My Passion Is To Stand For The Less Privileged – Johnbosco Ozigbo

Tricia Iwuoha

It is not often that you find young men who have worked their way to the top demonstrate such milk of kindness as expressed in the manner he is standing for the less privileged. The story of this quintessential young man is quite inspiring. He is not just educated but sits atop a business empire that spans several spheres. He is comfortable, gives not because he wants your votes (not in politics) but because he knows what it means not to have. Listening to him speak not only were we thrilled but appreciated the fact he ushered us into his world.

Can you tell us about yourself Sir

I am Johnbosco Ozigbo. I am from Abba in Nwangele local government of Imo State. I hold a PhD degree in Economics. I am a serial investor, a sports fan. People describe me as a philanthropist of note reaching out to the down trodden. Truly, I believe in standing for the oppressed and detest all forms of discrimination. My business focuses on construction and marine transportation including dredging- I play in the oil and gas business and farming as well. 

Can you explain what you mean by serial investor?   

I love investing in different kinds of businesses, in the money market, the financial sector, the maritime, agriculture and manufacturing etc.

What is your motivation getting into all of these ventures?

My motivation is about creating employment. I found out that unemployment is a serious macro-economic problem in Nigeria and it comes with its attendant issues like high level kidnapping, armed robbery, and all manner of social vices. As a way to play a role in abating the menace of unemployment in Nigeria, I decided to get involved in all kind of businesses for people to generate meaningful source of income. 

Your involvement in agriculture, specifically as a farmer is not known to many. How long have you been a farmer? 

I have been in farming for ten plus years. 

What kind of farming?

I am into poultry and animal husbandry. 

As a renowned construction magnate what is the strength of your work force?

I have about 500 people or slightly more. 

What is behind your motivation reaching out to people?

I said earlier that I like to stand for the oppressed. That is a core principle in my life; call it mantra if you like. I feel the society may have oppressed these people and they did not get the opportunity to get educated to excel in life meaningfully. I reach out to them. Secondly, I do not give because I have so much but because I know what it actually means not having at all. So if I put myself in that position which I have actually seen growing up, not having at all is a very terrible situation. It gives me the courage to support others. 

You have also extended your philanthropic gesture to the universities where you built an Agricultural Research Centre. Can you throw more light on this? 

One is to immortalise the name of my late senior brother who is my hero, my mentor who saw me through the various strata in education. I do know that that institution, the Federal University of Technology, Owerri will stand the test of time. So establishing an Agricultural Research Centre in his name would immortalise his name and also a way to express my love for agriculture. That was why I have to build and donate the Agric Research Centre in that citadel of learning. 

Given the heights you have attained so far do you see yourself as a fulfilled man?   

I am not there yet. I was brought up to not dream small dreams. My Dad use to tell me that it doesn’t matter if you dream of building sky scrapper and you end up getting to the fourth floor and you can’t do it anymore. The worst is dreaming of an up stair and you start but can’t complete and become complacent and you say that you are fulfilled. I want to do more still. I want to give back to the society as much as I can. I want to engage in academics, lecturing full-time. Presently I am a part-time lecturer. I have written a book on Econometrics and am a member of the World Econometric Society (WES), European Economic Association (EEA), as well as the Nigerian Economic Society (NES). I am still longing to become a full-time lecturer in Economics one day.  My area in Economics is Econometrics which scares many students because of its quantitative nature. It is a combination of mathematics and statistics. I think that it is very easy; I want to break it down, make it easier for them, and help society grow more economists that can help Nigeria make more meaningful economic policies. 

Taking your dreams into account are you satisfied or disappointed with the manner the Nigerian society is run today?

I am not afraid of speaking my mind. I think the most thriving businesses in Nigeria are politics and religion and the commodity traded in these two thriving businesses are human beings. The politicians have failed the country. There is no politician that I have seen that have the spirit of nation building. Nigeria today has about $36 billion in foreign reserve and our debt level is about $59 billion indicating that our debt profile is too high. These people that are saddled with the responsibility of taking care of their citizens turn around to exploit them, extort, mismanage, misappropriate their resources and involve themselves in extra budgetary expenditures. It is terrible and until there is a change of mind on the part of this set of politicians the country’s problem will still remain there. On the side of religion, a country like China can produce about 2 million graduates in different fields every year but here in Nigeria we produce over 3. 5 million pastors every year. One begins to wonder if prayers will create employment, if prayers will give us steady electricity, if miracles will solve mathematics. I tell my children every day that if they pray from now till tomorrow it will not teach them the formula to solve mathematical problems if they don’t know it. Back to the question I am not happy the way the country’s affairs have been run. I pray that the 3 million pastors we produce every day should help us solve our problem with their miracles.     

With this mind set why have you not joined politics to help resolve some of these issues?

Yes, really I don’t like treachery. Politics in Nigeria come with some kind of behavioural pattern that is not consistent with my belief and orientation. I believe that if I tell you yes, it is yes, and not telling you yes when you leave I mock you and do a different thing. I have not come to terms with accepting that as a norm. I can’t tell someone A and is doing B. 

You have been involved in community development in so many areas, how do you think that the poverty gap can be bridged to salvage the situation for the locals?

As an economist, the income inequality that is the poverty gap is measured by the Guinea Index. It is usually from 0 -100. The closer you are to 100 means that the poverty gap is very wide and bad. Curbing or managing income inequality has to do with job creations which is what I am trying to do by bringing oil mill industry in our areas so that youths and old women can be gainfully employed. When they start to make money you will start to narrow the gap. I am also trying to open an Asphalt plant in our area. The interest or the view is to narrow the income inequality by creating jobs and which will lead to economic growth. 

You have been in the construction business for sometimes, what is the biggest project that you have handled so far?      

Bridges, I have handled a bridge project of which the width of the river is about 200 metres and the bridge is still standing today.

Where was the project done? 

It was executed around Egbema area. We have also done several roads ranging from 20, 25 kilometers within Imo and Rivers States.

You work for the state or federal government or both?

I work for the federal government. I have not worked for any state government. I also work for the oil and gas firms as well as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). 

How would you score the federal government in terms of its delivery on road constructions in the country? 

We have a lot of problem in Nigeria. In the Capital Expenditure, the amount they have budgeted for road construction is not enough. The current budget is N10.6 trillion with debt repayment chalking up 2.5 trillion and the current expenditure is about 4 trillion. So the debt and current expenditure has already taken a greater part of the budget. So you see that education, works, defence, housing and everything suffers. What it means is that they are doing on paper what looks good but its implementation is very poor. The massive road networks requiring construction in each fiscal year does not get enough attention. Many suffer from flooding and lack of maintenance. 

Overall what is your impression about the budget? 

Our debt to revenue ratio is not encouraging. Our debt ratio is very high and the government is not anywhere near the pathway to get adequate revenue to finance the budget. The biggest problem there is the debt profile which is very high and the repayment plan is not what this country should be talking about now.  

The Imo State government, your own state, has been appealing to its citizens in the country and in diaspora and the global citizens to come and support its development programs. Have you any plan to partner with the government or support it in any manner? 

Yes, whenever I am called upon and with the right enabling environment I will respond. 

But the government is already reaching out and calling on its citizens wherever they may be? 

I think that is a blanket call to all. I have spoken to the governor. We will do the needful. I am already heavily invested in the state except that that may not be proportional to what the governor may expect. With further enabling environment we will do the needful and perhaps step up the scope of our efforts. 

There is this allegation that NDDC contractors are no longer living up to expectation. They are accused of now performing substandard jobs, colluding with government officials to short change the beneficiary communities. What is your take on this?  

I think that anyone that says that NDDC is not working should visit Nwangele LGA, where I come from and where I have attracted NDDC projects. You can also use Abba as a point of reference. When you see that you can draw your conclusion. I think that answers your question. I am not aware of any connivance with any government official. However, I will not say that it is completely wrong assertion. There are people who have different agenda and different orientation. I wish that the government will fish out the bad eggs and deal with the situation. It is however, wrong to generalise the situation and label all contractors. In every society, in every situation, in every parastatal there are bad eggs. It is contingent on the government to fish out and take away the bad eggs before they completely destroy the system. 

This could possibly be what led to the current audit of the present NDDC as ordered by the federal government?   

No doubt that could be what led the President to call for investigation of the activities in the NDDC. 

How do you feel being conferred with a traditional title by the traditional rulers of your local government and what does that mean to you?

I think that is an unprecedented move. All my life I have not seen the traditional of Nwangele LGA come together to confer a traditional title on one of their sons. And that explains what I told you earlier that if you think that there are no developmental activities you come there and see. At the risk of being immodest, I think that is a deserving situation for me because I have the welfare and well-being of my people at heart. I think I have earned the chieftaincy title. 

In a few words can you describe yourself?

Articulate, Humane, Upstanding as Americans would say, Industrious, and Cordial

Outside God are there role models that influenced your life to become the man that you are today?

Yes, as a child I was introduced to what I would call the finest things by my late brother. I like things that are prim, proper, well knit. In those days I use to wake up and water the flowers, fertilise them once in a week, use shearer to trim them, sweep, keep the house tidy, wash and keep everything eclectic. So my late brother was my role model. I made sure that the car; the environment is clean, putting on behaviour that will make you stand out, be humble read books, pass exams.

With your comment on the production of pastors what is your general opinion about religion? 

I have an unshakeable belief in God. As a matter of fact, nothing in this world would change that. I have not gone to see any native doctor before, I don’t belong to any society, nothing. But I am of the opinion that missionary work should not be commercialised. I leave it at that. 

What challenges confronts you in your business?

The challenges are consistent with the challenges that people and government faces in Nigeria. There is the electricity issue. Some of the industries are not functional because of power. Even if you buy generators you may not have good diesel to run them and that will equally shoot up your overhead costs. The banking industry with its lending rate is also a key challenge. We still borrow money at high double digit irrespective of the guided deregulated system that the Central bank gave the commercial banks. The issue of security is another challenge. You strive to ensure that you leave your house and return home without being snatched by kidnappers and some places that you would want to go are cut down because of insecurity in the country.

Looking at your childhood can you compare notes with then and what you have today?   

My upbringing cannot be compared with what I have today. My Dad also helped me much not to be carried away by the present situation. My upbringing was a mixture of not having, having a bit coming up to middle class to where I am now. I have passed through all of the levels. I don’t get carried away by anything. It is not in my head at all because I am trained on all the levels.

You have talked about the influence of your senior brother. What role did your parents play in your upbringing as a child? 

Actually consistent with what is written in the bible that you should train a child in the ways of the Lord and when they grow up they shall not depart from it. That was my vanguard. I went to the mission every day. My father brought us up to believe that there is nothing like Africa magic, jazz, juju and all that they do not exist. My father told us to be careful about where and what we eat and drink because poison exists but for somebody to go and do something to deter your progress that is rubbish. I cannot believe that.  My father lived very long before he died. I learnt a lot from him. My father played a big role in my life. He is a very intelligent man and in the whole community of Abba, he was the first man to pass standard six. I still have the letters that he wrote to me. He wrote in calligraphic writing. My Mum is a very strong woman. She is not very kind but very strong and straight forward. She does not lie. She does not care and has no reservations and says it all the way it is. If you want to frown or smile, fine. In her family they do not have much and so she is not carried away by the affluence. She has not even called me before to give her N1000. If you give her she will take though she calls me to help people but for herself, no. She is unlike my father who is very kind to a fault. My father can give you his food and stay hungry for days but my mother will tell you I will never give you my food and remain hungry. If my Mum has enough to eat and give you she will do unlike my father. The spirit of giving came from my Dad. My mother used to tease him and tell him that he is not normal. He will give his last kobo to someone and come back to her to say give me money, I don’t have. I think the two of them complement each other. My mother beat us always which helped us to become better. My father can manage you and warn that ‘I don’t like this kind of character’ then my mother would say is that all, have you finished talking. Then she meets you in the room and presses you down and says you cannot behave like this, that it is a shameful conduct. She will say, ‘If I beat you don’t cry, I don’t want your father to hear of it.’

Do you have any future plans to vie for any elective position?  

No. 

How do you unwind when you are not actively engaged in activities?    

I hang out with my friends. I am PH city boy. I like to see happy people. I like to hang out and see people express themselves happily in a convivial environment. Sometimes I stay in my house to play music.

Earlier you mentioned you sustained knee injury playing football. At what level do you play, club or just to keep fit? 

We have a sports club here. It is like an All Stars arrangement, for people who played football in their hey days but now come together to play like 2 times a week. It is just to keep fit.

When you disengage from active business what would you like to be remembered for?    

The legacy I want to leave behind is that of a man that loves his people. I love my people to a fault and I want the place to really be an exemplary community. I can extend that to the state in any way that I can. I want to be remembered as that man that has provided homes for the less privileged. We have built a few of those houses and gave them out. I will like to be remembered as a person that sent children to school, those that cannot afford education. One of the students on my scholarship graduated from a Ghanaian University and I am supposed to be there to witness her induction. She may not have gone to school talk less being a doctor if not for my intervention. Generally, I would like to be remembered for touching lives positively. 

What is your advice to young entrepreneurs?  

Simple, is just to stay focused and don’t take your eyes off the ball. You can be anything you want to be if you can sustain the tenacity. You don’t lose hope because you have tried once, thrice and did not succeed. They should have the fear of God as well. The challenges most often hinge on lack of finance, start-up capital. But if they are able to push through the peripheral initial challenges they would arrive. It is said that if you snooze you lose. So they should stay focused. If their contemporaries are waking up by 4am they should wake up by 2.30am. They should also carve a niche for themselves. They should focus on unexplored frontiers. In this oil and gas, cement and construction a thousand and one people are doing it. They have been doing it before the young entrepreneurs begin to seek to venture into it. They may not meet up the competition because the older competitors are everywhere. They should break new grounds. There are too many new things to do. 

Thank you so much.