For Kabir Jibola Gbemisola, eldest child of late Alhaji Fatai Gbemisola breaking new grounds by redefining his father’s business empire to one of the biggest oil and gas retail brands in the country with numerous outlets dotted across the country is one of the many plans he has nurtured in his head. With his wealth of knowledge, Jibola infused impeccable ideas and uncommon business finesse that helped reposition Fatgbems Limited; a business conglomerate that has business interest in Oil and Gas, Tyres and a host of other business.
Ever since the former CEO of Spirsal Oil and Gas, took over the affairs of the company in 2013, alongside his two younger siblings; Hassan and Bayo Gbemisola, the rest is history. The company has witnessed tremendous change first from its logo, mission statement, core values which brings customers first, and a conglomerate driven by lofty ideals; to attract global attention. Despite the dwindling price of world oil, the company is conveniently competing as a top player in the oil and gas sector.
However, despite his status and achievements, his Company’s integrity was put to test as a crisis that nearly rubbed the reputation that has been built over the years in the mud. But like the proverbial child born under the lucky star, the graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, responded swiftly, handling the crisis with civility not allowing it generate into a full-blown crisis beyond repair. A few weeks ago, one of his gas stations On IBB way, Abeokuta, was said to have sold water instead of PMS to some customers who in turn vented their anger and displeasure by disrupting business activities at the station.
According to close sources, the issue is a technical fault which was is not the fault of the station attendant. ”Flood Water caused by heavy rain found its way into the underground gas tank. The situation should not have escalated like it did because; Jibola personally reached out to the party involved and promised to foot the bills for the repair of all car involved. To show he is touched by the situation, he ordered that the cars involved should be served with a full tank of PMS pro-bono. To further salvage the situation, he also agreed to repair all cars involved at a well-known auto company in Nigeria. All cost on the company.”
Another source further added that; Jibola felt so bad that he quickly told the company’s communications department to issue a press statement to address the situation. From the statement released, it says; ” We, therefore, appeal to our esteemed customers and the general public to stay calm, measures are already in place to address the issue and our technicians are currently attending to the affected vehicles of customers. Once again, we sincerely apologize for all the inconveniences the incident might have caused.”
Despite the media statement to address the lingering issue; his detractors saw it as an avenue to drag his name into the mud and also paint a bad picture of his persona, ”Jibola is a very respectful person. His positive approach and swift response to salvage the situation shows how committed he is to find a lasting solution. ”The parties involved have been pacified as they promised to keep patronizing the Fatgbems brand. Jibola ordered the total closure of the outlet to enable a total overhaul of the underground tank facility to curb future reoccurrence. Those playing politics with the issue should desist from it. Jibola is focused on delivering quality service to its numerous customers within and outside the Abeokuta metropolis.” A close source further added. Since the station reopened for business, after it was shut down for quality assessment, the crowd has been massive. Patronage from customers increased. This shows the brand is still a trusted brand. A source averred.
