From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu

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Philanthropy runs in his veins. Anambra State-born billionaire businessman and Group Chairman, Oranto Petroleum International, Prince Arthur Eze, touches the lives of both the rich and the poor. His good spirit knows no bounds and does not discriminate.
Indeed, two years ago when the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), hosted all African vice chancellors in Enugu, Eze was invited as the guest of honour. He in turn invited the vice chancellors to a dinner in his house. They were astonished as the billionaire demonstrated his kind heart.
Besides giving them a great treat in food and kingly assorted drinks, he wrote off their trip expenses, gave them gifts, which made them say he is the Prince of Africa.
In Nigeria and the South-East in particular, Eze has written his name in gold in philanthropic acts, which was why the Association of Non-Indigenes in Anambra State nominated him to become its grand patron.
Members of the association had paid him a visit at his country home at Ukpo to formally acquaint him of his nomination as their grand patron; and Prince Eze indeed brought out his philanthropic spirit to bear.
President of the association, Comrade Ferguson Okpara told Daily Sun: “He accepted that position and even asked us to provide land for the construction of our ultra-modern secretariat in Awka, which we are working on at the moment.”
Why did the association choose Eze as its grand patron? Okpara said: “We are not talking about politicians; we are talking about Sir Arthur Eze, a man that has no barrier of religion, ethnic group or political interest.
“All the members of the association from the South-East, South-South, South-West, North-East, North Central and the North-West residing in Anambra State endorsed him as our great ambassador of peace across Nigeria.”
Okpara said in May when they would hold their first national convention, they would formally conduct his investiture as their national grand patron as a show of appreciation of the billionaire’s contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigerians and Nigeria as a country.
“Our association is one that cuts across all the tribes and ethnic groups in Nigeria and we intend to make a statement that wherever one finds him or herself in Nigeria he is a functional member of the society that he or she belongs to.”
Quoting their encounter with Eze, he said the philanthropist had asked in rhetoric:
“How long do I have to stay in this mother earth? How many years do I need to stay in the world? What matters is how you have been able to impact positively on the lives of those around you. That is the memory that you would leave behind.”
He noted that the fate accompli of Eze has been how to provide succour to humanity. Okpara recalled that one day Eze stood before the academics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and announced the construction of the major entrance dual carriage road to the institution:
“Shortly after the occasion, a young man in his early 40s rushed to him and introduced himself as Chike Mbanaso, a medical doctor.
“Mbanaso hails from Mgbidi in Imo State and he recalled before this man, about how his educational foundation provided him with scholarship from his first year at UNN to his final year.
“His benefactor never knew him nor has he seen him before. As they exchanged pleasantries more young men and women came to express their appreciations over one favour or the other that they had enjoyed from him.”
He said Eze looking at the doctor retorted: “Well, to God be the glory, I have a foundation for the South Eastern Nigeria and I was told by my coordinators that over 2,800 persons benefitted from it and I do not know up to 20 of them.”
“At the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka, Ituku Ozala, Enugu State, he made a donation of personal building, a medical block, with all the-state-of-art facilities in place.
“Sometime last two years at Amawbia Enugu Agidi junction in Awka, he stopped his convoy and handed over huge sum of money to the cripple begging for alms.
“A friend of his complained that the sum was too much for such lowly persons. He retorted; ‘if you want that kind of money become a cripple. These people need this money more than us.’
“Even stories had it that during the Nigerian civil war, he passed through the war-front to purchase relief materials and shared to refugees in their respective camps without demanding any form of payment from them.
“Granted that Nigeria as a country has a legion of philanthropists, there are those whose pedigree started from the cradle and Prince Arthur Eze is one of them.”
According to Okpala, Anderson Muoneke, a contemporary of Eze, had narrated how his classmate took off his school uniform and handed it over to another classmate whose father could not afford a new uniform. He said Eze reasoned that he came from a royal family whose parents could afford dozens of the uniform while his classmate who came from a humble background could not.
Okpala recalled that when they visited the philanthropist’s hometown in Ukpo, Dunukofia Local Government Area, scores of physically challenged people, including distillates had found his palatial house a home away from home:
“They are fed on daily basis and clothed adequately by this man that has the milk of human kindness. That explains why some address him as Ozo Igbo Ndu (One who saves lives of the Igbo), some even address him as Igbo leader and a quintessential achiever.”
The recognition of Eze by the Association of Non-Indigenes in Anambra State as its grand patron would follow the Egbe Omo Oduduwa in the South-East zone who made him the patron of their organization following his philanthropic gestures to the Yoruba community in Nigeria.