He was an enigma. He was a unique human breed. He was as rich as Nigeria, but off by mere “N25”, we were told in primary school. He was rich and very very rich. He was mercurial. He supplied arms to Iran and Iraq at the same time. He was larger than life. His name is Arthur Nzeribe. Check political sagacity. Check strategist. Check Love of Hometown. He died this week.
My first business letter was addressed to him. I was in my first year in secondary school. My mother and other women had just founded a petty trading association, Umu Nwanyi Ekete (women who make money via baskets) . A local politician had told them to apply for financial support to the Arthur Nzeribe Foundation.
I assisted as the women dictated what they wanted from the Foundation. I wrote that letter, possibly not following any order in business communication. But Nzeribe, the philanthropist, surprised them: he released funds to them. The women had wanted to have a trust to insure one another where health issues or other emergencies would not push members any member into poverty. They have more than 4,000 members today covering many parts of Isuikwuato LGA Abia State; you do not need to be a trader anymore, though.
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Arthur Nzeribe inspired and also confused, with contradictions. Personally, he was an inspiration as a kid in Ovim. He was once in our village school and we met a man who was as rich as Nigeria, but for “N25”. But he also confused me as he partied with the evil genius, IBB.
Nzeribe was 83.
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