He has been very vocal about issues affecting the nation and particularly his home area, the Niger Delta, Rivers State and Kula, ranging from political inclusion to environmental justice. His voice rings a bell far deep into the corridors of power given that he speaks truth to power and takes no prisoners when it comes to accentuating the cause of social justice, political equity and inclusive governance. He is royalty, politician, activist and community leader. He is His Royal Highness, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe.

In this telephone interview with the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Kristina Reports, Godswill Jumbo, the National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and National Coordinator of the South-South Elders Forum (SSEF) reinforces his earlier statement on behalf of his kinsman, Founder and President of BelemaOil Producing Ltd (BPL), Tein Jack-Rich, dissociating him and his philanthropic interventions across the country from any political ambition.

BelemaOil Producing Ltd (BPL), a foremost and truly indigenous oil and gas company, which emanated from Kula Community, an oil and gas producing host community, operates Oil Mining License (OML) 55, which currently has five oil fields namely: Robertkiri, Idama, Jokka, Inda, and the Belema/Belema Field (unitized with Shell) on behalf of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/BelemaOil Joint Venture.

Chief Sara-Igbe advances the germane reasons for Jack-Rich’s social impact initiatives, predicating them on the determined commitment of the oil magnate to give back to society and make visible difference in the lives of his fellow men, thus entrenching a legacy of value addition. It’s an interesting read:  

Kristina Reports: Few days ago, you issued a statement on behalf of the President of Belema Oil, Tein Jack-Rich, dissociating his selfless and social impact initiatives across the country from any form of political coloration. And when we look at these social impact projects, programmes and initiatives, and how widespread they have been, a lot of people were thinking that maybe ahead of 2023, we have another MKO Abiola in the offing and then this statement came on board and like diffused all of that. Can we have a little more insight into this?

Anabs Sara-Igbe: Well, thank you very much. There are people who are persuading him or appealing to him to come and contest for the Governorship of Rivers State. This is actually in line with the parable that says when a child washes his hands clean he can dine with kings. So, to that extent, we appreciate the various comments, persuasions and suggestions. But Jack-Rich is a businessman and a philanthropist, a young man who is still growing his business and his joy is that God is using him to do marvelous things in the lives of people. He is not a politician. He does not belong to any political party and he solely does his things to glorify God. He gives all his thanks to God. Anything about what he is going through because he passed from a poor home background from a community as backward at Kula. For him to get to where he is today is to the glory of God and he promised God that he would give back to humanity. So, what he is doing today is to do things that will please God so that He will lift him more and more in business.

He has no political ambition because some people are insinuating that, Oh, he wants to become President; some said he wants to become Governor. I think those things are too premature at this stage. For anybody to aspire to be Governor or President is also premature for now because we still have a lot of years. Nobody could predict what will happen this year that Covid-19 could come and take all these lives and be able to disorganize the entire world economy. So, for anybody to begin to think of 2023, I think it is too premature and Jack-Rich is not doing what he is doing because he wants to be a politician. But he wants to do things that will please God and would satisfy him and that whatever blessing God has given he has thanked God by removing suffering like water.

Water is a major problem in our country and across the society he has provided water in the North-East, he has provided water in the South-West, he has provided water in the South-East and also in the North-Central. He is doing this just to make sure people drink water at ease. And in terms of Health and Education, he has sent out so many on scholarships. He has made several empowerments across the country just to empower the less privileged so that they can also glorify God. So, at least, those who could not afford school fees, they now get school fees. Those who do not have money to start up trade have been able to start up trade. And he is doing all these things, including road constructions and several projects.

There are other projects like the auditorium of the Edwin Clark University, the Kalabari House in Warri. These are all projects that are in the pipeline for him to carry out not because he wants to please people to contest election. But by so doing he will know the society will be happy and when they are happy, they will thank God and if they thank God, God will be happy also with him because to whom much is given, much is also required. So, if God says that whatever is affecting him is affecting the society God will bless him the more. You know he is doing whatever he is doing not because of politics or because he wants to contest election. I think it’s in the pipeline.

You are somebody who has been close to power, who has been a very keen-sighted, insightful analyst of political developments in Nigeria not just in your area, the Niger Delta or the South-South, but generally across the country. Do you share the notion some people have that having political power could help accentuate humanitarian initiatives like Jack-Rich Tein is doing? Like we saw some instances like the late MKO Abiola. He was a very great philanthropist but he had to try to go into politics to like see how with political power he could be able to like do more for the people. We saw the case of Rochas Okorocha. He was also a philanthropist and then he had to go into politics to see how he can make more impact. Do you think this is it…viz-a-viz the perspective you just shared about Belema Oil President’s disposition?

Well, destiny cannot be denied just delayed. We don’t know the destiny of Jack-Rich but at the moment what he derives satisfaction from is contributing to the happiness of humanity. And he has a young business that he is growing unlike Abiola and Rochas you mentioned. These people were in business for a very long time before they even talked of politics and they were persuaded, of course, we all saw how Abiola ended. Even Rochas, also the likes of Dangote are being crucified because of their interests and what they are doing. I think nobody knows tomorrow but God can direct anybody to be whatever he likes but not man. We don’t want the direction of man, we want the direction of God to fulfill whatever desire he wants Jack-Rich to be. Jack on his own, without spiritual intervention, has never thought it fit now to be in politics. But that does not mean that if there is need for Jack to put his weight behind anybody he feels can do better, he will. But for now, Jack-Rich’s ambition and desired now is to put smile on the faces of the people and bring glory to God. So that he himself will be happy that he has fulfilled what God wants him to do not because he wants to play politics so that he buys the minds of people.  He doesn’t want to buy anybody’s mind, he doesn’t want anybody to persuade him. He doesn’t want to please anybody but he is pleasing God and his wife. That is what he is doing now.

We’ve seen this focus, grit in terms of managerial skills, in terms of administrative acumen, can you say this is his focus on driving his business and then on the other hand, divorcing himself from every kind of distraction including politics, can we say this is at the core of the success story of Belema oil

Well, first of all, let’s give God the glory for whatever length Belema has gone. This is just the beginning, we have just started. Belema Oil is less than four years. So, we believe that God in his infinite mercy will develop, grow Belema Oil to an Iroko height. Having said that, God has also touched the founder to continue to search for knowledge. That is why you will hear him go to one school or the other. As we are talking, he is also doing a PHD program in Strategic Management at a foreign university. So, he has continued to learn. He learns every day from both academics and experience and from people. So, he is in a state of learning with a view of applying it to developing the economy. It is an indigenous company that will stand the test of time.

If you observe Belema Oil is changing the face of the oil operations. What Belema oil is doing today is what Shell could not do, is what Mobil could not do, is what Elf could not do, is what Total could not do, Chevron and others. They had all the resources. They packed all the money to their countries. But Belema Oil, an indigenous company is trying to develop the communities where they came out from. So, if this is how Nigeria should run by giving indigenous people opportunities to run across the country I believe Niger Delta would not be the same. The level of visibility Belema Oil has shown in its area of operation, the Kula community, the Idama community and the Kalabari kingdom. The level of employment he has given. The level of scholarship he has given, if Shell or Agip or Mobil has been doing this in their area of operation, I think we would turn these communities to Dubai. Today, if you go to Kula you will see the level of development that is there and if you look at the Belema Atlantic City, he is building now, it is like another small Dubai. These are dreams to transform the Niger Delta area and to also compel other oil companies to do the same for the people so that their areas of operation will also get the dividends of the oil operations. We do all that and I think the focus now is to develop in that way, develop the rural areas, develop Niger Delta and ensure that the people of Niger Delta would be grateful to God for providing oil in their soil.

These are some of the tasks and things that God has endowed the young man to actually do so that God’s name will be glorified. We are interested in things that will glorify God and not things that will glorify man. So, for now I think these are the directions and views of the young man Jack-Rich. But if God wish him to also help further by becoming the president of this country or any other office, anything God wants him to be that is left for God to actualize. It’s not the young man’s headache. The young man is not yet thinking of what he will be but the little one God has given to him, he wants to use it in such a manner that God will be glorified and he will be having satisfaction that his covenant with God has been fulfilled that is the way he is looking at it. And I think that is a very good step. You know the relationship between David and God. David won the heart of God because he gave glory to God for everything that happened. So, Jack is learning from that and he wants the glory of God to be manifest in his life not human beings coming to cut short his dreams with talks of power. Power is something temporal. When God blesses you he blesses you and he blesses you completely. So, we need permanent blessing from God and not temporary blessings.