At a time when friends and family members had all but given up on Oscar Onyema, the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, ever settling down, he quietly got married last Saturday to his stunning fiancée, Annette. The private ceremony was attended by select friends and associates, many of who could not mask their excitement that Oscar, who turns 53 in August, had eventually decided to get married.
One of Nigeria’s most eligible bachelors for several years, Oscar’s decision not to get married had nothing to do with money. Before his appointment as the NSE CEO in 2011, he had worked for over 20 years in United States financial markets, managing market structure initiatives, products and securities exchange businesses and the Nigerian information technology sector. Before then, he had served as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the American Stock Exchange (Amex), which he joined in 2001, and was the first person of colour to hold that position.
Apart from his stellar professional career, Oscar is also royalty having been born to the family of His Royal Majesty Eze V. B. C. Onyema III, the Eze Onyema III of Ogwu-Ikpele, Anambra State. So money was never the problem. A source said his refusal to get married may have to do with his lifestyle preference or the fact that he suffered arrested development. Despite his high profile status, Oscar was living with his older sister until two years ago.
Oscar is a good man; among other things, he knows how conceited it is for the sake of life to lose the reasons for living hence his insistent choice of virtue over life’s innumerable vanities. Such is the essence of Oscar that makes him the quintessential poster icon to generations of family, associates and friends. Nobody comes in contact with him and leaves with a sordid impression of the man.
Also the Chairman of Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, the clearing house for the Nigerian capital market, Oscar was appointed last December as the new group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, upon completion of its ongoing demutualisation.
