Senator (Dr.) Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, is a man of many parts. He is a business mogul, a politician of unparalled sagacity, community leader, philanthropist and religious leader. When he established The AUTHORITY Newspaper Group among his several chain of companies in October 2015, the entire world was stunned that a man of several dimensions like Sen. Ubah was only 46 years old.
Ifeanyi Ubah had packed up into his kitty, achievements that several equally gifted people managed to garner in several years. To several of his age mates, he remains an enigma; to the younger generation, a role model; to the political class, a cat with nine lives, having survived the highest form of what has been known as political Armageddon, surviving political mines and mischief unparalleled number of times. Yet, he comes out victorious and smiling as if it was a mere tea party, and not a big deal.
At 49, there so many things to celebrate. Some would say, why not next year when he should have clocked the Golden Age! Leave tomorrow to sort out itself. Senator Ubah, to those who associate closely with him, is an enigma that ought to be celebrated anytime, any day. Only his breath of philanthropy has positively impacted on so many.
Born on September 3rd, 1971 to the humble family of Mr. & Mrs. Alphonsus Ubah of Otolo Nnewi in Anambra State of Nigeria, it is obvious he is not a silver, not golden spoon child. He is born, many say, with no spoons at all. His parents were mere village teachers, but worked tirelessly, with their meagre earnings, to cater for the upbringing of Ifeanyi and his six sibling, a daunting task, one must say. It was while at Okongwu Memorial Grammar School, Nnewi, that his special talents first reared its head. He opted to step out of school to go into business to supplement his parents’ meagre income to train his younger ones, a decision that almost broke his father’s heart.
Since then, there has been no stopping Ifeanyi, who started right from the scratch of trade apprenticeship to move swiftly up the ladders and outclass even his mentors. He remained focused, determined and aimed higher than his contemporaries, which was why when it was almost an anathema to step outside the shores of Nigeria, he moved over to Ghana as tyre export merchant, where he established a thriving business at the age of 18! By 19, Ifeanyi had become a millionaire – a rare feat in those days.
The sectarian crises in Liberia and Sierra Leone created an opportunity to foray to Central Africa, the Congo DRC precisely, where as key player in automobile parts business, he became both an economic and political force in that country. He was the president of the Nigerian community and influential player whose voice counted in the government of that country.
His influence was such that his intelligence, astuteness and other capabilities were soon recognized by powers-that-be in the DRC. Consequently, he became the nation’s official envoy to many countries on the continent and beyond, where he negotiated intricate business and political deals.
His leadership qualities manifested eminently through his support for other Nigerian businessmen and women, and his decision to cater for Nigerians displaced from Congo Brazzaville and Gabon.
Systematically his company Capital Oil SPRL grew in leaps and bounds and easily established him as a business mogul. He used the opportunity to acquire that education he gave up earning degrees in different areas of business.
Back in Nigeria, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah established Capital Oil and Gas Industries Ltd in 2011 and it easily became the key player in the nation’s downstream petroleum industry. Having started with haulage and retail of petroleum products, Capital Oil soon grew into a distribution and storage octopus, with four largest petroleum storage depots in the country, equipped with 32 loading armsand, a combined facility to berth three to six vessels simultaneously.
Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah has proven that wealth without public face is worthless and that is why he continued to diversity into sports and philantrophy. He also joined politics, to bring real change in the life and circumstances of the people. He is not just content with the disbursement of millions of Naira through his several philanthropic ventures, he believes more in building people and institutions. He has enormous consideration and love for the youth and has remained the all-time role model of the Nigerian youth.
When he went into politics in Anambra State to vie for the governorship, it was the interest of the youths that was his beacon. When he set up the Ifeanyi Ubah Football Club, which took Nigerian football by storm, winning championship laurel within few years of its debut into the Nigerian league. He had an agreement with the English premier league Westham Football Club in London, the first Nigerian club side to do so. He is at the moment, the current chairman of the Anambra Football Association.
With Sen. Ubah’s Midas Touch, The AUTHORITY newspaper, recorded history as the second Nigerian newspaper to go daily as its first day, (after the Concord in 1982). The AUTHORITY was established on October 15th 2015!
Sen. Ubah is a very contented man especially as he enjoys a very stable family life in partnership with his loving and ami- able wife, Mrs. Uchenna Ubah, a very smart graduate of Business Administration, and who, definitely, is a very powerful anchor to Ifeanyi’s life.
The Ebube-Chukwu-Uzo of Nnewi, is so sagacious that even if we devote this issue of our newspaper on this auspicious 49th birthday celebration, it might not be enough. But suffice it for us to extend our heart-felt and fervent wishes to our chairman and publisher, and to thank the Almighty God on his 49 years on earth.
We join his family, associates, and friends in wishing him a most merited Happy Birthday and many wonderful returns of this day.
Ebube Chukwu Uzo, a man of many parts, a Jack of all trades and a master of all, a man who has broken all the records, we hail you! We fervently hope and pray that by the next year when you will be marking your Golden Jubilee, you will have your own records to break.
Hip! Hip!! Hip!!!, Huray!!!!!! Happy birthday, Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
