About this time four years ago, Roland Ewubare walked away from one of the highest profile jobs in Nigeria as Chief Operating Officer at NNPC. His abrupt and shocking resignation during the COVID pandemic sent many tongues wagging. There were speculations that he had fallen out with Mele Kyari and further speculations that he resigned on health grounds. In the end he issued a statement that he was stepping down to relocate to the US to be with his family because of the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic. And just like that, the man ended his public service in Nigeria and disappeared.
But a person of his calibre is not easily forgotten, so reports about him still fill the airwaves. During his peak days, Ewubare wielded considerable influence at NNPC as GGM NAPIMS and later as Chief Operating Officer. It was said about him that he possessed an impressive corporate career portfolio from working with different institutions across a diverse range of industries. His work ethics and robust intellect earned him tremendous respect across the industry especially with the international oil companies.
Many smart public officers build themselves in Nigeria to excel abroad. Ewubare reversed this trend by starting strong at Schlumberger, an oilfield services company in its New York office as Global Corporate Counsel shortly after graduation from Harvard Law School. He later served as General Counsel of a subsidiary of Schlumberger in Silicon Valley using that as a launch pad to return to Nigeria as the company’s Executive Director 21 years ago.
All these positions provided Ewubare with sufficient corporate experience and exposure to make significant contributions to the oil and gas space in Nigeria. He was described as the ultimate inside outsider and outside insider. He combined knowledge of NNPC’s processes with a broader knowledge of global business practices and as such he wasn’t consumed by the incestuous shenanigans of the insiders but earned their respect all the same.
It is therefore easy to understand why industry operatives and watchers constantly circulate rumours involving Ewubare and a return to the industry. Fortunately or unfortunately, that opportunity appears to have evaporated as all the positions in the industry in Nigeria are occupied by tenured appointees.
Beyond the sporadic and occasional appearance on the Lagos social scene from time to time, it is evident that Ewubare is back living his life in a shell in America away from the Nigerian environment. Whether an opportunity will ever come is a matter for speculation. Will he be called and will he respond if called? The odds in Nigeria are always on the side of anything can happen and nobody ever knows.
Before going to press, we managed to reach Mr Ewubare for comments on a possible return to public service. He responded with a cryptic message; “I’ve done hard labour for Nigeria and I now picture myself in a different situation. I’m a company director with two kids and a wife. I just want to breathe.”
