Mr Jide Iwuanyanwu, the first son of the late elder statesman, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who passed on Thursday morning, has described his father as a man of many parts.
Jide disclosed this in a statement containing a brief biography of the President-General of the apex-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
In the statement made available to newsmen in Owerri, he described the deceased as “a renowned Nigerian businessman, politician, and traditional leader”.
He stated: “Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu was born on September 4, 1942, in Umunakanu, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo.
“He hails from a humble background and is the first child of his parents.
“He attended St. Patrick’s Primary School, Umunakanu, and later proceeded to St. Peter’s Secondary School, Umuguma.
“He furthered his education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he graduated with a degree in Economics.”
Jide further stated that the late Igbo leader started his business career as a trader in the 1960s.
According to him, Iwuanyanwu ventured into various sectors, including construction, manufacturing and publishing.
“He is the founder and chairman of Champion Newspapers Limited, publishers of Champion newspapers.
“He also owns other businesses, including construction companies, manufacturing firms and real estate investments,” Jide added.
He explained that Iwuanyanwu joined active politics in the 1980s and was a member of the National Party of Nigeria and later joined the Peoples Democratic Party.
“He has held various political positions, including being a member of the state House of Assembly (1983-1985), Commissioner for Works and Housing (1985-1987),” he stated.
He further stated that Iwuanyanwu contested for the Imo East Senatorial District in 1992.
Jide also described his father as “a respected traditional leader in Igboland,” who was conferred with several chieftaincy titles, including Eze Udo 1 of Umunakanu, and Ochiagha Ndigbo, amongst others.
He said that he received numerous awards and honours for “his contributions to business, politics, and traditional leadership”.
He listed some of the awards to include Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic and Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law from the Imo State University.
He added that the deceased was a devout Catholic, who engaged in philanthropic activities throughout his life.
Jide said that Iwuanyanwu died at the age of 82, following a brief illness, and was survived by his wife, Frances, children and grand-children.
He said that the date of his burial would be announced by the family after due consultation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Iwuanyanwu indicated his aspiration to vie for the President on the platform of the United Nigeria Congress Party in 1997.
He succeeded the late President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, late Amb. George Obiozor, who died in December 2022.