Chief Arthur Nzeribe, an enigma (1938-2022): How he will be remembered – Newstrends
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Chief Arthur Nzeribe, an enigma (1938-2022): How he will be remembered

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Chief Arthur Nzeribe, a multi millionaire, was born in Oguta, Imo State, on November 2, 1938. He held the title of Ogbuagu, among others chieftaincy titles. Ogbuagu is regarded as the highest traditional chieftaincy title in Oguta.

It is not for nothing that Nzeribe was called a maverick politician.
In 1983, he was said to have spent a whooping N12m to win a senatorial seat in Orlu on the platform of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). That amount was the annual budget of many states put together then.
Ten years after, he became a prominent sponsor of the infamous Association for a Better Nigeria (ABN), which backed the General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) military administration.
It was the ABN that campaigned and convinced IBB to annul the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adjudged to be the fairest, freest and most transparent in the history of Nigeria, which was said to have been won by the late MKO Abiola.
Nzeibe was also referred to as the original evil genius in some quarters.
He got a scholarship from the Nigerian Ports Authority in 1958 to study Marine Engineering in England.

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By 1960, he sold life insurance to black immigrants in Britain. At a point, he was said to have met Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana that year and started working for him in the area of public relations. He bought his first Rolls Royce car a year later.
In 1969, Nzeribe started the Fanz Organisation based in London, an organisation that dealt in heavy construction, arms, oil brokerage, publishing and property investment. It also engaged in business in the Middle East and the Gulf region. By 1979, Fanz had an annual trading turnover of £70 million.
In Nigeria, Nzeribe built Sentinel Assurance and other companies. His country home in Oguta is called Haven of Peace, a plush estate that has multiple mansions that still compete with anything you can get anywhere in the country.
The billionaire businessman was elected into the Senate in the Third Republic. He represented the Orlu senatorial zone in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003.
However, the tide turned against him in November 2002 when the then president of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, suspended him indefinitely following an allegation of a N22m fraud. Nzeribe was said to be planning an impeachment motion against Anyim at the time.
Arthur Nzeribe’s power and influence further declined in April 2006, when the Orlu People’s Consultative Assembly, sponsored by the then Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, staged a “one-million-man march” to mobilise support for Nzeribe’s recall from the Senate.
In December 2006, Osita Izunaso defeated him during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election. However, in August 2007, Nzeribe was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP.
Since his defeat by Izunaso, with the assistance of Udenwa, Nzeribe disappeared from the public scene. That was before he became sick, a situation attributed to old age and a domestic accident he had in his country.

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BREAKING: Agboola wins Ondo PDP primary

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Hon Ajayi Agboola

BREAKING: Agboola wins Ondo PDP primary

A former deputy governor in Ondo state, Hon Ajayi Agboola has won the ongoing People’s Democratic Party governorship primary election in the state.

He polled 264 votes of the 621 votes cast during the contest.

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The former Scretary General of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni may come second in the contest.

Agboola was the former deputy governor to the late governor Rotimi Akeredolu before they parted ways following irreconcilable differences.

Attempt to impeach Ajayi during the crisis between him and the late Akeredolu failed

BREAKING: Agboola wins Ondo PDP primary

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BREAKING: APC NWC in peace talks with Aiyedatiwa, other Ondo gov aspirants

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BREAKING: APC NWC in peace talks with Aiyedatiwa, other Ondo gov aspirants

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) is currently holding a closed-door peace meeting with Governor Lucky Ayiedatiwa and fifteen other aspirants in the April 20 Ondo state governorship primary election.

Ayiedatiwa was declared the winner by Governor Usman Ododo-led Primary Election Committee in the early hours of Sunday, April 21, after the shadow election in the 203 wards of the 18 local government areas of the state.

All the aspirants but Hon. Wale Akinterinwa and Hon. Isaacs Kekemeke are in attendance.

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Those in attendance are Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, Olusoji Adewale Ehinlanwo, a former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Olugbenga Omogbemi Edema, and business magnate, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim Folorunsho.

Others are Engr. (Mrs.) Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo, Hon. Akinfolarin Mayo Samuel, legal luminary, Chief Olusola Alexander Oke, SAN, Ohunyeye Olamide Felix, and Barr. Morayo Lebi.

Also in attendance are Garvey Oladiran Iyanjan, Prof. Francis Adebayo Faduyile, and Engr. (Mrs) Judith Folakemi Omogoroye, President Unilag Alumni (Worldwide), Engr. Ifeoluwa Olusola Oyedele and Hon. Omo’Oba Okunjimi Odimayo John.

BREAKING: APC NWC in peace talks with Aiyedatiwa, other Ondo gov aspirants

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I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde

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Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde

I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says he has dismantle the shackles of godfatherism that once characterised the State politics.

Makinde said Oyo State was once known for ‘who is your father’ politics, stating that such style of political arrangement has ended with him.

Makinde spoke on Wednesday at Students’ Legislative Summit organised by the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly and chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, in conjunction with the Students’ Representative Council, University of Ibadan.

Makinde disclosed that his father was not wealthy or influential and the Oyo State people still gave him the opportunity to lead.

The governor underscores the need to get youths into leadership position, imploring Nigerian youths to become more actively involved in governance by increasing their participation.

Makinde said that the issue of leadership is imperative in preparing the youth for the future and governance.

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“For us here, we have seen the common situation where ‘who is your father’ was the order of the day but we have been able to break that in Oyo State. My father was a ‘nobody’ and the Oyo State people still gave me the opportunity to lead.

“We may not be able to prepare the future for the youth, but we can prepare the youth for the future. Please, don’t see this event as just an opportunity to look at the issue of leadership in this country. And, in me, Seyi Makinde, the youth have an ally and we will prepare the leaders of the next generation amongst the youth.

“I am here this afternoon to encourage the youth. If you look at the history of Nigeria, we had our independence in 1960 and six years after, in 1966, the person that became the Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, was 31 years and some months old. After him, during the Second Republic, former President Obasanjo retired as a General at the age of 39.

“You should dream big; people have ruled this country at very tender ages. So, for you, don’t think that at 29 or 30, you are too young to rule and I am glad, because this is almost like catching them early.

“You have the students here and in about three years, some of you will be out there to move on. If I were you, I wouldn’t start looking for work; I would start doing my own thing at a very early age of 24 or 25. With the kind of energy you still have, you can pull down the kingdom of Satan.”

I broke the chains of godfatherism in Oyo politics – Makinde

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