By Valentine Obienyem The Greek biographer Plutarch, in the preamble to his ”Life of Alexander”, observed: ”I am writing biography, not history; and the most brilliant exploits do not always manifest a man’s virtue or vice so well as a slight thing, a word or a jest, which often tells us more of his character than a siege where ten thousand die.” He understood that greatness is often revealed not by monumental achievements but by seemingly insignificant habits and moments. Thus, in seeking to understand Alexander, he did not begin with his conquests but with the youthful prince taming the wild horse Bucephalus after discerning that the animal feared only its own shadow. It was a small incident that revealed an extraordinary mind. The same approach is useful in understanding Mr. Peter Obi as he marks his sixty-fifth birthday. As I set out on this task, which I have rather rashly laid upon myself, I keep asking: Can this feeble brain that aches at a little calculus ever hope to comprehend the complex immensity of life that defines Obi? Much has been written about his public achievements, political journey, and philosophy of leadership. Yet the man is perhaps better understood, as Plutarch suggests, through his odd quirks – those quiet habits, amusing peculiarities, and seemingly trivial actions that illuminate his character far more vividly than speeches or public office. It is these little things, often overlooked, that reveal the principles by which he lives and the philosophy that has shaped both the man and the leader. Those who know Obi only as the austere public figure of today may be surprised to learn that, as a young man, he embraced life with enthusiasm. He was reputed among his contemporaries to be one of the finest dancers at parties and clubs, and, like many of his peers, he also discovered the charms of women. Yet, even in those carefree years, one thing consistently took precedence over sentiment: business. The instinct to identify opportunities and seize them was already deeply ingrained. He began trading while still in primary school and has pursued it almost continuously ever since. One story from those years illustrates this remarkably well. Obi was driving some friends, including his then-girlfriend, in his newly acquired Peugeot 505 when a group of admirers stopped to inspect the car and eventually asked whether it was for sale. Realising that the proceeds could finance a business venture he had been contemplating, Obi sold the car there and then. His astonished companions completed their journey by public transport, while Obi, within forty-eight hours, was on a flight to London to pursue the opportunity. When the venture succeeded, he simply bought himself a brand-new BMW. To him, an asset existed not to impress onlookers but to create greater value. There is another memorable motoring episode. On one occasion, while attending the wedding of his cousin, Obi Uko, Obi was standing by the roadside trying to flag down a taxi to the wedding venue. As the convoy of the newlyweds passed by, it stopped out of respect to offer him a ride. Noticing that the vehicles were already full, he politely asked them to continue, assuring them that he would join them later. One of the young women in the convoy remarked that he looked like a poor man who probably did not appreciate their kind gesture. She was astonished when she later discovered that all three cars in the convoy actually belonged to him. Feeling embarrassed by her earlier remark, the young lady later visited his hotel room, ostensibly to apologise for her indiscretion, though her real intention was to get to know him better – to woo him. Recalling the encounter years afterwards, Obi joked that her admiring gaze, the brandishing of deadly ogle, was enough “to melt even an unloving heart.” They subsequently became friends. His long-time friend, Mr. Benji Uba, recalls another revealing episode from the 1980s when both of them travelled to London on business. They stayed with a family friend who would often give them money to run errands and ask them to keep the change as young men struggling to find their feet and yet to afford the luxury of staying in hotels. Then came the surprise. Very soon, in 1987, Obi stunned everyone by purchasing his first house in London outright, without a mortgage. Around the same period, he also began investing in both the London and Nigerian stock markets, laying financial foundations that politics neither created nor enlarged. This deeply ingrained discipline persists today, often to the bewilderment of those who travel with him. To journey with Obi is to undergo an education in prudence. If a flight lands at nine in the morning and the hotel’s check-in time is noon, the typical dignitary simply pays the premium for early access. Not Obi. He quietly approaches the reception desk, presents his high-tier membership card and politely requests an early check-in
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