The Expensive Silence of Napims’ Former Boss, Dafe Sejebor

Like a human giraffe, sniffing at mortals beneath his gaze, Dafe Sejebor, the former Group General Manager (GGM) of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), had the poise of a beautiful bride when he was in power. He was more or less a tin-god. Friends and political associates worshipped the ground on which he treaded. Today, like all man-made deities, Dafe stopped resembling a ‘god’ or something like one after he was removed; he began to lose worth like the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat. Yes, they hardly talk about Dafe now unlike few months ago.

At the end, everything passes into insignificance; power, fame and the applause of man’s most patronizing gallery too. And none other perhaps understands this much than Sejebor. Since he was replaced with Roland Ewubare, Dafe must have realised how fleeting power and affluence could be. He reigned supreme. Guys worshiped him, ladies adored him, and whenever he appeared at social events in those days, ground literally trembled.

No more is he the darling of every lobbyist, contractor and political associate with a plan. He must have learnt too that there is no permanent enemy or friend, only permanent interest. With unbridled power at his beck and call then in NNPC, the present looked grand and the future looked even more promising. But today, things have changed. He certainly rides the tide of the rough, rude sea of the petroleum industry, like a storm-hardened sailor. Today, he is not as relevant as he used to be NAPIMS nay NNPC’s power

You couldn’t have forgotten so soon when Dafe was invited to sit before an investigative hearing conducted by the House of Representatives’ Committees on Petroleum (Upstream) and Public Procurement over an alleged $260 million “illegal” contract by NAPIMS.