Oil and Gas mogul chief Ben Aniekwe passes away, Adazi-Enu community mourns

The Adazi-Enu community is mourning the loss of Chief Ben Aniekwe, a prominent oil and gas magnate and Chairman of NIPCO Plc, who passed away recently.

The news was confirmed in a heartfelt post on the Adazi-Enu Facebook platform, which read:

“We received the news of the death of Chief Sir Bestman Aniekwe (Onwa Jesus). Chief Sir Bestman Aniekwe has been a reputable figure in Adazi-Enu for years. He sponsored the last Adazi-Enu Unity Cup, among other significant contributions to our community.”

Profile

With over three decades of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, Chief Aniekwe was a distinguished businessman and Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Sales Management.

Appointed Chairman of NIPCO Plc in 2004, his business interests spanned from construction to agriculture, including his role as Chairman of Abakaliki Farmers’ Cooperative Rice Mill from 1989 to 1995.

He also owned and chaired Best Petroleum Nigeria Ltd and played significant roles in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

As National President of IPMAN, he spearheaded efforts to align indigenous petroleum marketers with the Federal Government’s deregulation initiatives, leading to the creation of NIPCO Plc from the former IPMAN Petroleum Marketing Company (IPMCL).

A revered philanthropist with several chieftaincy titles, Chief Aniekwe’s contributions were widely recognized both in Anambra State and across the country.

He served on numerous committees, including the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Deregulation of Oil Prices and the Ministerial Committee on Petroleum Products under the Petroleum Products and Regulatory Agency (PPRRA).

Chief (Dr.) Aniekwe was known for his kind-heartedness, unassuming nature, and the respect he commanded within the community and beyond.