The Odu that I Know Bayo Ojo,
A former Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice eulogizes Ambassador Arthur Mbanefo, Nigeria’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations on his 90th birthday
Perhaps there is no better time than on the occasion of his 90th birthday to pay tribute to a man who has become a legendary tributary that has watered and nurtured the blossoming destinies of many young people and touched countless lives in very impactful ways - His Excellency, Ambassador (Chief) Arthur Christopher Izuegbunam Mbanefo, MFR, CON, FCA, Odu of Onitsha.
The Odu that I Know and whom I am very proud to be associated with is someone from whom I have derived much inspiration and mentorship. Perhaps, it could be safely said that there are very few men of his generation who not only made great impact in building and developing the Accountancy profession in Nigeria but also in building the nation’s economy and in shaping and influencing public policy and political directions of this era. He is so regarded on account of his admirable personal attributes of character nobility and refinement; unalloyed commitment and passion for the public good; forthrightness, integrity and courage of conviction. He is by every standard, one of the most respected and regarded public figures of his generation on the nation’s socio-economic and political canvass. Odu’s essence, is perhaps one that symbolizes the greatest measure of commitment to patriotic ideals, loyalty and commitment to the Nigerian dream and the good of mankind in general.
For me, I consider the values he espouses and his personal legacies as worthy reference and inspirational model of the highest ideals and impeccable service to his community, the country and the society in general; which should serve as a veritable guide and inspiration to this generation and the ones to come in living a life of positive impact that is steeped in uncompromising and deep-seated love for the good of the country and advancement of the society.
Odu is a genial and jolly good fellow, a brilliant and greatly resourceful Nigerian statesman who excelled in the corporate world as a boardroom guru, in the political space and as a public intellectual whose philosophy and values border largely on a deep passion for the pursuit of an egalitarian Nigerian society, social order and wellbeing, human dignity and national integration.
The Odu that I know, is a recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), Commander of the Order of Merit, Republic of Italy and a Grand Officer, National Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil and Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations. The Odu of Onitsha and Oluwo Adimula of Ile-Ife, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), past president, gold medallist and fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is a renowned Chartered Accountant who has served on the boards of many publicly quoted bluechip companies in Nigeria. Odu holds the uncommon record of serving Nigeria for an unbroken period of nine years as a former pro-chancellor of my alma mater, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (OAU), and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU). He is the proprietor of the Arthur Mbanefo Charitable Foundation that donated the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre to the University of Lagos.
-Chief Bayo Ojo SAN, CON, FCIArb, FNIALS, is Former Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice