A former Nigerian Senator, Francis Nzeribe has died at 83.
He was born in Oguta, Imo State on November 2.
According to reports, Nzeribe died on Sunday, May 8 in a hospital outside Nigeria..
The deceased was Senator for the Oguta Senatorial constituency in Imo State from October 1983 to December 1983 and May 1999 to May 2007 on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform.
In November 2002, Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim indefinitely suspended Senator Nzeribe due to an allegation of a N22 million fraud.
In April 2006, the Orlu People’s Consultative Assembly, sponsored by the then Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, staged what it called a “One million march” to drum support for the deceased’ s recall from the Senate
Nzeribe was a multi-billionaire investment mogul.
On June 10, 1993, Nzeribe tried to stop the election, relying on a court order that his group, Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), got from a midnight ruling from late Justice Bassey Ikpeme of Abuja High Court.
ABN was known to be pro-Babangida.
His father, Oyimba Nzeribe, was a lawyer and former state counsel, and his grandfather, Akpati Nzeribe, held the traditional title of Ogbuagu, Oshiji, Damanze Oyimba of Oguta.
Sadly, he lost his mother when he was a primary school pupil, while his father was away in Britain studying law, however, his care was taken over by Catholic priests who were involved in furthering his education.
In 1957, he travelled to Lagos where he obtained employment with Nigeria Port Authority as an engineering cadet, and a year later, he received a scholarship from the NPA to study marine engineering.
Arthur Nzeribe was elected Senator for the Imo Orlu constituency in 1999 and was reelected in 2003.
His second wife is the sister of Hajia Asabe Yar’Adua, wife of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who was the brother of President Umaru Yar’Adua.
