On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Harbour Level, Victoria Island, Lagos, didn’t really feel like a corridor. It felt like a reminiscence gathering its personal witnesses.
Nigeria’s enterprise and political elite women and men from boardrooms, ministries, banking halls, and personal corridors of affect, filed in quietly, virtually instinctively decreasing their voices, as if the air itself had turn out to be sacred.
They gathered for the Evening of Tribute to honour the late Chief Israel Chinwuba Ogbue, former Chairman of the United {Bank} for Africa,UBA who quietly took his last breath on the morning of his 99th birthday, on the very threshold of a century, closing a life that had come full circle in quiet, profound grace.
Dying like symbolism
For a lot of in attendance, the timing of his passing carried a weight that defied clarification. Many described it not as coincidence, however as one thing orchestrated by a drive past chronology.
His first son, Ikechukwu, struggled to include what language might barely maintain as he took to the rostrum for his tribute .
“It was deeply symbolic, virtually biblical, divine, poetic, and profound past human comprehension, however undeniably divine,” he mentioned.
In that second, he added that “ He lived a life outlined by self-discipline, religion, service, and enduring affect got here full circle.”
Even in grief, there was a wierd sense of completion, like a ebook whose last web page had been written precisely when it was meant to be”.
Born on February 18, 1927, right into a household of ten kids, Ogbue’s life started within the quiet self-discipline of a catechist’s residence, the place religion was not an idea however a construction of each day residing.
Onerous work. Integrity. Schooling. Reverence for God. These values reportedly adopted him from village soil into the evolving complexity of a altering Nigeria.
Recalling his late father’s formative years, Ikechukwu mentioned: “From humble beginnings, he left for Lagos within the early Nineteen Fifties, and later travelled by sea to the UK in pursuit of upper training. There, he constructed friendships that may final a lifetime, shifting in a close-knit circle fondly described as ‘the 4 musketeers.
“However he was by no means one to float. Even in youth, he carried the quiet seriousness of a person constructing one thing bigger than himself.
“Returning to Nigeria, he didn’t solely return as an expert, he returned as a builder of generations. Together with his spouse, he raised 5 kids. To the glory of God, all 5 turned out nicely.” One among his kids is Dr Awele Elumelu.
Tinubu, UBA leaders, others replicate
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a condolence message, described Ogbue as a person who “displayed dignity and strategic foresight,” including that he offered “regular, principled management throughout a pivotal interval within the banking sector.”
For a person who as soon as formed the structure of Nigerian banking, his passing stirred reflections throughout sectors, particularly inside UBA, the place he served as Government Director from 2005 till 2011, and later as Chairman till 2013.
Audio system took turns, not merely to mourn, however to measure affect; to recount a life that influenced governance, strengthened establishments, and formed the language of company integrity in fashionable African banking.
He was mentor to Africa’s distinguished enterprise leaders – Elumelu
To Mr. Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman of UBA, and son in-law , Ogbue was greater than household. He was mentor, investor, and ethical compass.
In his tribute, he mentioned “He handled me like his personal son. I realized a lot from him, particularly within the company world,” Elumelu mentioned.
“Our relationship prolonged into enterprise, with Ogbue investing in Commonplace Belief {Bank} at my invitation,an illustration of his entrepreneurial intuition and perception in imaginative and prescient.”
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He added: “He was a robust and astute entrepreneur. Even in superior age, his independence remained outstanding. Till about three or 4 years in the past, he nonetheless drove himself from Lagos to Delta State. Watching him, I realized resilience, self-discipline and independence.”
“His presence feels empty” — Granddaughter
To his grandchildren unfold throughout continents, the late Ogbue was not distant historical past, however each day presence.
“My grandpa’s absence feels totally different as a result of he has all the time been there,” mentioned Ogechukwu Elumelu. “He confirmed up for the whole lot: birthdays, milestones, gatherings.”
His affect went past affection into route. He would typically ask, ‘What are you doing along with your life?’ It mirrored his real concern about our development and future. Even throughout Lagos, the UK and america, he remained related,an anchor of unity in a globally dispersed household.”
“Household meant the whole lot to him. And above all, he was a person of deep and unwavering religion.”
One other granddaughter, Dr. Onyinye Ogbue, added: “Some of the significant methods he influenced my life was via music. I started studying piano due to him, and that call formed how I expertise the world. It wasn’t attention-seeking. It was regular, quiet, deeply felt.”
She added with a gentle chuckle:“As a child, I used to take aside his cassette tapes. I wish to suppose I used to be already curious concerning the sounds he liked.”
A banker’s banker- Keshi
Former UBA Chairman, Ambassador Joe Keshi, described him as “a well-respected and beloved chief whose service and dedication left an everlasting legacy of resilience, imaginative and prescient, and a selfless pursuit of excellence.”
At UBA, the place the atriarch of the Ogbue household turned Chairman in 2011, he was credited with strengthening company governance and institutional integrity.
“His management was outlined by motive, integrity, and a dedication to constructing establishments that outlive people,” Keshi mentioned.
A Thoughts That By no means Retired
Former NICON MD/CEO, Mr. Ogala Osoka, described the late nonagenarian as a person who remained alert, curious, and intellectually engaged even in previous age.
Recalling hospital visits that felt much less like farewells and extra like seminars on life, Osoka mentioned: “His thoughts remained sharp, inquisitive and energetic till the very finish. Our conversations have been by no means superficial. They have been wealthy, reflective, and formed by practically a century of expertise.
He added:“He confirmed us that life will not be about passing via time, however about residing with depth, which means and compassion.”
Again in Onicha-Olona, Delta State, the late Ogbue legacy will not be summary it’s bodily, seen, and communal.
Representing the neighborhood, Sir Chika Chiejina described Pa Ogbue as “a shining instance of humanity whose life introduced honour, peace, progress and dignity to his folks.”
Amongst his many acts of generosity was the donation of land for a proposed Grand Civic Centre,a gesture meant to serve generations but unborn.
“He was a pillar of power, a voice of fact, and a loving father whose legacy will endure,” Chiejina mentioned.
Many agreed on one fact: Chief Israel Ogbue didn’t merely dwell lengthy,he lived totally. Throughout eras, establishments, households, and futures, he left imprints that point can not erase.
And on the finish, he didn’t simply depart. He closed the circle.
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