Arthur
Nzeribe
Francis
Arthur Nzeribe(born
2 November 1938) is a Nigerian politician who was Senator
for the Imo Orlu constituency in Imo State from May 1999 to May 2007 on the People's
Democratic Party
(PDP) slate.
Background
Nzeribe
was born in Oguta, Imo State on 2 November 1938 to a
prominent Oguta family.[1] He is the Ogbuagu, Osniji, Damanze Oyimba of
Oguta.[citation
needed] His second wife is the
sister of Hajia Asabe Yar’Adua, wife of the late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, who was brother of
President Umaru Yar'Adua.[2]
He
attended Holy Ghost College, Owerri, and then got a scholarship from the Nigerian Ports
Authority in
1958 to study marine engineering in England. By 1960 he was selling life
insurance to black immigrants in Britain. He met Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana that year and started to
work for Nkrumah in public relations. He bought his first Rolls Royce a year later. After the
fall of Nkrumah in 1966 he lost influence in Ghana.[3]
In
1969 Nzeribe started up the Fanz Organization based in London, dealing in heavy
construction, arms, oil brokerage, publishing and property investment, with
much business in the Middle East and Gulf states. By 1979 Fanz had an annual
trading turnover of £70 million. In Nigeria, Nzeribe built up Sentinel
Assurance and other companies. In 1983 he spent N12m to win a Senatorial seat
in Orlu. In 1993, he was a prominent supporter of the Association for a Better
Nigeria, which backed General Ibrahim Babangida.[3] Using the Ibrahim Babangida-supported ABN
platform he campaigned for, and dubiously succeeded in the annulment of the
fairest and freest presidential election in the history of Nigeria. He
continued further his mission to legitimize the dictatorship of maximum ruler,
General Sanni Abachi, which was resolutely resisted by the Nigerian people and
the will of God.[4]
Senate career
Arthur
Nzeribe was elected Senator for the Imo Orlu constituency 1999 and was
reelected in 2003. In November 2002, Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim indefinitely suspended Senator Nzeribe due
to an allegation of a N22 million fraud. Nzeribe was said to be planning an
impeachment motion against Anyim.[5]
In
April 2006 the Orlu People’s Consultative Assembly, sponsored by the governor
of Imo state Achike Udenwa, staged what it called
“One million March” to drum support for Nzeribe’s recall from the Senate.[6] In the December 2006 PDP primaries for the
2007 Senatorial candidates, he was defeated by Osita Izunaso.[7]
Later career
In
August 2007 Nzeribe was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP.[8]
Bibliography
- Francis Arthur Nzeribe (1985). Nigeria, another hope betrayed: the second coming of the Nigerian military. Kilimanjaro.
- Francis Arthur Nzeribe (1986). Nigeria: the turning point : a charter for stability. Fourth Dimension Publishers. ISBN 978-156-229-3.
- Francis Arthur Nzeribe (1988). Nigeria I believe: a manifesto for the Third Republic. Kilimanjaro Publishing Co.
- Francis Arthur Nzeribe (1990). Nigeria: seven years after Shehu Shagari. Kilimanjaro Pub. Co.
References
· Ethelbert Okere (October 31, 2008). "Arthur Nzeribe at 70: The untold stories". Daily Sun. Retrieved
2010-02-27.
· · Chiagoziem Otuechere (November 30, 2004). "Life without Yar’Adua". Sun News. Retrieved
2010-02-27.
· · Dillibe Onyeama (1984). African legend:
the incredible story of Francis Arthur Nzeribe. Delta. ISBN 978-2335-79-7.
· · Olorunnimbe Farukanmi (20 November 2002). "Anyim Vs Nzeribe, Another Rumble in the Jungle". Vanguard. Retrieved
2010-02-27.
· Dan Onwukwe (December 8, 2009). "Ohakim, beware of Nzeribe, et
al". Daily Sun. Archived
from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
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