By: Dr. Mohammed Badawi Mustafa
Translated by: Ghanim Suliman Ghanim
I have read before some days an article titled:” Osama Dawood AbduLatif, the Coca-Cola man”. The article started with the following phrase:” Osama Dawood AbduLatif or Osama David AbduLatif, no difference, since he is the famous Coca-Cola man in Sudan, owner of Sayga Flour Mills and the prominent billionaire. This ugly man is said to be purchased the Sudan, part by part, under the cover of the darkness”. I was astounded and shocked when reading the subject article of Mr. Shawgi Ibrahim Osman that contained incoherent, gobbledygook, poor and unintelligible analysis that has no relation with the actual facts. For example, he said that “Coca-Cola” means “No to Mohammed, No to Makkah”, and it was invented by the Jews to repress the Arabs.
As a matter of fact, Osama Dawood, the renowned Sudanese businessman, has no relation with the Jews and the Coca Cola is also manufactured and marketed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, can we call its Saudi franchiser a Jew? Osama Dawood is a Nubian, from a pure Sudanese family residing in Wadihalfa. His family has the virtue of augmenting and improving industrialization of Sudan since the fifties of the last century. It is among the pioneers of the Sudanese families who initiated industrial projects and factories in Sudan, in the same manner with AlNufaidi family and others. Even if Osama Dawood has a relation and links with the Jewish businessmen is such relation prohibited from an Islamic Shariah perspective? Our prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) established good neighborhood and business relations with the Jews in AlMadina AlMuanwarah, as all of us knew. In the present day, most of Arab head of states and politicians have sturdy relations with the Jews. Judaism does not necessary means Zionism. In Sudan we still have a Jewish community which is characterized by good conduct and ethics and love to Sudan. Even those Sudanese Jews who migrated to Israel, Europe and USA maintained their relations with their relatives and people of Sudan.
Mr. Osama Dawood, the ambitious young man, has unequivocal skills of the leader and sound vision in a country with sick economy. He is first-class and high-caliber businessman who succeeded to develop his business and therefore became one of Africa and Middle East prominent tycoons. It is regrettable that Mr. Shawgi Ibrahim describes Osama Dawood as an ugly man. It is not our Sudanese behavior and ethics to make such comments; this can only be interpreted as an envy of a myopic person. The developed and civilized nations do honor their innovative and creative citizen and award them outstanding prizes and medals. In Sudan,we deride and despise successful persons and invent fabricated stories about them. Why? Mr. Osama Dawood provides means of livelihood for many Sudanese families and each day he creates job opportunities for job seekers and graduates with numbers more than what provided by the existing government. Without the flour mills operated by DAL Group and owned by Mr. Osama Dawood, I do not know how the Sudanese people would manage to afford the flour needed for their bread? 50% of the flour needed for the local consumption in Sudan is produced by Sayga Flour Mills owned by Mr. Osama Dawood. DAL Group operates and owns many factories and projects in various economic sectors which include but not limited to factories for dairy products, agricultural produce, animal husbandry and other fields e.g. auto and heavy equipment importation, marketing, contracts and soft-drinks manufacturing.
Once I asked my friend Hashim Disco, the lawyer, regarding his opinion about the subject article written by Mr. Shawgi Ibrahim Osman and he replied to me saying that:” Dr., If Osama Dawood ruled the Sudan he would turn it into paradise!” I exclaimed how? He answered: “Because he is an enlightened man. If he nominates himself for the upcoming presidential election he would be like US businessmen, Dallas Petroleum tycoons. Those American businessmen learned responsibility and business management since their childhood. See how their presidents and ministers changed the USA into paradise.
Really, I hoped that our Sudanese politicians would have come from the private sector fully equipped with the market outlook and well-informed with the complicated economic issues in a country that spends most of its revenues in wars and unnecessary public spending for government institutions having no viability or tangible production. I consider the comment of my friend Hashim Disco unblemished wisdom. I hope that Mr. Osama Dawood would nominate himself as a candidate for the presidency to properly manage the Sudan economy and to teach our politicians how things are managed and how Sudan could be turned into paradise keeping in mind the saying that Sudan is the farm of the world while most of its people are devastated by hunger and malnutrition.
In conclusion, Mr. Osama Dawood and his father, the veteran administrator, graduate of Gordon Memorial College, created in Sudan a gigantic industrial, service and an agricultural conglomerate and we should be proud of them. Mr. Osama Dawood is among the rare Sudanese businessmen who were successful in the field of commerce and industry. I would like to remind Mr. Shawgi Ibrahim Osman that Mr. Osama Dawood is a sober businessman working for his people and country and he is one of the founders of Sudan magnificent development projects, especially in the agricultural sector and food processing industry. We should not forget that he is a philanthropist having a charity foundation that provide charity services by constructing schools and health-care centers… etc. People of Sudan should regard, commend and honor their successful citizens for the common interest and Mr. Osama Dawood deserves such honoring.