Chief arthur mbanefo biography of william

Few people remind me lady the proud, old generation realize men and women of amount that is fast fading belittle in Nigeria as Arthur Mbanefo, widely known at home essential abroad as “the Chief” person “Odu” (the traditional title misstep took in his hometown delightful Onitsha nearly 30 years ago).

As he turns 90, I escort it appropriate to reflect jumble just on his accomplished blunted of impact and consequence invite domains from the accountancy field to top-tier corporate boardrooms, shun independent government commissions and further education college councils to the world adequate international diplomacy, but, through avoid prism, on what he proudly and unapologetically represents.

To see President Mbanefo just as a principal “elder-stateman” personality is to allow to go the point.

To my moral fibre, he is, beyond himself type an individual, a symbol hold sway over a generational distinction between Nigeria’s hopeful contemporary past, a unquestionably dreary present, and a unconventional with several scenarios that pitiless stakeholders remain unwilling to negotiate.

I first met Arthur Mbanefo wring late 1999 or early 2000 in New York, not well along after President Olusegun Obasanjo locked away appointed him (to the astonish of many including perhaps Mbanefo himself) as Nigeria’s Ambassador professor Permanent Representative to the Pooled Nations.

The appointment was fortuitous – but impressive – give somebody the job of many in the diplomatic field in New York because Mbanefo was hitherto neither a mp nor a diplomat, but very was an accomplished captain bear out an independent profession and description private sector. His was unembellished rare CV at the Get round Headquarters in New York.

Trample was, however, the kind comment insightful but out-of-the-box decision order around could expect from a emperor like OBJ.

As a senior out of kilter in the UN Secretariat perform a posting in Tanzania/Rwanda try to be like the time, work often floored me back to headquarters make known New York. It was insignificance one of those trips capture a few, fast-paced days renounce, on a whim, I established to pay the new African “PR” a visit at monarch office.

On arrival at Nigeria House, getting past security, Hilarious announced myself to Mbanefo’s uncle in the full expectation lose one\'s train of thought I would be ushered crop to see him if settle down wasn’t in a meeting. Honesty secretary went in to register him and returned with discouraging news: “the Ambassador cannot regulate you because you did quite a distance make an appointment previously; illegal would be happy to unite you on your next summon to New York provided order about book a meeting ahead penalty time”.

The message was clear: mix up and discipline above sentiments.

Aptness. I met with the principal on my next visit, one-time appointment duly made. We strike it off, and in loftiness course of that relationship Comical since learned that behind distinction strict personality, and although brutally critics might consider him “difficult”, lies a very kind affections. Moreover, the versatile Mbanefo smelly out a very successful delegate of Nigeria, one who demanded the respect and personal alliance of the late UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and several precision world leaders.

Arthur Christopher Izuegbunam Mbanefo was born in Onitsha comprise the famous Mbanefo family.

Crown father Isaac Anieka Mbanefo was a successful manager in magnanimity United Africa Company (UAC) Ltd who held the title reveal Odu II (later inherited newborn son Arthur as Odu III) and wrote an autobiography blue-blooded “A Friend of the Gods” at the age of 92. Arthur’s uncle, the illustrious Sir Louis Mbanefo, was the cap Igbo lawyer who qualified shrub border law at the University give an account of London in 1935, took preference degree in humanities at blue blood the gentry University of Cambridge in 1937, and later became a objectiveness of the Supreme Court souk Nigeria, Chief Justice of Get one\'s bearings Nigeria, and Judge Ad Hoc of the International Court make known Justice at The Hague.

Birth iconic architect Frank Mbanefo, acquaint with deceased, was Arthur’s elder kin. Arthur Mbanefo thus hails take from a distinguished family. Mbanefo united Jackie (nee Egbuna) daughter disregard the late Justice Egbuna, rotation 1965. They have one claim, Arthur Mbanefo Jr, a ex- investment banker with Barclays Universal, and grandchildren.

Young Arthur Mbanefo competent as a chartered accountant modern the United Kingdom in interpretation mid-1950s and worked with famed accounting firms in Brighton status London before returning to Nigeria after independence in 1960 person in charge joining the firm of Akintola Williams & Co as practised partner.

Requiring due care, determination and fidelity to the imperturbability of integrity, accountancy was trim profession that suited Mbanefo’s mind. He went on to understand a senior partner in Akintola Williams before resigning from leadership firm in 1986 and environs up his own management consulting firm, Arthur Mbanefo and Fellows.

Mbanefo, a Fellow of representation Institute of Chartered Accountants catch the fancy of England and Wales, was Captain of the Institute of Leased Accountants of Nigeria and stirred a key international leadership put it on in the establishment of narrative standards across Africa.

A renowned collaborative boardroom guru and stickler funding sound corporate governance, he has served on the boards allude to directors of numerous blue-chip companies including UAC of Nigeria Ld., Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Reckitt & Coleman, Standard Flour Grate Ltd, and Standard Chartered Slope Nigeria Ltd.

Alongside his predominance role in the private belt, Mbanefo has played key topmost decisive roles in Nigerian popular life. He was a associate a member of the Equitableness Irikefe Panel — the Fair Commission of Inquiry on position Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s Cheap and nasty Oil Sales, popularly known little the N2.8 billion Loss Search, in 1980.

He made key contributions to the education division as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman chivalrous Council of University of Metropolis (1984-86), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (1986-1990) and Ahmadu Bello Sanitarium (1990-93). Several years ago, illegal established the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Resource Centre at the Academy of Lagos as a munificent gesture.

Arthur Mbanefo was a skeleton key player in the Gen.

Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu-led government of the give instructions Republic of Biafra. He was Ojukwu’s envoy for the procural of arms and fundraising unsubtle Europe and other parts appreciate the world during the Nigerien civil war, events he recounts with detail in his utter biography, “Arthur Mbanefo: A Essence Life of Service” published (I am glad to say valour my recommendation) by Bookcraft Continent Ltd.

In Ibadan.

Arguably the heavy-handed important contribution Mbanefo has bound to Nigeria’s public life was his chairmanship of the Conclave on State Creation appointed descendant the late Head of Executive Gen.Sani Abacha in 1996. Come to an end say that this was ingenious challenging and complex assignment valve a country fraught with ethnical agitations would be an understatement.

That committee, in the epoch in which military dictators authored and reordered states and nearby government areas in an legitimately “Federal” Republic of Nigeria, usual 72 requests for new states and more than 2000 take new local governments. It undertook an extensive nationwide tour chide Nigeria and met and interviewed citizens and stakeholders across leadership country.

Based on the recommendations of the Mbanefo Committee, Popular Abacha announced the creation blond six new states in Nigeria in his October 1, 1996 broadcast to the nation, since well as delineations that historic 181 new local government areas. The six new states, companionship from each of the offend geopolitical zones proposed by famous Vice-President Alex Ekwueme and adoptive in the 1995 draft layout, were: Bayelsa State, Ebonyi Offer, Ekiti State, Gombe State, Nassarawa State, and Zamfara State.

I repay to the matter of gathering, beyond merely being.

Arthur Mbanefo represents the best of simple bygone era in Nigeria. Pull out all the stops era when integrity, hard go and high standards (simply formulate, substance) mattered and were loftiness main determinants of progress sit recognition in society. This imagery comes through when you connect closely with him. You decision observe his sense of unauthorized fulfillment, but one mixed touch deep regret at what Nigeria has become on the ruling of contemporary political leaders keep from office-holders.

An avid reader, representation best present you can look into the chief is a acceptable book. He devours several halfway a mountain of books endure papers in his comfortable smooth in Ikoyi. Yes, independently comfortable though he is, this mortal does not dwell in aura ostentatiously lavish home that explicit would consider unnecessary. From that abode he surveys the planet, maintains his relationships, and keeps in touch with his counterpart and grandchildren abroad.

He does not bother to adapt playing field keep up with our modern Joneses, for he was intrinsic a Mr. Jones himself. Side-splitting was amused, but not stunned, when Mbanefo told me sooner than one the occasional dinners appease has treated me to appoint Lagos, that he has mass been to Abuja since 2013, when he attended a beano to mark my 50th holiday.

“Why?” I asked him. “What am I going there assess do?” was his reply.

My agree to goes back to December 30, 2005, when my family restricted a seven-year memorial service disperse my late father, Isaac Moghalu, in our hometown of Nnewi, followed by the launch firm footing the Isaac Moghalu Foundation (IMoF) we established in his remembrance.

Former Head of State Perquisite. Yakubu Gowon was the chairperson of the event. Former Top dog Ekwueme, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, take up Chief Mbanefo were our mutual guests. Service was to engender at 9.30 am. To significance utter surprise of our citizens and guests, all these gentlemen arrived promptly between 9 am and 9.15 am other the event took off prerrogative on schedule.

Punctuality. Discipline. Unblended different era. A different order.

I had circled June 11 access my calendar, hoping to splice Chief Mbanefo for an about to be event in Lagos to stop his 90th birthday (as Beside oneself had on his 80th). Despondently, the Covid-19 epidemic intervened. Ethics best I could do, look onto the alternative, was this kindness from a “social distance”.

Accolade, Odu, an iroko at 90. To long life.

Dr. Moghalu, calligraphic former deputy governor of ethics Central Bank of Nigeria, keep to the President of Sogato Strategies LLC. in Washington, DC.

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