President Muhammadu Buhari lavished encomiums on Tony Elumelu, former managing director, United Bank for Africa and the chairman Heirs Holdings, as part of the celebrations to mark the banking mogul’s 58th birthday, not knowing that the banker holds him in low esteem.
In the very warmth message released by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said he respected the UBA former Managing Director because of his keen interests in creating opportunities for growth and development in the country.
“President Buhari commends the economist for his foresight and large-heartedness in setting up the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), which has consistently inspired highly talented African youths into entrepreneurship, helped many to acquire business skills, enhanced positive social networks and provided start-up funds, within the larger goal of reducing poverty.
“The President believes Elumelu, who is the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, United Bank for Africa and Transcorp, demonstrates resilience and relentlessness in dream realization, following his antecedents as a young banker who saw opportunities in the economy and worked hard to climb the ladder of success, receiving Nigeria’s National Productivity Order of Merit in 2019,” Adesina said.
Buhari said he will support Elumelu his quest for more investments in the country to create jobs. “As Elumelu spreads investments into energy, real estate, agribusiness, health care and hospitality, creating more opportunities in the real sector, the President prays for more wisdom, good health and longer life for the investor,” Adesina, Special Adviser to the President On Media and Publicity said.
As a businessman Elumelu has benefitted immensely since Buhari came to power in 2015, including his recent acquisition of major stake in SPDC which made the banker cum economist owner of one of the biggest oil blocs in the continent. Those versed in oil blocs business said the deal would have been impossible without the federal government’s nod.
TNOG Oil and Gas, owned by Elemulu recently acquired 45 per cent interest in Oil Mining Lease 17 and related assets in the Eastern Niger Delta. Buhari supporters insist that the president was in the know and did not object, as doing so would have created bottlenecks for the bureaucracy.
Whether Elumelu is prepared to reciprocate the gesture is another matter entirely, close watchers of what is going on the business sector said. They cited Elumelu’s refusal to add President Buhari as one of those he follows on social media, particularly on Twitter, as a critical point, despite the fact that former President Brackm Obama of the United States of America, USA and Paul Kegame of Rwanda are among those he follows in the American social networking service.
What could have determined the decision of Elumelu to leave Buhari out of his twitter list which also include former Minister of Education Obby Ezekwesili and Aliko Dangote, relationship experts are still left wondering considering that the banker has always harped on mentoring and role modeling as critical element for growth in Africa and globally. Could it be that Elumelu considers the president as an ordinary person that feels that Buhari does not have qualities to be emulated? Leaving out Buhari on the list that has Kegame and Obama does not actually make sense. What criteria did he use in choosing those he follows on the micro-blogging network is still in the realm of imagination,” Tife Adetola, a relationship expert in Lagos said.
The analyst said since the Delta state born banker is dedicated to mentoring others, one can conveniently say he also has mentors he looked up to.
Twitter, the American microblogging and social networking service which recently took down former President Donald Trump account for violating its rules is commonly used by global leaders and who is who in politics and business who have made it their chosen endeavors.
Social media experts say top business men use the platform to showcase personalities they admire, as part of their efforts to advance their interests. The experts say those that celebrities don’t follow on twitter are people they may have personal or business dealings with, but don’t necessarily look up to them as respected persons.
According to Elumelu’s twitter account @TonyOElumelu, President Kegame and Obama are the respected persons for him.
The fact that Buhari is missing out on the banker’s admirers on twitter, relationship experts insist, is an indication that the UBA chairman either begrudges the leader of the world’s most populous black nation or does not want to associate his business with Buhari.
“There are many reasons to explain why Elumelu shunned President Buhari on twitter; it’s either he does not support his economic blueprint or the banker does not believe that the Katsina-born soldier turned politician is qualified to be president. Either way, Elumelu is saying the leader of his country is not one of his role models.
“Elumelu is sending a strong message to other Nigerians, particularly youths that Buhari is not worthy to be their role model. This is because many of those following him on social media, particularly young people will like to take a cue from him to choose their own role models too,” Adetola said.
Speaking recently on role models, the Heirs Holdings boss said on his official twitter handle that “The world is filled with many brilliant ideas-but what we need right now is people who act to implement the many big ideas that can sustainably lift our people out of poverty and create prosperity.”
Obviously, President Buhari is not one of those that Elumelu believes can transform the world, said Frank Eke, another relationship expert, who noted that the UBA chairman has made more money since Buhari became president despite the economic problem plaguing the nation.
The billionaire is unarguably one of the richest Nigerians those privy to his enormous wealth, told the magazine.
