas,” as Akande failed to live up to his billing as a serious investor.
Momodu, the praise singer of the rich and flamboyant goes further:” “Everything looked set for this miracle to happen. But it seemed Chief Akande failed to take the Nigerian principalities into consideration. He would have known that nothing was absolutely certain in a country where pettiness and incurable jealousy reigned supreme.” How trite!
Then, Momodu delivers his coup de grace:” I’m not willing to go into who is wrong and who is right. I just believe, and wish to ensure, that a man of Chief Akande’s status would be better treated with all the respect he deserves.” What Momodu appears to be saying in essence is that, we must all bow down to Chief Akande –a man of uncommon accomplishments and we must all allow him to have his way –with us—at all times. How nice. It does not matter if Akande is right or wrong. Really, I daresay, no one has disrespected Chief Akande. It is only that the nation must move forward by re-developing a 40 year old airport that remains the country’s premier gateway to the world and Akande appears to have made himself into a stumbling block. More over, if indeed, Momodu is unwilling to go into the contending issues in the AIC/MMIA matter, why bring it up?
Then,Momodu plays the proverbial ostrich who buried its head in the earth to avoid an unpleasant situation while its heavy body remained within sight, when he said that “Before our very eyes, the airport has gone from bad to worse..”That means that Momodu has not seen the unprecedented physical transformation of the MMIA terminal undertaken by the Ministry of Aviation and FAAN. Or perhaps, he prefers not to see this. Because this would distort his preconceived notions and views about the airport and his subject of fancy, Akande.
Of course, you would love Momodu’s prose and the alluring picture of Chief Akande that he has so glowingly presented in his piece inThisday on Sunday. But imagine a wealthy international businessman and politician of Chief Akande’s stature employing violent thugs to attack employees of a government agency (Federal Airports Authority, FAAN) at the airport in order to physically repossess the piece of land that a court order has ruled against him over!
You would wonder whether he is truly the famed business mogul that has dined and wined with the high and mighty all over the world or one who would employ unacceptable intrigues in order to have his way!
Yakubu Dati is the Co-ordinating General Manager, Aviation Parastatals.