Former First Lady Patience Jonathan has recounted how she encouraged Azikel Group President Azibapu Eruani to learn from some of Nigeria’s most established businessmen and pursue his ambition of becoming a major entrepreneur.
Jonathan made the remarks while inspecting the Azikel Refinery in Obunagha, Bayelsa State, with a video of her comments emerging on Thursday.
She described Eruani as someone she had known and supported from a young age, recalling that he was the youngest among a circle that included business figures such as Aliko Dangote, Aminu Dantata and Seyi Makinde.
“He’s a boy that I brought up. We are always together. Although he’s the little one among us when we are friends – Dangote, Seyi, Dantata, Eruani – among us, he’s the smallest,” she said.
According to the former First Lady, she repeatedly urged Eruani to spend time around Dangote and Dantata so he could gain experience and understand the path to building a successful business.
“But I made sure he followed the Dangotes, he followed Dantata. Because I’m a woman in their midst, I made sure I told this small boy, ‘Go and follow them, and stop the grammar,’” she said.
Jonathan also recalled Eruani telling her that he hoped to attain the level of success achieved by Dangote. Although she initially viewed the ambition as lofty, she said she prayed for him to achieve his goal.
“But when he told me that one day he would be like Dangote, I said, ‘You’re thinking too high.’ I prayed to God to grant him his heart’s desire,” she said.
She further recounted how Eruani and others sought approval to establish refineries during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan said she was initially doubtful that their application would succeed, questioning whether the administration would grant them the necessary licences.
“During the Buhari administration, he and others came to me and told me they were going to apply for a refinery. I told him, ‘Eruani, your brother, the President, did not give you a refinery. Is it the APC government that will give you one?’
“I prayed it would happen. But later, they came back and told me they had been given three refineries,” Patience Jonathan said.
Her visit to the facility coincided with the arrival of the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit.
