How He Conquered The Land, Sea And Air
No one who knew Captain Wells Idahosa Okunbo, the billionaire businessman and chairman of Ocean Marine Security Limited, an offshore assets protection company, will ever forget him; millions who never met him but felt they knew him will remember him for what he was worth: a humanitarian and successful business magnate who lifted himself by the jockstraps to confront poverty, the affliction of his childhood and conquer it. As the nation mourns the demise of the multibillionaire philanthropist and businessman, TheCapital examines the life of the illustrious son of Edo State.
Were an outpouring of eulogies and tears potent enough to rouse a dead man, Captain Wells Idahosa Okunbo, the billionaire businessman and chairman of Ocean Marine Security Limited, who died early hours of yesterday, Sunday, would have reconsidered spending a few more days, for a brief parting repartee before plunging into his eternal sleep.
He was a man without guile. Despite being involved in the fickle and fractious world of high society, he retained a sweetness of character and good nature till the very end. Captain Wells Idahosa Okunbo’s story resonates with an inspiring peal in whatever tenor or language it is recounted. It speaks to the diligence and eventual rise to eminence of a hard worker from the backwaters. Indeed, thedirge of life resonates again, this time in the household of the Okunbos.
Death, the dreaded dialogue between the spirit and the dust has finally manifested like a dark pall, shielding the late billionaire’s mortal soul from the beams of life.
Yes, Okunbo is dead; the philanthropist has gone to sleep where earthly crusts weigh upon the eyelids, keeping it closed six-feet underground.
He died on Sunday, August 8th in a London hospital after a protracted battle with Pancreatic cancer. Though he was 63 at the time of his death, his death served as a rude shock to his friends, family and business associates. Many of the sympathizers, who thronged his residence to commiserate with his family, expressed their regrets at the untimely death of a man widely acknowledged as a fair and compassionate philanthropist.
Predictably, his death threw Lagos and Abujainto mourning that so clearly contrasts with his infectious mirth and boisterousness while he was alive. There is no gainsaying Okunbo was a man who impacted positively on everyone that came in contact with him.
Interestingly, however, heachieved several great feats and remarkable firsts while navigating the cutthroat world of business and the swampland of human treachery.
Despite his large heart, Okunbosuffered untold betrayal by friends and business associates. Even so, he harboured no ill-will against his traducers.
Thank God for Captain Okiunbo, public and private lives intersected with the verve of humaneness and growth, for that was indeed what he symbolized to many while he was alive. But somewhere along the line the magic departed and the demons moved in; after Okunbo fell ill to Pancreaticcancer, his fate was determined.
With his departs the hopes of a world that had turned his life into part of its own projected unforgettable history and experiences. Okunbocaptivated and intrigued the world like few privileged humans has. His grace and charm substantiates his irrepressible image as the ordinary boy who became an extraordinary icon for generations of Nigerians, irrespective of class, gender and ethnicity. Captain Wells Idahosa Okunbomanaged to enthrall us with his ingenious philanthropy and humane politics. Sadly he had to depart our mortal world at the age of 63.
Born in Benin City in 1958 to the family of Reverend Robert Amos Okunbo, a clergy, teacher and community leader, young Idahosa Wells Okunbo had his primary education at Government Primary School in Benin City, old Bendel State now Edo State. He proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri, in 1971. After studying at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria, Kaduna State, Okunbo became a professional commercial pilot at the age of 21.He later attended Acme School Of Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, in 1983, where he obtained his airline transport pilot license.
He was a flight captain with Intercontinental Airlines for about two years and was later employed by Okada Airlines for three years. In 1988, he retired from piloting at the age of 30, having logged over 7,000 hours of flight time, and ventured into private business. He first established Hoslyn Ventures Nigeria Ltd, an indigenous oilfield service company responsible for the Early Production Facility (EPF) project at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 1998 and 2001 and procurement in the Nigerian petroleum sector.
Captain Okunbo evolved into one of Nigeria’s biggest entrepreneurs with businesses spanning engineering and technology, energy, integrated service in the petroleum sector, maritime, hospitality, security, agriculture and others. He commanded the awe of many of his peers and admirers in Nigeria’s socio-political and business sector, there is no gainsaying that he had conquered the air as a pilot; the sea as an oil and gas player with over 60 vessels; land as he recently unveiled the five-star Wells CarltonHotel and Apartments in Abuja; and an agricultural project worth a staggering $750 million with an initial $300 million take-off capital.
The farm, located at Odighi and Odiguetue in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of his native Edo State, has already taken off with an $11 million 20-hectare Green House vegetable farm, which products would be exported overseas. Expected to create 25,000 direct and 60,000 indirect jobs, the farm would produce cash and arable crops such as cocoa, pineapples, pawpaw, banana, and stevia. Other products expected from the farm are livestock including cattle, poultry, and piggery; just as it will also engage in the production of tilapia – all targeted at export and meeting the protein and milk requirement of Nigerians. The farm also has plans for an agro-industrial park and airstrip to evacuate products to Europe and elsewhere.
Okunbo was also a notable philanthropist thus; his establishment of a not-for-profit foundation was to positively impact the lives of the needy in Nigeria. The foundation puts smiles on people’s faces by creating or supporting initiatives that deliver knowledge, skills, resources and infrastructure that will stimulate innovation, facilitate commerce, drive enterprise and improve living conditions. Its core programme interests are entrepreneurship, education, health, and rural development.
For over three decades, Okunbo had been cutting large swaths through the labyrinths of an otherwise impervious and volatile industry and he was commensuratelyrevered. Recently, he signed the mouth-watering Financing and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) deal worth $876m with CMES-OMS Petroleum Development Company Ltd (CDPC) for the development of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 65, an asset of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd, NPDC.
The deal was necessitated by the need to boost the nation’s crude oil reserves and daily oil production and its boundless potential “to explore, appraise and add reserves to base. It is also expected that the deal would help the Federal Government to earn more than $6 billion in taxes and royalties and a firm guarantee to engage indigenous companies in the industry for ancillary services, thereby providing direct and indirect job opportunities.
In recognition of his entrepreneurial excellence, Captain Okunbo, who blazed peerless trails in the world of business, was bestowed with the prestigious Order of Lafayette award at the United Nations Day for Global Peace. The Order of Lafayette is a patriotic, hereditary, nonpartisan, and fraternal organization established in New York City in 1958 by Colonel Hamilton Fish III (1888-1991), a former Congressman from New York and decorated veteran of the First World War. Captain Okunbo was especially honoured for his distinguished role in encouraging, engendering and entrenching peace and harmony in Africa and the world at large. He was presented with his award by His Excellency, Robert Blum, chairman of the Order of Lafayette Awards. Present at the auspicious and exclusive awards presentation were diplomats and political and economic leaders from all over the world who had all come to celebrate with one of their own.
There have been many such coveted awards and honours from Nigeria and all over the world notably, in 2012, when the American Congress honoured him with the ‘Black Titan’ Award for being a voice of the Niger Delta people through his movie: ‘Black November’, which he bankrolled.
Effortlessly, he personified the famous quote of Vince Lombardi that “Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit.”
Indeed, having hacked his path to affluence in honest, industrious strides, he spread outs like a bastion of human aspiration even as his exploits become objects of the world affection.
As a businessman, Okunbo hadthe same fundamental psychology as the artist, inventor, or statesman. His sterling industry, humanity and unpretentious modesty manifested on all of his acquaintances positively. Capt. Okunbo was a patriot whose commitment to national and economic stability are beyond doubt. By grit, persistence and hard work, he built a great empire that employs thousands of Nigerians and Africans in highly profitable and futuristic endeavour. He gave generously to medical research, the arts, education, think tanks and science without courting the media’s attention. He cared deeply about the values that make success in Nigeria and the African continent possible — free markets, freedom, limited censure and healthy competition.
The philosophers tell us that money corrupts and billions of money corrupts absolutely. He lived as if his intimidating billions didn’t get to him. He hadn’t tried to become anybody else’s idea of a billionaire. He remained himself, with earnest grace, tenderness and sense of humourto the very last. His power waslargely in his self-awareness and wit.
Yes, he was unflinchingly, unnervingly honest. How many times shall he be remembered? In how many different ways? With just a glance, a smile or a gesture that spoke so much more than word she revealed to his loved ones, the depth of his compassion and his humanity. He was the people’s prince, and that is how he will stay, in their hearts and in their memories. Survived by his beautiful wife, Nosa and 11 wonderful children.
