Ethelbert Okere
I borrow the title of this article from the book I did on another great Nigerian that also goes by the name, Arthur; talking about Senator Arthur Nzeribe. The book, which I wrote to mark the latter’s 80th birthday last year, is entitled: Arthur by an eyewitness. I dedicated the book to his four other namesakes who I have had the privilege of knowing closely, namely, Chief Arthur Mbanefo, Prince Arthur Eze, Dr Arthur Nwankwo and Arthur Okere, my son. I had been admiring these four great Nigerians from a distance but my son owes his name to my eventual encounter with Prince Arthur Eze.
It all began in 1997 when I wrote my second book, Nigeria and the search for leadership (A return to the East). For the public presentation of the book, I approached Chief Arthur Mbanefo, who I had never met before – but who acknowledged that he had been reading me – to chair the occasion and he accepted. Among my invitees were Prince Arthur Eze. I had never met him or known anybody close to him but he sent one of his aides, Chidi Okolo, to represent him. I also had not met Okolo before and it was to my greatest surprise that he stood up in the crowd during the event at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos to announce that he was representing Prince Arthur Eze. He did not make a donation or pledge but requested that I should find time to come to Enugu to see his boss. I will return to that later.
The significance of Prince Eze’s involvement in that event was that the book in question was considered by many as “controversial”. Nigeria and the search for leadership… was an unashamed advocacy for the civilian president that would emerge after the transition programme under the late General Sani Abacha regime, to come from the Eastern part of the country.
The book came at the middle of the late head of state’s agenda to transmute into a civilian president and as such, many prominent Nigerians, especially from my part of the country, were scared of having anything to do with it. As a matter of fact, I got two anonymous letters warning me to be “careful”. The first came to my residence in Oworonsoki, Lagos about two weeks after the book came out from the press and newspaper reviews begun. The other came about three days to the book presentation. It was slipped into my office at the Daily Times premises in Agidingbi, Ogba, Lagos. I was then the Deputy Editor of the paper and a member of the editorial board. This anonymous author wondered why and how I got the “temerity” to publish such a book even while I was an employee of an establishment owned wholly by the federal government.
Along with Prince Eze, five other prominent Igbo were also not bothered and they graced the occasion. They were Chief Arthur Mbanefo, who chaired the occasion, the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, the late veteran journalist, Chief MCK Ajulukwu and Chief Leo Stan Ekeh whose media outfit, New Concept Media Ltd, published the book. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu sent a representative, Mr. Ziggy Azike, who also openly announced his representation.
Back to Prince Arthur Eze, however, I got the permission of our then managing director, the late Innocent Oparadike, who had earlier encouraged me to go ahead with my book presentation in spite of the letters I had received, to go to Enugu to see Prince Eze. I took a night bus to Enugu and on arrival the following morning, I made contacts with Okolo. I also contacted Timothy Okorocha, then the Eastern Bureau Chief of the Daily Times who drove me to the No 15 Akpabio street residence of the Eze N’Ukpo, Prince Arthur Eze.
We arrived in time for lunch and after a very friendly and convivial interaction that lasted for about two hours, I announced that I would be leaving but my host objected. He asked: “I daa Alaru?” (Won’t you sleep over?). But after my explanation to the effect that I needed to be in Lagos the following morning to be at the editorial board meeting by 10am, he directed Okolo to take me to the chief operating officer of his Triax Airline, with an instruction that I should be taken in the afternoon flight to Lagos free of charge. As I was leaving, the Prince landed over to me a certain sum of money – I need not disclose the amount – and which was contained in a small bag – not a Ghana-Must-Go.
Upon arrival in Lagos, I took an airport taxi and went straight to Berger in Apapa, along the Apapa – Oshodi Express way. My mission? To buy a car. And I succeeded in getting a Tokumbo Concorde Mercedes-Benz 280, the type that was used to be known as Shagari Model. I also paid some money to an agent to register the vehicle and get the plate number before I came back the next day. With the assurance by the officers in charge of the car market that the vehicle was in good hands, I took another taxi and hurried to the office for the production of the newspaper for the next day. At the close of work – the newspaper usually went to bed at about 11pm and as deputy editor, I must see to that – I drove home in my then 15-year old Peugeot 504 salon. Of course, I couldn’t sleep that night and by 8 am the following morning, I was already at Berger.
To cut the story short, I took delivery of my new car and drove straight to the office. The car was simply a spectacle. It stood out especially on account of its size. But of more significance is that I got it at the heat of the “politics” of giving me an official car which I was told I was entitled to. Some old staffers of the newspaper company who were close to me kept saying that I was “overdue” in getting one. In any case, the official car was to be a refurbished Peugeot 504 salon car but the General Manager (of Times Publications Division) kept telling me that it was not ready several months after. But there I was that morning with a clean, flashy, long Mercedes Benz car to the surprise of all.
As I was driving out of the premises that afternoon, to have lunch with a few of my colleagues, I overheard one of the security men at the gate saying to his colleagues: “These Igbo boys sef”. My new car was the second Mercedes Benz brand in the place. The first was owned by the late Basi Obi, who was then the Politics Editor of the Daily Times. A colleague queried why I decided to go for a car meant for traditional rulers but it was all in admiration.
So, what point am I trying to make with this long story? It is that I am both a beneficiary of and witness to Prince Arthur Eze’s (Ozo Igbo Ndu) large heartedness and philanthropy. The donation he made over my book came quite handy because at that time, my weather-beaten jalopy was giving me a lot of problems. Apart from helping in my work, the car also elevated my social status. Forget that there are SUVs everywhere now, a Concorde Mercedes Benz 280 by 1997 was a big deal. I could remember what happened the day I drove the car down to my village. It was like the day I drove my brand new Peugeot 504 SR down home in 1982.
Witness the ease with which the Prince dealt with my case. There was no come tomorrow. As I later learnt, it is the same experience with all those who have had to encounter the Prince. It was shortly after my meeting with the Eze N’Ukpo that I got to know that what I saw was a small matter. I might have written a book which he saw as an effort worth supporting but “Arthur 2000”, as I latter got to know he was once popularly called, gives eye-popping sums of money to entire strangers for doing nothing. As a matter of fact, the nick name, Arthur 2000, came as a result of his habit of effortlessly dishing out N2000.00 to street beggars at a time when even wealthier people found it difficult to part with One Hundred Naira.
Prince Arthur Eze’s philanthropy is legendary. He has donated millions for the building of schools, hospitals and churches. About six years ago, he donated the sum of N5 billion for the building of a church in Bayelsa state. A few weeks ago, I was, for the first time, at the main campus of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka for the annual Zik lecture and one of the most conspicuous and well paved avenues is named after him. I have come across several streets, avenues and roads named after him in many parts of the country I have been to.
It is not only philanthropy. Prince Eze is a community leader. He is generally non-partisan but the Ozo Igbo Ndu is a king maker not only in Igbo land but across the country. And in spite of his wealth and pro capitalist proclivity, he is a progressive by leaning.
Last week, the Eze N’Ukpo marked his 71st birthday and it was a good wish galore from all parts of the country for one of the most large-hearted and patriotic Nigerians to ever live in our clime. I was touched by the deluge of accolades and I felt that the story of my encounter with him more than twenty years ago should be added to the compendium of how this legend of our time has changed the lives of hundreds of his fellow country men and women.
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