Collins Ughalaa
Of the 365 days in a year, there is one day on the calendar we do not forget or play with. That is the second day of November. It is a historic day, a day we cherish and thank God Almighty for his magnanimity in giving us our leader, Chief Senator Francis Arthur Nzeribe, Ogbuagu, Oshiji, Damanze, Oyimba. On the second day of November in 1938 young Francis Arthur Nzeribe was born to his father, Oyimba Nzeribe, who was a lawyer and state counsel. His grandfather, Akapti Nzeribe, was a famous community leader who held the title of Ogbuagu, Oshiji, Damanze, Oyimba. Like every other child, young Nzeribe had his childhood experiences, including losing his dear mother when he was in primary school.
At that time his father was said to have been away in Britain where he was studying Law. He grew up under the care of some Catholic priests who made sure he furthered his education. This upbringing no doubt helped in moulding the personality of Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe Young Nzeribe attended Bishop Shanahan College, Orlu, and the Holy Ghost College, Owerri. After his secondary school, he travelled to Lagos State in 1957 where he got employment with the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) as an Engineering Cadet. After some time he got a scholarship from the NPA and went on to study Marine Engineering. He attended the Portmouth College of Technology and Chesterfield College of Technology in England. By 1960 when Nigeria got her independence Chief was already selling Life Insurance to black immigrants in Britain. He returned to Nigeria in 1961 and worked with Shell for some time. He would later work for a few months as an Air Force Cadet. He also worked for the Gulf Oil at the Escravos.
Energetic, well dressed, soft spoken, handsome, well-mannered and brilliant, young Nzeribe returned to London and cracked his kernels early by setting up a public relations firm called JEAFAN. This firm provided him a profitable linkage to a number of diplomatic missions from Africa in London. In the course of his public relations for the diplomatic missions in London, he met the Ghanaian leader, Kwame Nkrumah, and solved his public relations needs. He weathered the political upheavals in Ghana and retained his public relations job with the National Liberation Council (NLC) after Nkrumah. He established the famous FANZ Organization in 1969 in London, majoring in heavy construction, oil brokerage, publishing and estate. Nzeribe also set up businesses in the Middle East, and by 1979 FANZ became a success story, trading turnover of £70Million annually. He also established Sentinel Assurance and other companies in Nigeria. By 2018 he was adjudged to be worth over $1.5 Billion.
Nzeribe did not only do well in business. He also did well in politics where he spent over three decades serving his people. He ran for the Senatorial seat of Orlu Zone in 1983 with the slogan, Change ’83 and electrified the political space. In 1999 when Nigeria returned to democratic rule, he ran for the Senatorial seat of Orlu Zone once more and won. He was reelected by his people in 2003 and stayed in the Senate till 2007. As a politician and community leader, Nzeribe became the protective shield and armour of his people. He is one of the few Igbo leaders that are never afraid of being an Igbo, rather he flaunts his Igbo identity anywhere and anytime.
Nzeribe’s commitment to the service of his people both as politician, community leader and philanthropist knew no boundary. He was convince that one of the best ways of building enduring legacies is to invest in human capital. From across the country he built political followership, with many disciples of his stepping up to leadership as governors, senators, members of the House of Reps, local government chairmen, councilors, commissioners, etc.
For example, Nzeribe was able to assist his friend, Chief John Oyegun, to become the governor of Edo State. Chief Oyegun decades later became the first elected National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Again, the current governor of Imo State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, is a strong member of the Nzeribe dynasty. He was a three time member of the House of Reps, where he rose from the Chief Whip to the Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the House of Reps. Also, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, His Excellency Engr. Gerald Irona, is a beloved son of Chief Nzeribe’s. He rose from being a councilor in his native Oguta Local Government Area to being a member of the State Assembly. He later became Executive Chairman of Oguta LGA and also a member of the House of Reps. On March 9, 2019, he emerged the Deputy Governor of Imo State alongside the Governor in a keenly contested governorship election. Hon Jeff Ojinika, former member of the House of Reps, is also a fine product of the Nzeribe dynasty. Dr. Gideon Nwaeze, former Executive Chairman of Oguta LGA, is also a product of the Nzeribe dynasty. In Ngor Okpala LGA, Nzeribe has political sons among whom is Barr Enyinna Onuegbu, who was elected the Executive Chairman of his LGA in 2010. The list is inexhaustible. But suffice to say that many of Nzeribe’s sons are now traditional rulers and professionals, serving humanity in diverse ways.
On the humanitarian angle, through the Arthur Nzeribe Foundation Chief Nzeribe empowered people and gave many people a new lease of life. In the area of Education, he set up a scholarship scheme that sent many indigent children to school. Today many of the children who benefitted from the scholarship are in the academia and elsewhere contributing in serving God and humanity. Nzeribe was also able to open up the space in the area of agriculture by empowering his people with the cash needed for their agricultural activities. Beyond providing cash for the farmers, he also provided them the needed skill sets, tools and seedlings for their practice of agriculture. By this he was able to put food on the table of the families and also give them a sustainable income stream. Nzeribe also set up free medical programmes for pregnant women, children and the elderly. The beneficiaries of Nzeribe’s magnanimity did not need to know him or have any ties with him in order to qualify. No one needed to pay a dime to qualify to benefit. He built churches for the Anglican, Catholic and the Pentecostal denominations. Commenting on Nzeribe’s magnanimity, the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Engr. Gerald Irona, in an interview with this writer in 2017 said: “I am a living testimony of Chief’s empowerment. He sponsored me to be councilor for two times, made me secretary of then APP. By his influence I became two term Executive Chairman of Oguta LGA.
Happy birthday, Ogbuagu.