Arthur Nzeribe

Francis Arthur Nzeribe
Senator for Imo - Orlu
In office
May 1999 – May 2007
Personal details
Born (1938-11-02) 2 November 1938
Oguta, Imo State, Nigeria
Nationality Nigerian
Political party PDP

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. 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

References

  1. ↑ Ethelbert Okere (October 31, 2008). "Arthur Nzeribe at 70: The untold stories". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  2. ↑ Chiagoziem Otuechere (November 30, 2004). "Life without Yar'Adua". Sun News. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  3. 1 2 Dillibe Onyeama (1984). African legend: the incredible story of Francis Arthur Nzeribe. Delta. ISBN 978-2335-79-7.
  4. ↑ http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/nwabuzor/0318001.html
  5. ↑ Olorunnimbe Farukanmi (20 November 2002). "Anyim Vs Nzeribe, Another Rumble in the Jungle". Vanguard. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ Chidi Obineche (December 5, 2006). "End game for Nzeribe as 24 years reign crashes". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
  8. ↑ Emeka Oraetoka (22 August 2007). "Return of Arthur Nzeribe". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2010-02-27.
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