The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mike Adenuga

  • Obasanjo to Awujale: Your claims about me untrue

    Obasanjo to Awujale: Your claims about me untrue

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday replied the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, on the monarch’s assertions of him in his autobiography “Awujale: The Autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K. Adetona, Ogbagba II,” published in 2010.

    Obasanjo said Oba Adetona’s assertions of him are “tissues of lies and untruth.”

    In the autobiography, the monarch had accused Obasanjo of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to blackmail and extort during his tenure as president of the country.

    The ex – President in a statement issued from his Presidential Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and made available to The Nation, said it was the then Vice-Chancellor of Bells University, Prof. Julius Okogie, who invited billionaire businessman, Chief Mike Adenuga, to contribute to a project at the institution but didn’t inform him about it until Adenuga pulled out of the arrangement.

    Obasanjo noted that Adenuga did not need to send anything to satisfy him or establish his innocence but only needed to satisfy the EFCC.

    The ex- President said with the insistence of Adenuga to send documents to him, the Awujale was insinuating that he was the one to be satisfied and not the EFCC.

    Obasanjo said, “The extract from your Autobiography “Awujale: The Autobiography of Alaiyeluwa Oba S. K. Adetola, Ogbagba II,” published by Mosuro Publishers 2010, pp. 187-195, which I attached to this letter was presented to me for my attention.

    “Your assertion in the publication was a tissue of lies and untruth.  Olopade is one of my best friends and yes, I would be at his birthday celebration but I would not have invited Mike, your cousin, to meet me anywhere other than my office or official residence as President of Nigeria.  Kabiyesi, do you think I would set the press up to capture me and Mike in a photograph for the newspapers?  That would be puerile of me as President.  Of course, I could not say that Mike could not do that.  That you think that I, as President of Nigeria, would descend to such depravity makes me think of you much less than I thought of you, until now.”

  • Mike Adenuga remembers mum

    The bond between mother and child is one that lasts a lifetime. It is one that cannot be changed by time or distance. It is the purest kind of love; unconditional and true. It understands every situation and forgives every mistake.

    This bond, so pure, holds between Globacom boss, Mike Adenuga, and his mother, Madam Oyindamola Juliana Adenuga. Even in death, Madam Oyindamola Juliana Adenuga retains the very big and impressive part of her billionaire son’s heart. The guru, as Dr. Mike is fondly called, loved his late mother with incredible passion. And even though death has snatched her from him, he still adores her and cherishes his memories of her.

    A disciplinarian of note, the late Madam Oyindamola is credited with moulding the businessman into the success he is today. It therefore comes as no surprise that Mike gave her a very befitting burial upon her demise about 11 years ago. A few days ago, Mike remembered his mother and his father, Pa Michael Agbolade Adenuga, who passed on in 1979. There was a prayer session for the repose of their souls.

  • Mike Adenuga set for low-key birthday celebration

    Some are blessed with musical abilities, others with good looks, but Mike Adenuga is blessed with a double dose of modesty. Late Maya Angelou once said that modesty is a learned affection that drops as soon as life slams the modest person against the wall. This, however, is not the case with Dr. Mike Adenuga, the Chairman of Globacom, a telecommunication firm with multinational status.

    His humble past probably serves as a constant reminder that life is a fickle mistress that must be courted with humility and caution. To him, not only is modesty an ornament, it is also a guard to virtue, hence his decision to have a low key birthday celebration when he grows a year older on April 29. The boss of the telecommunication giant will clock 63 amidst plenteousness, sound health, influence and clout.

    The Ijebu high chief and friend of many world leaders is reputed as one of Africa’s richest, but he would not be throwing any lavish party. Rather, he has chosen to step up his philanthropic gestures across the continent. Certainly, there are timeless lessons to be learnt from the life of this business guru.

  • Mike Adenuga adds new feather

    Mike Adenuga is not just one of Nigeria’s richest men; he is also a philanthropist who has impacted positively on millions of lives. His impact on humanity is like a vein of water hidden underground but quietly making the grass green.

    For silently touching millions of lives every year, especially in the year 2015, the Apesin of Ijebuland and Chairman of Globacom has been picked by City People magazine as its man of the year for 2015. Every year, City People usually picks a man  or woman who by virtue of his or her actions has touched the lives of many Nigerians as its person of the year.

    It is no surprise that Otunba Mike Adenuga is referred to as one of Nigeria’s biggest philanthropists. Interestingly, he does not publicise his philanthropic gestures, preferring to remain modest while impacting lives. Unknown to many, Mike Adenuga has over the last 20 years or so consistently touched the lives of over a thousand people a year through silent donations and empowerment programmes.

    One of the world’s wealthiest men, Adenuga sits atop one of Africa’s largest business empires comprising oil and gas, telecoms, aviation, banking and real estate. He has won numerous awards in recognition of his personal and business accomplishments.

  • Mike Adenuga set for low-key birthday celebration

    Mike Adenuga set for low-key birthday celebration

    The boss of telecommunication giant, Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga, is regarded by many not just as a Nigerian but a citizen of the world. He is one of the people who have capacity to affect the shape of events not just in Africa but the world. It is no surprise therefore that as he prepares to turn 62 in the next few days, the high society is already gearing up to celebrate one of their own.

    But those who should know say Nigeria’s second richest man has opted for a low-key birthday celebration. The Apesin of Ijebuland is notable for his prim way of doing things.

    Indeed, low-key birthday celebration seems to be the vogue among wealthy Nigerians. Dangote, the richest Nigerian who celebrated his birthday about a week ago, also had a low-key birthday party with a few friends and family members.

  • Mike Adenuga plays safe

    A good entrepreneur must know when to dive into the murky waters of politics and when to avoid it like a leper. For Globacom boss, Dr. Mike Adenuga, there are many gates to the house of wisdom and he seems to have unlocked them all. His status as one of the biggest players in the nation’s telecoms business can be attributed to intelligence and insight.

    Unlike many other businessmen who stuck their necks out for President Goodluck Jonathan during his re-election campaign in the belief that he would have an easy ride back into office, Adenuga proved the astute businessman that he is by keeping a distance from politics during the period. He would not be seen clamouring for Jonathan’s re-election or lending financial support to his re-election campaign.

    Even after Gen. Mohammadu Buhari emerged victorious in the presidential election that took place on March 28, Adenuga has been circumspect in his reaction to the whole episode. Determined to preserve his business empire and keep it away from harm’s way, Adenuga has maintained a neutral stance, keeping his cool and avoiding political partisanship while other business men openly patronized some political camps.

    Fondly called Champion, Adenuga is regarded as one of the richest men in Nigeria. Without a doubt, one of his staying powers in the business world is his ability to play it safe when it comes to politics.

  • Mike Adenuga plans 10th year remembrance for mother

    Mike Adenuga plans 10th year remembrance for mother

    If Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, Chairman of Globacom decides to describe his late mother, Madam Oyindamola Juliana Adenuga, he would use the best couched adjectives and describe her as a woman of unwavering principles, an inspiring self-starter, a disciplinarian and a loving mother. Even in death, late Madam Oyindamola pulls the strings of her son’s emotions and still retains a large portion of his heart. Mike Adenuga had a great relationship with his mother and cherishes her till date.

    Credited for shaping the oil and gas tycoon into who he is today, Madam Oyindamola was indeed an accomplished mother. And expectedly, Mike Adenuga rolled out the drums and gave his mother a befitting burial when she passed on. Currently, the billionaire businessman is planning an extraordinary memorial ceremony for both parents – his mother who died 10 years ago on 8th June, 2005 and his father, Pa Michael Agbolade Adenuga, who passed on 7th June, 1979. Expectedly, there would be a special prayer session for the repose of their souls. Chief Michael Agbolade Adenuga Snr was a school teacher and inspector of education, while Chief (Mrs.) Juliana Oyindamola Adenuga (nee Onashile of Okesopen, Ijebu Igbo) was a businesswoman.

    She got married at the age of 17, learnt sewing and succeeded greatly as a dressmaker. Well educated, she was made the Iya Alaje of Ijebu-Igbo and the Yeye Oba of Ijebuland. Late Oyindamola Adenuga was regarded by her admirers as the quintessential, priceless gem and a symbol of purity.

  • The private world of Adenuga’s daughter

    The private world of Adenuga’s daughter

    IN their book, Mike Adenuga: Africa’s Business Guru, Mike Awoyinfa and Dimgba Igwe narrated how elusive Dr. Mike Adenuga, the boss of telecommunication giant, Globacom, can be. Even the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, attested to this. The 682-page biography of Adenuga noted how dearly the Globacom boss loves privacy and how much he wants same to be respected and protected.

    But if Adenuga ever thinks he has perfected the art of elusiveness, he faces a big challenge in his first daughter, Oyin. There would hardly be any silver-spoon kid who detests publicity as much as Oyin Adenuga does. The well-mannered, eligible bachelorette is as self-effacing as she is gorgeous.

    We caught sight of the beautiful daughter of one of the world’s richest men at an occasion recently and she was completely without the usual air that surrounds a billionaire’s daughter. But she looked resplendent in her well-tailored outfit and kept her composure as she moved around to exchange pleasantries.

    Reports abound of how suitors have been seeking her hand in marriage, but it is not yet clear why she has not considered their proposals. Oyin, who shuttles between Nigeria and her base in the US, has not been linked with any man lately. Those who should know say that even if there is any, her tightly guarded privacy would prevent any clue.

  • Adenuga’s son emerges from father’s shadow

    Adenuga’s son emerges from father’s shadow

    Train a child the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. This biblical injunction must be holding true for Jide Adenuga, the first son of the Chairman of Globacom, Mike Adenuga.

    There is no gainsaying the fact that Mike Adenuga’s enterprise and boldness are rubbing off on his son, whose interest in wine business is more than legendary. Although a committed director in Mike Adenuga’s business empire, Jide has shown a desire to be his own man by his diversifying into wine trading. The self-effacing dude is into the importation of exotic wines.

    Unlike some of his silver spoon friends who depend entirely on their parents’ businesses or engage in frivolous and wasteful lifestyles, Jide is bent on carving a niche for himself beyond Nigeria’s business firmament. Within his short stint in wine business, he has become a success as his brands of wine and champagne are enjoying heavy patronage from Lagosians.

  • Jide Adenuga’s new love

    Jide Adenuga’s new love

    JIDE Adenuga, chip of the old block and one of the most eligible bachelors in town, son of billionaire. Mike Adenuga, is not your typical silver spoon kid. His foray into the wine business was spurred by fate and not design since numerous other options were open to him early on in life. He owns the sole distributorship rights for Veri Beri and Shiraz Wines in Nigeria and West Africa.

    During his 32nd birthday last week, the young Adenuga, who has added the franchise of the importation of the Montaudon Champagne to his chain of businesses, is elated that the brand is gradually carving out a niche in the ever-bustling champagne market in Nigeria,

    Jide belongs to the emerging breed of highly resourceful individuals who, by dint of hard work and uncommon natural endowments, have attained lofty heights in the world of business.Apart from his wine business, the MD/CEO of 3 Inclusive Limited, sources said is also involved in the importation of newsprint for newspaper organisations. He is no doubt taking after the Globacom boss,who has his hands in many pies.