Okey Ndibe Pays Tribute To Late Igbo Billionaire, Ude

A celebrated Novelist and essayist, Okey Ndibe has paid glowing tributes to Abdulazeez, Chivuzor Ude who transited yesterday and was buried shortly after his passing according to the Islamic traditions.

He said he was an extraordinary philanthropist, an aspect of him he benefitted from, revealing how he paid his school fees through graduate school in the United States as he did to scores of others.

He added that Ude remained preferably quiet, self effacing, narrating how he unsuccessfully failed to present late Ude’s true generous character to the public as he would always hush him from doing so.

In an emotionally laden word he said: “May the soul of this rare, remarkable man find eternal peace. #Ijeoma.”

His statement:In my debut novel, “Arrows of Rain,” I acknowledged Abdulaziz Chivuzor Ude as a benefactor.

“Abdulaziz, who died two days ago (and was buried yesterday in line with Islamic rites), was an uncommonly generous man.

“Educated at Oxford and Columbia, he started out his professional life as a book editor in New York. He later relocated to Nigeria where he set up Nok Publishers, bringing out rich and powerful books that helped foster vibrant intellectual ferment in much of Africa and beyond.

“After branching out to other areas of business, he acquired great wealth that galvanized his extraordinary philanthropy.

“He paid my fees through graduate school in the US—as he did for scores of others. What’s more, he was always a quiet, self-effacing man.

“Twice, when he attended my book events in Nigeria, he tried—unsuccessfully, I’m glad to say—to hush me from telling the audience about his kindness to me and others.

“May the soul of this rare, remarkable man find eternal peace. #Ijeoma”