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Maverick politician, Arthur Nzeribe dies at 83; Family begins consultations for funeral rites
By Peter Okolie
Oguta, Owerri (Imo), May 8, 2022
Maverick Politician and a multi-billionaire investment mogul, Chief Arthur Nzeribe is dead.
Although details of how he died has remained sketchy at the time of report, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nzeribe would have been 84 years by Nov. 2.
A NAN Correspondent, who visited his palatial country home known as ‘Haven of Peace’, located at Egbuoma community in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo, reports that only a security guard was seen in the vicinity.
However, at his father’s compound in Umudei village in the same council area, a man, Mr Justinian Nzeribe, who identified himself as the only surviving child of eight Nzeribe siblings, confirmed the death of the icon.Mr Justinian said he received the sad news at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday.
“When I heard it, I summoned courage and took it as a rumour until around 12 noon when the traditional ruler of Oguta summoned me to break the news.
“He has been sick for years of stroke.
“He was a simple man. Despite being great, he would always ask you to stay out of trouble.
“He was a champion of peace and an icon of my time, who left a lot of legacies behind, both political and in his lifestyle,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Oguta, HRM Eze Nnani Chinedu Nzeribe as well as a political associate of the late icon and former deputy governor of the state, Mr Gerald Irona, said they would only speak after an official statement by family members.
Nzeribe was born in Oguta on Nov. 2, 1938. His father, Oyimba Nzeribe, was a lawyer and former state counsel, and his grandfather, Akpati Nzeribe, held the traditional title of Ogbuagu, Oshiji, Damanze Oyimba of Oguta.
His second wife is the sister of Hajia Asabe Yar’Adua, wife of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who was brother of late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Nzeribe lost his mother when he was a primary school pupil, while his father was away in Great Britain studying law.
His care was taken over by Catholic priests, who were involved in furthering his education.
He attended Bishop Shanahan College, Orlu and Holy Ghost College, Owerri. In 1957, he traveled to Lagos where he obtained employment with Nigeria’s Port Authority (NPA) as an engineering cadet.
A year later, he received a scholarship from the NPA to study marine engineering. He took courses at Portsmouth College of Technology and later attended Chesterfield College of Technology in England.
By 1960, he was selling life insurance to black immigrants in Britain. Returning to Nigeria in 1961, he was briefly an employee of Shell, then for a few months an Air Force cadet. Thereafter, he worked for Gulf Oil at the firm’s Escravos facility.
Nzeribe soon left Gulf Oil and returned to London, where he opened Jeafan, a public relations firm, with one Ghanaian and two English partners.
The firm worked with a number of African diplomatic missions in London including the Ghana High Commission.
The well dressed and mannered Nzeribe was able to gain the confidence of a few notable clients and through the Ghana Commission, he met Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and started to work for him in public relations.
Nkrumah also introduced him to other African leaders.
Meanwhile, the family of late Sen. Arthur Nzeribe says it has begun traditional consultation for the funeral rites of the late business mogul and political icon.
The family made the disclosure on Sunday in an official statement titled “Our mighty Iroko has fallen: Sen. Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe is dead.”
The statement was jointly signed by Messrs Ojiabu Francis Nzeribe, Anthony Akpati Nzeribe and Ojiabu Oliver Nzeribe, for and on behalf of the Nzeribe Royal family.
“The Nzeribe Royal family of Umudei royal village of Oguta in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State in total submission to the will of God Almighty and in appreciation of a remarkably worthy life hereby announces the death of our son, cousin, uncle, husband, father and grandfather, Distinguished Sen. Francis Arthur Uzoma Nzeribe.
“While we are pained by this loss, we are proud of the African legend who distinguished himself in various fields including sports, international business, politics, and gave the Nzeribe clan worldwide acclaim.
“The family has immediately commenced the necessary traditional consultation and will in due course release a programme for his funeral rites,” the statement read in parts.
It appealed to the public to respect the privacy of the family and the solemnity of the event to enable them grieve in peace.
Until his death, late Nzeribe held the traditional titles of Ogbuagu, Oshiji, and Demanze Oyimba of Oguta, among others.
The deceased represented Orlu Senatorial District from October to December, 1993 in the second republic for the Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP).
In the third republic, late Nzeribe represented Imo West at the senate between 1999 and 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
