Dr. PATRICK IFEANYI UBAH BAGS AWARDS, PROMISES TO PROFFER SOLUTIONS TO NIGERIA'S ECOMONIC PROBLEM AS HE GIVES HOPE TO THE YOUTH

Alor Jude Okechukwu
11 Sep 2016



Dr. PATRICK IFEANYI UBAH BAGS AWARDS, PROMISES TO PROFFER SOLUTIONS TO NIGERIA'S ECOMONIC PROBLEM AS HE GIVES HOPE TO THE YOUTH


In his quest to bridge the yawning mentorship gap amongst youth, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah Ifeanyi Ubah has held a Post 45th birthday interactive session with a cross section of youths, social media influencers, journalists and bloggers from Anambra State, a conversation centered on youth empowerment, business orientation and economic narratives.


This session provided an elixir of hope among youth as he shares his personal life experience and entrepreneurial story. This interactive session was held in Lagos, south West Nigeria. The first port was at Tulip Hilton hotel Festac for brief interaction anchored by his senior special Assistant on Media Mr. Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia then to the capital oil truck Park and
finally at Jetty house for the interaction proper.


FACILITY TOUR


Participants of this interactive session were taken round the facilities of Capital oil and gas by Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyia and Mr Anyadike the truck park facility manager. From Truck Park in Amuwo to the Jetty house in Apapa.The ultra modern truck park facilities of capital oil and gas is designed to accommodate over 1000 trucks which of the biggest of its kind in Nigeria.


Mr. Anyadike said the one of the objective of constructing the truck Park is to reduce the traffic congestion on the ever busy Oshodi-Apapa expressway, gateway to Nigeria's premier port.


THE AWARD PRESENTATION


On arrival at the Jetty house, it was an avenue for the National Labour Congress (NLC) to honour the man of the moment Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah by presenting him awards of honour. The first is "LABOUR FRIENDLY AWARD" presented to capital oil and gas industry in recognition of the company's proactiveness on labour matters and consistent consideration of workers welfares, particularly on the area of industrial labour relation.


The chairman of NLC lagos chapter Mr. Tokunbo Korodo while presenting the award, noted that in this period of economic recession, many companies including financial institutions has embarked on workers downsizing but Capital oil and gas did not only retain its workforce but remain committed to the workers welfare.


The second award is "OUTSTANDING INDIGENOUS EMPLOYER OF LABOUR” presented to Dr. Ubah in recognition and appreciation of his invaluable and outstanding contribution to harmonious outstanding relationship and employment generation in Nigeria. Dr. Ubah while receiving the award reiterated his commitment to workers welfare.



THE INTERACTIVE SESSION: HIS PERSONAL LIFE/SUCCESS STORY


His life journey is an inspiring one. Dr Ifeanyi Ubah is a young man from humble background,
whose sheer hard work and ingenuity propelled to enviable height of greatness and international reckoning. It’s an opportunity he wants to make possible for the youths. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah was born to the humble, working class family in Nnewi. Being born to parents who were teachers, Ifeanyi and his siblings had a very humble beginning. They endured material
deprivations, which the children of teachers suffered.


His parents provided for their family’s needs with their meager salaries. He saw his father struggle and, as the first son, chose to take on responsibilities beyond his years in order to lessen the burden on his father and help provide for the Ubah family, made up of three older sisters and
three younger ones. He demonstrated courage and assured his father that he would make him proud, and that he would eventually shoulder the responsibility for the entire family’s upkeep.


A look at his early years reveals how Ifeanyi rose swiftly from apprenticeship at the age of 16 to running a very successful regional business at the age of 18. He traveled to Ghana and throughout Africa to expand his business and increase trade for Nigeria. By the age of 19, he made his first million naira. He emerged, quickly, as a significant player in the tyre export trade from Nigeria to Ghana. He was among the biggest suppliers of tyres to Ghana traders such as
Kingsman Enterprises.


From Ghana, he expanded his business in Nigerian trade into Liberia and Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, the war that began in Liberia affected his business and he returned to Lagos. He then expanded his business, which now included the supply of auto parts to the Congo (DRC).


His leadership qualities led him to become the president of the Nigerian community in the DRC at a young age. He took responsibility for catering for his business and for the welfare of all the Nigerians in the DRC, including taking responsibility for feeding thousands of Nigerian refugees
who fled from Congo Brazzaville.


His company continued to grow, becoming a major importer of automotive spare parts in the DRC. He also attended international trade shows such as Automotive Industrial Week in Las Vegas, USA and Automechanika in Messe Frankfurt, Germany. He extended his business activities into England, Belgium, South Africa, Dubai and other parts of the world.
He did business with large companies in South Africa, including: AE, Payen, Kolben Co., and the AngloAmerican Industrial Corporation. In Belgium and London he did business with companies including Banque Belgolaise (Brussels) and AE Automotive Parts (Leeds, UK).


Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, who started with nothing, had built a business empire beyond his dreams, and was now expanding into the field of oil and gas. He established Capital Oil SPRL in the DRC, through which he imported oil and gas from Ibeto Petrochemical Nigeria and supplied the biggest transporters and industrial establishments as well as governmental agencies such as the national railway.



In South Africa, he did business with Chevron Oronite and Elit South African Pty Limited. With the help of his mentor, Cletus Ibeto, who supported his business and further tutored him on the oil and gas climate in Nigeria, he invested his growing resources from his successful business enterprises to expand his operations in Nigeria, creating Capital Oil & Gas Industries Ltd. and thousands of jobs. The company was founded in 2001, and by 2003/2004 it had extended into haulage, transportation and petroleum products retail. One by one, he built three of the largest oil
and gas depots in all of Nigeria and acquired a fourth.


By 2011, Capital Oil Group’s depot facility was the largest in Nigeria, with a combined capacity to berth 3-6 vessels simultaneously and 32 loading arms. The group today accounts for about 30% of daily petroleum products distribution in Nigeria, employs a work- force of over 3,000, and has caused the creation an additional 1,000 related jobs. He led his company to own the largest fleet of marine vessels, barges and tug boats in Nigeria, including a large fleet of oil tankers.



ECONOMY


President John. F. Kennedy of America, in one of his inspirational speeches said: “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were and ask why not?” it is now obvious that Dr Ifeanyi Ubah decided to asked this important question just to save the economy not minding who takes the credit He discussed the current economic situation in Nigeria and maintained that Nigeria's current economic problem is beyond academics. It is also beyond the vocabulary technocrats are known to toss around and that if consulted, he will proffer solutions for its revival.


YOUTH EMPOWERMENT


The football made in Anambra project is his major youth empowerment programme which seeks to foster grassroots football. The 1 family- I football programme aims to identify and develop one footballer from every family in Anambra state. According to Dr. Ubah, these programmes will be complemented by a Football Academy and School which would kick off soonest.


Answering questions from a participant who sort to know the reason behind his interventions in the nation’s economic crisis especially his intervention to the oil subsidy crisis era when Nigerians were also subjected to serious hardship with banks and telecommunications almost closing shop before he arrested the drift by releasing oil into the market, In his response Ubah
said “I’m throwing myself up for the sake of the Nigerian masses. I’m in the position to change things and that’s why I’m offering my services. I am a critical thinker, expert in conflict resolution management. I’m not a super human being but I try to do my best. If I’m not consulted I’m Ok, but I have to let the government know that it can be done"


In concluding, Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah gave hope!


Hear him: “I have not given up on Nigeria The challenges we face as a nation are the litmus test of our collective resolve to live together. Invariably, as we walk on the thorny path to nationhood, though at a snail speed, I remain committed to solving our common problems with even greater vigour. I am committed to human capital development and I have what it takes to alleviate poverty and create job for our teeming youth. With the coal we have in Enugu, I can give the entire south east uninterrupted power supply in 6months if the concerned authorities give me a platform to do so, I will start by partnering with three south governors (Delta,Anambra and Enugu) to provide uninterrupted power supply to the three state." Ubah Resorted.


NOTE : The interactive session was held in two venues; Lagos and Nnewi. Lagos venue for those within the southwest cluster and his country
home Otolo Nnewi for those within the South East cluster . This writer witnessed the one held in Lagos,southwest Nigeria and
captured the event.


Alor Jude Okechukwu (C) 2016
Lagos,Nigeria.


 

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