MAZI SAM OHUABUNWA On the March from Corporate Cliff to Aso Rock

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former Chief Executive Officer of Neimeth Pharmaceuticals is a corporate titan with a Midas touch. The former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria is exceptional in thoughts and moves. A visionary boardroom guru at the helm of a conglomerate for 18 years, Ohuabunwa understands the burden of being a leader.  The business executive cum politician has always craved for a better Nigeria, hence, his decision to join politics. He is a member of People’s Democratic Party and currently the convener of New Nigeria Group, a political movement which believes in Nigeria’s vision of prosperity, stability and security for all. The Abia State-born presidential hopeful tells Funke Olaode about his penchant for politics, his mission and vision for

 Nigeria and why he is the best candidate for the number one job.

He boasts of an impressive resume as one of the foremost pharmacists in Nigeria who through dint of hard work climbed the ladder of success. The name Mazi Samuel Iheanyichukwu Ohuabunwa echoes with his image as an accomplished pharmacist, a boardroom guru, policy advocate and the list is endless.

A visionary and competent man, his leadership and grasp on administration reached the peak in 1997 as managing director of Pfizer during a buyout of Pfizer which he successfully concluded. The foreign company left. The country witnessed the arrival of a competent hand who not only turned the fortune of the company but nurtured it to an enviable height.

Born on August 16, 1950, Ohuabunwa first graced the corporate carpet at the age of 27 having graduated from the foremost Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State in 1976 where he studied Pharmacy. By the time he retired voluntarily from Neimeth which he founded, the Abia State born business executive cum politician has ticked all the boxes by achieving many of his set goals throughout his career.

Looking dapper in his black suits and matching tie, Ohuabunwa doesn’t look like a man who is a few months away from turning 72.  His green fez cap with bold inscription “MSO for President 2023” also seals his youthful looks. He has travelled country-wide, doing the footwork of consultations on his latest ambition to be the president of Nigeria under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ohuabunwa may not have held political office, but he has been active in pressure groups and politics. During the period of his stewardship as CEO, he got involved in a lot of economic advocacy initiatives. He was the foundation President of the West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, former chairman of the Manufacturer Association of Nigeria. He was also the chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group with the sole aim to get Nigeria to be globally competitive. Today, he is the Convener of the New Nigeria Group and a presidential hopeful for the office of the president in 2023.

What is the New Nigeria Group all about? He explained: “It is a political movement that has a life of its own. And in the group we have people from all sides of the political equation, left and right, even non-political people, but they believe in the New Nigeria vision. Those who are in PDP are supporting us. Those who are also not in PDP are also giving us their support. They believe that there is Nigeria that is possible, that is different from what we are seeing, and that it will be a globally competitive nation and a country that will work for everybody. NNG is a support group even as I move into PDP.”

With many aspects of his career life thriving in the pharmaceutical industry, Ohuabunwa was also conscious of the political space. And like a true patriot, he was taking notes and waiting for the right time. His ambition to join politics dates back to 1986 while with Pfizer.

“I went to the United States of America as Group Sales Manager for Pfizer. And there were 106 managers and sales directors that came to that meeting. At the end of the conference I was nominated as the best participating sales manager. Immediately the announcement was made, I became everybody’s friend. People started coming around to greet and congratulate me. And then some questions were asked. Where did you go to school? I said I went to the University of Ife. Where is that one? I said in Nigeria. They said, wow, do you have good universities in Nigeria? I said many things. ABU, UNN, UI, UNILAG, UNIBEN, I started mentioning universities that were existing then. They said then it means you must have very smart people in your country like you.  I said I have millions of smart people, even smarter than I. An elderly man said, ‘why is your country the way it is?’ I was able to answer the first two questions but the third one, I began to scratch my head. I could not find an answer. He said with all the good schools, all smart people like you, why is your country continuously in the news for the bad reason? I could not answer. This was in 1986.”

Jolted by the US scenario he decided not to sit on the fence but to get involved after fulfilling his mission and vision in his professional calling.  “So, I began to tell myself, ‘Sam, you must do something. What did I think I needed to do? I was to do advocacy, to go and persuade the government, provide strategies, to do mission statements, to do summits and conferences. I have been involved in vision 2010 and Nigeria Political Reformed Conference, my country is not moving forward. They are not achieving that globally competitiveness I have always wished for. I came to the point and a conviction that rather than continue to write, in fact sometime, I will be a journalist. I was writing three newspaper columns a week. I wrote on Monday for Guardian, Tuesday for Business Day, Wednesday for Vanguard for seven years, 2012 to 2019, communicating this same vision. I said the time has come to do something, that is why I have come out,” he said.

With hindsight in corporate management, Ohuabunwa understands perfectly well the burden of being a leader.  The business executive cum politician has always craved for a better Nigeria. “I am coming to change Nigeria’s narrative. Just as you are tired, I am tired.  Many Nigerians are tired. Those in the Diaspora are tired. Those in Nigeria are tired of hearing the same story given the same excuses. The principal problem of Nigeria is leadership. Nigeria has a chronic leadership deficit at the political level.  People come to office either unprepared, they come with no vision, incompetent, and some are competent but they have no character. Some have character but they do not have competence. Some have competence, they have character but they don’t have courage.”

Ohuabunwa believes that an enlightened leader with character, competence, vision and courage will change Nigeria’s story.  Enumerating various problems militating against Nigeria as a nation, he identifies poverty, corruption, injustice, and insecurity. “Everything else falls below these four demons. If we get poverty out and turn Nigeria into a prosperous nation, we will have been done with a lot of our problems. Our greatest problem is poverty. People are hungry, people are jobless, and 53% of our youths have no job. 22% of those who have jobs are underemployed. In which case, they are not doing jobs that are in sync with their educational experience. 33% of our population don’t have work at all. 71% of Nigerians are classified as poor by the World Bank. So, our critical issues are how we increase the economic opportunity. Open the space for more economic fulfillment for our people, especially the young people who have lost hope in this country and who have become instruments in the hands of extremists.

To desire a new Nigeria that makes you think positively requires a real transformational leadership, sense of accountability, focus on values but above all, economic prosperity. While reflecting on plans for economic growth, he offered a glimpse into his dream for the nation.

“If given a chance, what we will do is to open this economy and create opportunities for people to thrive. An economy has to operate on a simple principle. Do we want to grow this economy? Yes. What do we do? Make Nigeria an investment haven. Promote local investors, local businessmen, and the support the business needs is small but the benefit is a lot. So, we create an enabling environment for local businessmen to invest and then for foreign investors to come. It is investment that I have repeated that creates business. It is money, capital that creates the business, programmes and projects. These businesses, programmes and projects create jobs, these jobs create wealth and wealth drives away poverty.”

He added that for Nigeria to grow her economy, three things are needed: human capital, financial capital and a market.

“Nigeria does have a large human capital that much. Nigeria has the market, what we don’t have is financial capital. If God grants me the privilege to become president, my portfolio will be Minister of Investment. I will come and do the ceremony of the president but every day I sleep and wake up, my thoughts will be how I can make my country a preferred investment destination. Anybody who has 100 million dollars in America, I want him to come to Nigeria. Nigerian in Diaspora in the UK and China, I want them to come and put their business here. That is my whole work and if I do that in four years this country will change. There is no other magic, even the Boko Haram people will stop fighting. Because people don’t want to die if they have a better life, even those who are fanatical. The reason that they get into fanaticism is that it is an escape route for them.  The moment you satisfy them economically they stop all these things they are doing.  Why are British people and Americans less religious than us? Were they not the people who brought religion to us?  But it is their feeling of sophistication and well-being.”

In his presidential pursuit, Ohuabunwa is marching forward, relying strongly on his integrity in the face of opponents with financial war chest. Unperturbed, he said he believes power is in the people, not money.

“I was in Ekiti State two weeks ago meeting with PDP people. After talking to the PDP delegates, I left some small money for logistics and said ‘manage this just to pay for transportation.’ I am a private person, I don’t compare myself with anybody. I am also not competing with anybody, take it with love. So I finished, the chairman now took me to go and see the party leader in Ekiti State – Ayo Fayose. When we got to Ayo Fayose, the chairman said, his excellency, you know I told you that Mazi, the presidential aspirant is coming. He came and he spoke to us and at the end of the day he dropped with the party N750,000. Ayo Fayose said, ‘Why are you making this announcement? He said he is making it out of transparency that he wanted to be transparent. He said look, let me tell you something, this is the only man who is spending his money doing politics. This is the only man who is making sacrifices. And because this man is making a sacrifice, his one Naira will go far higher than your N10 million because God has seen the sacrifice. I checked his CV, he has never worked for the government; he is not a government contractor, so he is the one making sacrifice.

“I don’t have money but I have people and I believe that at the end of the day people are more than money. And we will have enough money to do the important things that need to be done in politics. But we will not bribe people to elect us to office. Because there is nothing we are seeking personally and just like you said, pay the bills for supporters, do logistics, we will do. But to go and do that money for money or dollar for dollar, I am not in that business at all. Because if I have $40 million or $50 million, I better use that money and start businesses in every local government, build factories, build industries and employ people and create a small new Nigeria. One new Nigeria, anybody who comes there will be happy. Nigerians have become wiser than they were a few years back. Money will still play a role but it will not be the deciding factor. It used to go to the biggest bidder, but I don’t think it will happen in 2023.”

On his view on power shift to the younger generation, he said the youths matter and that experience also counts. “In politics, experience counts, maturity counts, network counts. What I think is important in Nigeria is not the chronological age, it is the state of your heart. I always say that we need a rounded man or woman to run Nigeria. Somebody that has a sound mind and of a proper spiritual strength. Some of the work to be done in Nigeria will need spiritual work. The person must be spiritually strong, his mind must be okay, and his body must be working well. If you go to the hospital today at the emergency ward, you may even see children, middle aged, young people, suffering from all kinds of illness. So, it is not just the old people who have issues of health, some young people can be unhealthy and some old people can be healthy, it just doesn’t matter. I subscribe to the desire of young people and for me they are going to be the major beneficiaries of my presidency. I am really going to the office because of the young people, that is the real motivation.”

Regarding a Nigerian president from Igbo and South of Nigeria, Ohuabunwa voiced his mind why it has become imperative? “What I believe is that many Nigerians have a sense of justice, they have a sense of equity. Many Nigerians want peace in our nation. Many Nigerians are asking how do we unite this country? And some of them believe that one way is to show equity in the rotation. The rotation that has served us well should continue. And everybody that I have met who in my own estimation loves this country has come to that conclusion. That the people of South East should be given an opportunity to present a candidate in 2023.  Other regions have had opportunities. That has become something that I think people will like to support. I support it, because it will achieve two things: first is that the south east can really produce a competent president. The South-east people have certain natural proclivity. No matter what you talk about them, one of the things you cannot take away from them is that at least we create wealth. You cannot also take away the fact that in Nigeria today, they represent one of the groups that love this country in reality, not by word of mouth but by demonstration. Everywhere you go in Nigeria after the indigenous population, the people of the south east are perhaps the next second highest population in most parts of Nigeria. So, I think it is something we should support.

On the second benefit he said, “It will bring this sense of justice, equity and inclusiveness. There is hope for every other Nigerian group. Every state in Nigeria has people -competent people-but we need to search for them; you don’t pick them on the streets. The concept of zoning is not a bad concept. Until Nigeria becomes a truly united nation, because those who are saying forget about zoning, it is not in the constitution are being clever by half. They were the same people when it was their turn and said it was our turn. Now, it is not anybody’s turn. Secondly, if you want to build a nation where there will be no zoning then let’s build that one. Do you know how it is built in America? It is built if you are born in New York, you are a New Yorker. After four years, if you decide to relocate to Florida, after a few years of living in Florida, you have become a Floridarian, then you go to Texas, you become a Texan. So a father can be from New York while he son is from Florida, and wife from Texas. So, where are you going to zone? It is completely destroyed. If we want to get to that level, let’s start doing that. I was born in Rivers State; my father was born in Rivers State but they say I am from Abia. What else will I do to qualify to come from Rivers? And you say you want to build a united country, how will that happen?”

Reeling out his agenda, he insisted he would be focused on fixing the economy, war against corruption and also prioritise education.

“We are going to run an aggressive foreign exchange economy from the day we come to office.  Any kobo we earn from the third year will be invested in a sovereign wealth fund. Meanwhile, we are going to crack petroleum and bring out all those hydrocarbons and petrochemicals. Then we go to gas which still has a future in the world. Have you been to Rivers state or the oil producing area – Niger Delta, to see the way gas is being flared?  More gas is flared than fertilizer harvesting, and why can’t we harvest that gas and turn it around to liquefied natural gas? Of course, refineries will run in Nigeria, Nigeria will stop importing instead we will be exporting because our neighbours here need our refined petrol. We take the market around us.  How about power? Power is two years after we have become president. The power problem in Nigeria would have ended. I have checked, it takes about 24 months to build power plants,” he said, confidently.”

A people’s man, when he is not talking politics, he relaxes in the company of friends. As his phone rang for another engagement, Ohuabunwa sprang up from his seat, exchanging banter with some of his guests. On a parting note, he sounded quite prophetic.

“God has answered our prayers as a nation. Every Nigerian eligible should go out to vote and defend their votes because God has promised us what he will do in 2023 and his will be done.”