•Prince Arthur Eze
By Chinwe Ugwu
The English cleric, theologian and evangelist, John Wesley once said: “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as you ever can”. Wesley probably had in mind one of the greatest philanthropists that ever walked the African soil, the Great Prince Arthur Eze. Also, Lady Diana of blessed memory is noted to have said that “nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life- a kind of destiny. Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are”.
These are the exact attributes of the Ozo Igbo ndu, whose second name is charity and philanthropy. A renowned oil magnate, Arthur Eze, who is the chairman of Atlas Oranto Petroleum, is not new to philanthropy. The company owns 22 oil and gas licences in 11 jurisdictions, including producing assets in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
Eze, who owns several producing and non-producing oil and gas assets across Nigeria, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea and the Gambia, is known for giving, for easing other people’s heartache. In the recent past, a rating by Forbes suggested that Prince Eze donated $6.3 million (N1 billion) to flood relief efforts in Nigeria, apart from the donations he made to universities. Prince Arthur Eze was in June 2015 deemed the eighth richest person in Africa with a net worth of more than $5.8 billion. With a traditional title as Ozo Igbo Ndu (saviour of Ndigbo), Prince Arthur Eze is from a royal family with his elder brother as the traditional ruler of Ukpo village in the Dunukofia Local Government Area. A chemical engineer by training, Prince Eze, has followed the steps of late Chief MKO Abiola of blessed memory and perhaps only people like the richest African man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and former defence minister, Lt. Gen. T. Y. Danjuma; renowned entrepreneur, Tony Elumelu and Oba Otudeko could come close to him when it comes to philanthropy.
From his days at St. Augustine’s Secondary School in Nkwere in 1970 to California State University at Long Beach from 1974 to 1978, where he studied mechanical and chemical engineering, Prince Eze has not stopped to help people even as he founded Atlas Oranto Petroleum for oil exploration activities in West Africa in 1991. With more oil blocks than any other company in Africa, Atlas soon became the biggest oil exploration company in Africa, and it continues to grow. In 2010 the oil magnate reportedly made US$200 million and his net worth as in 2016 is estimated at US$5.8 billion. His exploits in the area of human development is unequalled. Unlike many who do it for political reasons for the purposes of gaining popularity, Prince Eze goes about his charity without blowing his trumpet. He carries on as if he is not doing anything; since to him, philanthropy is just a way of life and not a means to show up.
Apart from the annual ofala festival of Ukpo kingdom which attracts people from all over the country and the huge sums which he doles out to good causes, Arthur, as he is popularly called, is not known to indulge in elaborate celebration of any of his birthdays even when friends and well-wishers were favourably disposed to it.
Those who are conversant with Prince Arthur Eze’s style of reaching out to the needy and the less privileged would tell you that he donates a large portion of his substantial income to charitable ventures including educational causes, universities, health care, anti-crime initiatives, disaster relief, politics and youth development. Five years ago, Eze started the non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Prince Arthur Eze Philanthropy and Empowerment International to drive his charitable activities. The mission of the NGO is to establish an organised structure and consolidated channels of empowerment and philanthropy.
The organisation’s motto is to celebrate prosperity with philanthropy and to empower humanity with generosity. He has come to represent a protective shield and an umbrella for vulnerable people. He has implanted in many hearts an indelible comfort and love towards him because of the immeasurable things he has impacted on their lives. Members of the Association of People Living with Sickle Cell Disorder (APLSCD), will not forget the Prince in a hurry after he donated N5 million for a Sickle cell standard clinic at Ukpo, Dunukofia Council Area of Anambra State, in 2016. He had also donated 1.8 billion naira ($12 million) to a Nigerian Church charity, St. Stephen’s Anglican Deanery and Youth Development Centre, for youth development.
In 2012 Eze generously donated US$6.3 million towards relief efforts in Nigeria when the country was devastated by massive floods. His donation had a massive impact on restoring services and rebuilding lives.In 2013 Eze’s philanthropic actions made headlines in newspapers across the continent when he attended a fundraising dinner and donated US$12 million towards funding the construction of an Anglican Church Youth Development Centre. The centre is called the St. Stephen’s Anglican Deanery and Youth Development Centre and is located in Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria – the hometown of former Nigerian president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The centre offers training facilities that help students gain a formal education as well as hospitals and a skills centre, where students can acquire a variety of trade skills. The centre also offers start-up capital and various other forms of support to budding entrepreneurs. See https://sundiatapost.com/2018/02/27/arthur-eze-net-worth-and-his-amazing-private-jet/
One striking thing about Prince Eze is that his philanthropy knows no boundaries; it is an all-round affair. So, it is not only for the poor, but for those in need. In July 2014, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke and the then National Chairman of APGA, Sir Victor Umeh, paid Prince Eze a courtesy call at his splendid home of Ukpo in Dunukofia Kingdom of Anambra State. In that courtesy call, Prince Eze donated the sum of $1m for the programme in the state to crackdown on criminals. He also assured the sum of one billion naira to sustain the governor’s agricultural programme. This was vintage Eze; donating to a state government instead of lobbying to get contracts as some of his peers would want to behave.
In April this year during Easter Sunday service at St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Ukpo, Anambra State, it was announced that a mandatory levy had been ordered to raise funds for construction of a new secondary school at Akaezi Ukpo. Then Prince Arthur Eze, who was in attendance stood up and cancelled the levy and donated exactly the amount needed for the project. In his speech, he insisted that the poor should not be made to pay levy. According to him: “Ndi be anyi we cannot continue to press the poor to pay levy. Since there are means I cancel all levies to raise funds. Tell me the amount you need and I will give it to you. We must allow the poor especially elderly to enjoy in peace”. In addition, the billionaire donated N10million for all the elderly in the church. He also gave out cheques of N10million each for all the schools in Ukpo for their 2019 upkeep. This was beside the total project cost for the construction of the new secondary school at Akaezi Ukpo.
The philanthropist also announced the receipt of approval to establish Walter Eze University, Ukpo, which is to cost N10billion for initial take off provision.
Apart from making donations in monetary aspect, Prince Eze devotes his time for peace against party line. He is of the belief that nothing can bring a division between him and his home state, not even politics.
Said to be the eighth richest person in Africa, the billionaire oil tycoon Prince Arthur Eze had donated $500,000 to Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe (NOCEN), for the construction of a student hostel within the campus. Of the $500,000 he donated, $350,000 was earmarked for building a new student hostel, while $150,000 was to be used to create a feeding programme to ensure that destitute students at the school have access to food.
It was in recognition of his untiring efforts to uplift the lives of the less privileged that he honoured by the Igbo nation when he clocked the age of 70 years. At the event, which held at Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the Prince of Ukpo in appreciation of the gesture accorded him, donated a whopping N200 million to the monarchs who bestowed on him a traditional title. Consequently, the Governor of the state, Dr. Dave Umahi at Abaomege community in Onicha LGA of the state, named a major road after him. There is no honour done to this man of inestimable value that can be enough. Humanity will continue to celebrate Prince Arthur Eze for his excellent and inevitable exploits to put smiles on the faces of people.
•Hon Chinwe Ugwu writes from Enugu