He turned 98 years on February 18, 2025 and he is the second nonagenarian that your refreshingly different Sunday Vanguard interviewed under six months.

Like Dr. Michael Omolayole, Pa Israel Ogbue was a boardroom guru in his active days, serving on the Boards of companies like National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria, NICON, as well as the United Bank of Africa, UBA, from where he retired in 2014. In this interview, Pa Ogboe talks about not knowing why God has kept him till now, the only surviving child of his parents’ 10 children. As the father-in-law to one of Nigeria’s accomplished banker, Tony Elumelu, he just says “it’s the making of God”. He also didn’t spare present day Nigerian politicians. Enjoy it.

Can we meet you sir?

I was born at Onicha-Olona on the 18th of February, 1927. And my parents’ names are Mr. Timothy Ogbue, my father, and Mrs. Flora Ogbue, my mother, both from Onicha-Olona. Of course, I was nurtured until I became sensible enough to start attending school. I attended CMS Primary School at Onicha-Olona, I started, you know, at the school age. By that time you had to put your hand across your head to touch your ear like this (he demonstrates it). And of course, later in my growing up years, I had to live with my senior brother, who was then a teacher.

When I finished my elementary education, I went to Enitona High School, Port Harcourt in 1944 for a four-year course. I left the school in December 1947. And that was when I sat for and wrote my Senior Cambridge Certificate Examination. And then, waiting for a result, I had to take a teaching appointment, and I was posted to a town near me, Igbodo. And I was there for one year, waiting for my result. And fortunately it came out and I made a Grade One. And then at the end of 1948, I went down to Port Harcourt to look for a job. But since no job was immediately coming up, I took a teaching appointment in my alma mater at Enitona High School for less than a year anyway.

I taught there until a friend of mine invited me to come to Lagos. So I left in1949, came to Lagos, picked up an appointment with the civil service. And I was posted to the office of the secretary of government, the chief secretary’s office at the secretariat. I worked for about a year or two, and then changed my employment. I got a good job in the civil service as a produce inspector. Those days it was just the Federal Civil Service. Apart from the secretariat in Lagos, we had what we called sub secretariat in Enugu, Ibadan and Kaduna. And of course, I worked in the produce inspection from 1950 to 1955, when I resigned and travelled overseas for further studies. Meanwhile, I was taking tuition in accountancy as a professional. So I left with my books and everything to Britain, and getting there, I couldn’t get a job in an accounting office.

It was really difficult, because to be able to register as an accountancy student, you had to register with an approved accounting office. And having wasted the whole year, I couldn’t get a job in an accounting firm, I decided to do the examination of the chartered institute of secretaries and administrators, and this I did, part-time anyway, for about two or three years. In the fourth year, I went in for my full-time studies and did the examination of the chartered institute of secretaries, and also the examination of the association of secretaries. There were two different bodies. I did the exams and passed the two, and the final examination, which took some time. I returned to Nigeria in December 1960. That was after independence. I was there (Britain) when we had independence and picked up a job with Niger Pools Company Limited as an accountant. And this I did for about one year or two, and then the people who came here to establish the Pools Company, the English people, as they were going, I had to take over the post of the secretary to the Pools Company. I can’t remember how many years now. In any case, that was what I did until I saw an advert for the post of secretary to the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria, NICON, and then I went for the interview. That was 1969.

About 11 of us were invited for interview for the post of secretary to NICON. And that was during the war. In those days, you could think of getting things on merit and I succeeded in getting that job. I then resigned my appointment as secretary to the Nigerian Pools Company Limited to take up the job of secretary to the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria. I started there in January 1970. I got on very fairly well, from being the secretary to NICON, I was promoted assistant general manager, still maintaining the post of secretary to the NICON and administration. I was promoted the general manager administration and then, of course, I had to give up the post of secretary to the corporation. And I was there until 1988 when I retired. During my tenure, we had investments in very key companies and of course I was representing the NICON on the Board of NAL Merchant Bank. I was there for 11 years until I retired from NICON. Sometime along the line, I got a job as a director in BGL, Bank Guarantee Limited which later transformed to Standard Trust Bank, STB. I was a director in STB until the merger between STB and UBA: Myself and one lady director who moved over to UBA. I served on the board of UBA for 12 years and in the last three years of my 12-year-service in UBA, I was the chairman of UBA. I left UBA in 2014, that was when I retired. That’s 12 years service.

So since 2014, what have you been doing?

Nothing. I mean, nothing. I’ve been on a full rest.You’ve just spoken about life, from school to your working life. When did you get married and started having your children?
Well, I got married in 1965. And the marriage was blessed with five children, four boys and one girl. And we sent them to school. They were brilliant. My only daughter went to Queen’s College. The first boy went to Federal Government College, Ijanikin, the remaining three went to King’s College. My only daughter (who is married to Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu, trained as a medical doctor. My first son did architecture in the U.K. My second son went to the UNIBEN where he studied medicine as well. He later went overseas to specialize as a surgeon. The third son did accountancy at the University of Lagos. My last son was into banking but he resigned and went overseas to do his Master’s. So I’ve been lucky with the children. They never disappointed me. And they are all married. And some of their children have already graduated from the university.

You talked about Onicha-Olona but I learned that you are originally from Ekpon
My father was born at Onicha-Olona. It was my grandfather and others that migrated to Onicha-Olona. Some of them stopped at Idumuje Ugboko, others moved to Onicha-Olona and settled there. And that was our relationship with Ekpon. My father was actually born at Onicha-Olona.

You don’t know the reason he emigrated?

How would I know? My father wouldn’t even know. People were just moving from place to place in those days. They might have had their reason for migrating but I don’t know.. But we know that we have a root in Ekpon. And we used to go there time and again. And as a matter of fact, we were given plots of land to come and develop but we never went.

In Onicha-Olona, how do they take you people? Do they see you people as their own? Do they discriminate against you people?
Not really. Of course, they already know that we came from Ekpon to settle there. That’s the situation. They still have to say that we came from there (Ekpon). But apart from that, we know that we came from Ekpon and that’s all.

Your daughter is married to one of the most popular bankers, if not the most popular banker in Nigeria. How do you feel being a father-in-law to that kind of man?
I will say one of the most popular. I feel quite happy. It’s all the making of the Almighty. And I accept it as one of those things that God has destined for one to find oneself in. I don’t make any noise about it because everything is made by God. And what I believe in, I have to have my trust in God. Nothing will change me from that. Of course, I must say that even in my church, Our Saviour’s Church at Tafawa Balewa Square, I was in the choir for years, a very regular member but I retired from the choir in 2014.

What is your relationship with the church now? Do you still worship there?
Of course, till tomorrow. Except that now, because of my ill health, it’s not every Sunday I attend service. But I’m a regular member of the church.

On February 18 you turned 98 years old. What is the secret for this longevity?
Honestly, I don’t know. I believe that it’s just how God wants it. As a matter of fact we were 10 born by my parents, five before me and four after me. Out of the whole 10, I’m the only one left. They have gone to be with the Lord but God has kept me here still. I cannot explain why. I’m just living my normal life. It’s only now that I’m having some health challenges. Otherwise, when I celebrated my 90th birthday, I was dancing all over the place but times are changing.

What would be your advice to the younger people who are looking to live up to your age?
I advise them not to be over ambitious. They should be ambitious but not inordinately ambitious. They should take life the way it is and accept things the way they come. And do everything in moderation. You’re bound to face problems and difficulties but don’t let that overwhelm you, but put your trust in God. And I believe that with God, everything is possible.

You’re not a politician, but I want you to rate the politicians of the 60s and the politicians now. What do you think is the difference?

Things were, I would say, better in those days. Politicians these days, I don’t know what they think they are doing. I think, I would say that they are selfish. They want to grab as much as they can, not thinking about the ordinary man on the street, you know. In those days, there was a little of contentment. Even though you find that there was a coup in 1966 as a result of maybe inordinate ambition of a handful of people. What we’re seeing today. That’s my own opinion anyway, I may be wrong.

But there’s so much of greed, wanting to do this, wanting to do that, forgetting that there are people who are less privileged. People who have the right to live the way you are living now. But we cannot all be politicians. If only they could bother about the welfare of the ordinary man, things would be better.