Ogbeni Lanre Banjo is a three-time governorship candidate in Ogun State. He is a Certified Public (Chartered) Accountant with wealth of experience in both government and the private sector. He was Treasurer for a member of the United States’ House of Representatives, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and a Council member. He was the Director of Policy and Procedures for the District of Columbia Government before his promotion to the Director of Accounting at the University of the District of Columbia. He was a co-chair of African and Caribbean Organization that mobilized Africans and Caribbean to ensure the return of the late Mayor for life of Washington, DC, the Honorable Marion Barry. He was appointed by the de-factor Governor of the US nation’s capital to the Commission on African and Caribbean. He is widely respected to be a good visionary and administrator. He also served on the board of several non-profit organizations, including United Black Fund in the United States. During the fight for statehood for Washington, D.C., he joined with some congressmen and activists to file a suit against the US Government for that purpose. He chaired the Nigerian Democratic Movement in the United States, which seized the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC on August 12, 1993 to protest the annulment of the Nigerian presidential election of June 12, 1993. He worked under the tutelage of Chief Anthony Enahoro and Chief Cornelius Adebayo during the dark days of the late General Sani Abacha despotic regime. To whom much is given much is expected. As someone who contested to govern Ogun State and with his wealth of experience, much more is expected of him to direct the state of affairs of Glanvills than the previous chairpersons. Glanvills, a subsidiary of Odua Group of Companies, was established in 1957.
It is good to note that accomplished professionals like your good self are returning home from the diaspora to assist Nigeria utilize and maximize its potential. Can you tell us exactly when you returned as well as the challenges you met on ground upon your return?
First, it is only good when one is appreciated. Nigerians don’t appreciate brilliance, hard work, uprightness, excellence, assiduity and honesty. Secondly, one needs to thank those visionary leaders led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory who left us something to return to. Nigeria is so bad now that family members, friends and colleagues will denounce one for doing the right thing, asking if you are the one that would change the rot in Nigeria. “A tree does not make a forest; they will just kill you or remove you from the system” is usually their discouraging statement. At the same time, they would have the nerve to praise London, America, etc. and condemn Nigeria for what they actively contribute to on daily basis. If Chinese ran after the Western world for everything they needed without investing in themselves, they would not be controlling the world economically today. Nigerians are created to contribute to the contentment of the world and thus rule the world but our rulers lack skilled leadership, foresight and vision, and they have turned the led to chattels whose personalities are not fully developed. Religion has destroyed our psyche. With Muslims and Christians firmly in charge of our affairs since 1960, where are we? With north today, south tomorrow, instead of hiring the best to lead us, where has the zoning system led us to? The father of the zoning system always denounces everyone he had zoned the presidency to, yet we did not learn. In a discussion of 10 minutes we call God for 6 minutes, yet our deeds are devilish because our minds are filthy. I returned in 2002 to contest for the governorship election in Ogun State. Endemic Corruption, laisser-faire attitude, lack of patriotism and hatred for self were the challenges on the ground and which unfortunately are worse in 2017, and it would continue to get worse because genuine leaders are in dire need, many citizens have been programed to be economic slaves to their jobs, positions and those in power. I knew all these before I returned and was ready to join with others to solve the problems, but how do you help people with spiritual problems who consulted prophets and demand money from the prophet sent to exorcise them?
Upon your appointment as Chairman, Glanville Enthoven, what vision and ideas did you have for the company and how has it been implementing this vision?
Upliftment of staff morale that would stimulate them to elevate the growth of the company and creative business ideas. More importantly, wastage control and designing, maintaining and implementing sound internal control to minimize corruption. There has been occasion when I sat with the Staff of Glanvills to set up an accounting system that would facilitate the preparation of financial statements. I was in Glanvills for a week without collecting a kobo. As we speak, I joined the brilliant staff of Glanvills to write policy and procedures and I did not get a penny from the company. My mission is to save Glanvills money. Whatever I can use my profession as an Auditor and Accountant to achieve in Glanvills, I engage myself in. My unalloyed appreciation goes to Governor Ibikunle Amosun who gave me the opportunity to serve the Ogun State Government. It really opened my eyes to the rot in the society. The Society where they will be crying change, and when that change knocks on their doors, they will resist it because of their corrupt practice and sick mindset. Sometimes brothers that you think abhor corruption once one makes a move to minimize it and they think the move will affect them or their fellow crooks, they will kick pran pran like chickens in a frying pan.
Good corporate governance is still a major challenge for many companies in Nigeria. Indeed, many corporate chieftains merely pay lip service to it. How is the Glanville board, under your leadership, ensuring good corporate governance?
Yes o, but Glanvills is blessed. I found out that most Directors appointed by Governors see it as a way to make money and as such they collude with management to milk some entities dry. Many have not even gone through the Code of Corporate Governance and as such do not know their duties and rights. Where the management is ethical, Directors will frustrate the Management and vice versa. In some companies, where Board members resolve to doing what is right in accordance with the law, accounting and auditing standards and Managements see it as a threat to their corrupt practices, Managements have been found to arrogate illegal powers to themselves and result to waging wars against directors, telling staff members that directors have no power. Whereas, the Code of Corporate Governance, the National Insurance Commission rules, accounting and auditing standards hold directors responsible for management functions. Management will even concoct lies to tell Governors for director’s removal. So, in many organizations, where directors are appointed by Governors, some directors are fearful of this. But this man that you are talking to respects authority, abhors corrupt practice and would not tolerate any disdainful violations of the law. I am not an economic slave to any position. Many directors are politicians in sick Nigerian context; what they call ojelus. There are a few highly principled professionals who had served on the Board of Glanvills. Under the chairmanship of my late brother, Otumba Samuel Adetifa of Ekiti State who was a Chartered Accountant of repute, Pa Adebanjo Edema of Ondo State, we provided quality oversight. Under my leadership, I want to imbue director’s knowledge, ensure that every director knows and exercise his/her right as enshrined in the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance. Each director will be made to have a copy to enable him/her know his/her rights, responsibilities and duties. Sub-Committees allowed by the code will be established and made to function as they should.
Some board also make excessive demands on the management of the companies they lead. What is the relationship between your board and the company management?
Since I have been on this Board, I am not aware of any Board member who had made any demand not to talk of excessive demands on the management. That is why I said Glanvills is blessed. Glanvills is a highly regulated insurance brokerage firm and the Board could be dissolved by NAICOM, if we are found to be aloof of Management activities. Both the Board and Management are operating in a unique system in Nigeria, a country where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives and Police were prevented from arresting a former Director of the Department of State Services. Therefore, the relationship between the Board that wants to do the right thing and the management that wants to continue with business as usual can only evolve within the context of the society they live and operate in.
What is the potential of Glanville, what new opportunities is the company exploring? How is your board helping the company reclaim its old glory of being number one insurance company?
Glanvill Enthoven Insurance Brokers & Pensions Consultants Ltd is an insurance brokerage firm incorporated in 1957 to provide risk solutions services to the insuring public. Glanvills, as a subsidiary and a member of Odu’a Group of Companies, has a great potentials vis-a-vis the ownership structure of Odu’a Investment Company Limited that manages the business interests of south/west governments in Nigeria comprising, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti inclusive of Lagos State. These economically viable states engage heavily in infrastructural developmental activities and capital projects in nation building which would create opportunities for Glanvills as an insurance broking company. Glanvills is blessed to have gotten effective directors willing and ready to ensure good corporate governance as required by the laws of the country. The members of the Board actively support the company to reclaim its past glory by using our business connections within the owner States and every sector of the economy to improve on the income base of the company. The Board is accountable and responsible for performance and affairs of the company. The Board defines the strategic goals of Glanvills and ensures that its human and financial resources are effectively deployed towards attaining those goals. The Board delegates its authority to the Management, and such delegation does not in any way diminish the overall responsibility of the Board and its directors are still held accountable and responsible for the affairs and performance of the company. Our board observes the highest ethical standards. If the Management is headed by smart, ethical, and decent individual who is respectful of the board, there should be no need to erect a wall that would not create environmentally sustainable basis for oversight in accordance with the laws. It is my experience in Nigeria that when management has something to hide, the head will be quick to gag directors thus treating the laws with levity.
You once contested as governorship candidate of National Conscience Party in 2003. How did you cope with the demands of Nigerian type of politics, which expected candidates to dole out large bales of cash?
I started with President Buhari in 2003, contested in 2007 and 2011. In 2003, I refused to play politics the peculiar Nigerian way not because of the country that I lived in for 40 years as most who are aware of my style often comment, but because I was brought up in an honest manner as a dogged fighter who did not care whose ox is gored. My profession as a Certified Public (Chartered) Accountant, the country that I lived, studied in and the caliber of the people that I moved with, and under whose tutelage I was, strengthened my discipline and uprightness. In my home, my father and mother never brooked dishonesty, corrupt practice and indiscipline. My revered leader, Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory, became a brother and a mentor to me and Mama, Alhaja Munirat Fawehinmi, his mother, became my mother. Yet my first collusion with the party was during the primary. Look, my professional training prepared me for obviation of challenges. I told all the journalists that I was not the candidate of the party until after the primary, and it was so printed. Yet, the first war with party members was that I referred to myself as a candidate instead of aspirant. They fought me, and I won. The second one was the primary. The primary system in Nigeria allows some party leaders to arrogate powers to themselves and waters corrupt system. I studied it and I suggested a better system to make a difference. As soon as my friends and I were permitted to launch NCP in the United States, even before it was launched here in October of 1994, I instituted a system where those who joined NCP through my efforts submitted their applications with their photos. The registration of members was automated. The National Secretariat gave us copies of the application of those who registered directly with NCP headquarters in Lagos or through some other folks. I established a policy that our Secretariat in Ogun must submit original of all completed applications to the National Headquarters, while we keep copies in Ogun. The former NCP Gubernatorial Candidate in Lagos, my unappreciated brother, Lateef Abassi, and I donated some computers to the National Secretariat; I personally went there to automate the Ogun State members application forms and advised the Secretary to automate others. So after victory over the use of the word “candidate”, I asked myself where can these foes block me, I knew they were going to conspire against me, and I was ready. I told Chief Gani Fawehinmi that we would not allow the use of delegate in Ogun State. This generated controversy. Chief wondered how we wanted the primary conducted contrary to the delegate system usually employed in Nigeria. I said Chief; the Secretariat has all membership forms of all NCP members in Ogun State, filed by local government. All members should be invited and all of them should be encouraged to vote for the candidate of their choice. Oh Lord, I stirred the hornets net. Those foes who had thought they would make money through the corrupt delegate system in Nigeria rose up in arms both spiritually and physically to harm me. It almost destroyed the brotherly relationship I had with Chief Fawehinmi, but Messrs.’ Femi Falana, Femi Aborisade, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, the former Attorney General of Edo State, Mallam Uba Sani, the former spokesperson for President Obasanjo, Peter Omoragbon and a few others stood firm and I won the approach which was later adopted when we conducted the primary for our presidential candidate which saw Chief Gani Fawehinmi emerged as the NCP Presidential candidate. In 2007 and 2011, I realized I did not have the financial wardrobe it required for victory, however, I contested just to enlighten the voters, and it paid off. In 2011, I arrived in Ilaro, my system of campaigning was to engage those who attended the rally and encourage them to ask questions. A gentleman got on the line to say that I warned them in 2003 against getting pittance for votes and the example that I cited actually occurred to him. He said two of his children had an accident, they were rushed to the hospital, lack of medicine and equipment caused them to bleed to death. The money he collected from politicians had been spent and there was no money for him to buy blood for his children. That day he remembered me and he took the decision that he would vote for me anytime that I contest. The most shocking one that gave me a serious concern about Nigeria was a gentleman in Ijebu Omu. He said to me clearly that listening to me, he believes I “would be a good governor but if I continue to say that I would not distribute money, and then I would need God’s intervention to be a governor for if Awolowo wake up today and if he refuse to give him money he would not vote for him”. In Ikenne, one of my brothers from the North said to me in Hausa language that he knows of me that I don’t give money for vote but there is nobody who is so beautiful that would decide not take a bath. This is the extent of the damages to our people’s psyche.
What lessons did you learn from your 2003 contest, and did it in any way discourage you from aspiring to put your expertise to helping Nigeria?
Nigeria is a great country. I had never travelled far and wide in Ogun State until I contested to be the Governor of that great state. When I got to Ipokia local government and I saw schools without roof, I saw arable land that were wasting away in Mahun, Ifonyintedo etc., and the unexploited proximity to Badagry, I knew if I won the election I had a lot of work to do. When I campaigned in Imeko Afon and visited the headquarters of Celestial Church of Christ, I saw the ignored potential of that area and went back to the drawing board to re-draw my program for the area. Ijebu-Waterside where we are blessed to have gotten Sea, I am convinced that every local government in Ogun State has its potential to increase the internally generated revenues (IGR). Other than the sea and the beach in Lagos, I am convinced that with talents that it pleases God to endow Nigeria with, the State could use the proximity to Lagos to generate more money close to the IGR that Lagos generates, if we put our heads together. The primary method of election which is enmeshed in corrupt practice bothered me a little bit. Unlike where I rose to become the treasurer for elected officials, here in Nigeria, primary is very very expensive. In the U.S., once you decide to contest for a political office, all you need to do is to go to the State Board of elections with your treasurer to pick up the election forms, which varies from state to state. You do not need to see the Chairman of the party or bow to the party establishment. The treasurer has more forms to fill than the candidate because he or she would be held responsible for mismanagement of funds, not the candidate. Then the candidate would engage workers to hit the streets and collect required numbers of signatures from the members of his/her party. Once that is fulfilled, you are set for your campaign. In Nigeria, with the occasional irritation from some citizens who are engaged as thugs and spiritual attack which caused many of my colleagues to run back to the U.S. and unlike some of my comrades who are timid, I am more determined to fight on. I am used to turning stumbling blocks to stepping blocks.
Nigeria seemed to have wandered into moral wilderness or desert, as many people including our business, religious and political leaders don’t care about issues such as Integrity, diligence, excellence, among others, where did we get it wrong as a nation and how can we restore these timeless and useful values into the Nigerian society?
Tell me about it. The moral decadence and ungratefulness for the creation of visionary and highly principled Nigerians, intensified in the 70s when the god that should be a messenger turned out to be god that we worshiped, is the basis for this situation we found ourselves in. I am not able to answer this question the way I would want to answer it, because the focus here is Glanvills. I am not known to be a double talker. I must say though that unfortunately, citizens are now programmed to be morally bankrupt and many are not trying to retrieve themselves. Wars are waged against the few who stick to principles, discipline. The few who are dogged about doing things the right way in a local setting, state, the nation, companies and institutions are badmouthed by those who forget that when they expire they would not go with all these monies they are fighting people like us for. More painful is the fact that Nigerians that are being fought for, utter platitude about someone fighting for them when you expect them to pray for your success. Lobatan! Hypocrisy, dishonesty and greed had torn our social fabrics. With a few of us totally submitting ourselves for divine intervention, I pray that the intervention comes fast.
Year 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of Glanville Enthoven in the insurance sector in Nigeria. The company has maintained a low-key profile as regards this, when instead the company’s 60th anniversary could be used to further project its achievements and boost its profile. Why did the company keep such low profile?
The Company’s decision to maintain a low key profile is not unconnected with the state of recession of the economy which has impacted negatively on our performance. The anniversary is worth celebrating, but we are consciously optimizing our costs and working towards improving on our clientele base.
One of the major challenges facing insurance companies in Nigeria is low capitalisation. Glanvills is not exempted. For example, its authorized share capital is N175 million and the company has just paid N160 million. Low capital limits the capacities of insurance companies in undertaking multimillion dollar insurance risks for multinational companies like those in the oil and gas business. What is the company doing about its low capitalization?
Glanvills is a member of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) and duly registered with NAICOM. The Company has an authorized share capital of N175 million with N165 million fully paid up. By virtue of high standard of our services and caliber of our clientele, we maintain a professional Indemnity Insurance cover of N500, 000,000.00. As a brokerage firm, the insurance Act requirement for share capital is N10million which the company far exceeds.
Some insurance companies have carved new markets for themselves by developing and marketing new products such as Takaful (targeted at Moslems). They are doing pretty well and growing their business portfolio. What is Glanville doing to grow its own portfolio and increase its market share?
Ours is a value-added service industry specific risk and insurance broking services focused to meet each client’s insurance protection needs. GLANVILLS provides tailor-made insurance broking and advisory services best suited to each client’s need. These range from Commerce and Industry, Energy (Oil & Gas), Power and Infrastructure, Construction, Communications, Marine, Aviation& Aerospace, Financial Services, Government and Statutory Corporations, Educational Services, Personal and Private Wealth Insurance. Our strength is our unparalleled local knowledge with global experience and commitment to deliver specialty services as invaluable partner in providing seamless support to meeting risk and insurance management objectives. Glanvills is making efforts to make itself visible in corporate and manufacturing sector’s business. We partner with some insurance companies to sell their retail products, and some as consultants because of particular strength they have with sectorial businesses which we found valuable. Additionally, we are doing re-engineering of our process to ensure prompt service delivery to our clients.
Lastly, who is Ogbeni Lanre Banjo? What is your outlook/philosophy of life? What principles do you live by, and you want others to also know and imbibe?
Very simple human being who appreciates brilliance, talent and hard work. Some see me as a scourge of imprudent management both in political and corporate settings. It hurts me that Nigerians are wasting away world-wide. My emphasis is that Nigerians should be engaged to make Nigeria great. I make personal sacrifice to save others without any expectation of monetary award. I have a legendary penchant for hardwork, doggedness and intelligence. My principles of productive thought, love, speech and action guide my deeds and endears me to bold men with wit. We should all love others the way we love ourselves. Once one starts to have children and grandchildren, one needs to be extraordinarily careful about what he or she intentionally does to others.
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