Tears flowed uncontrollably from parishioners and members of the Adoration Ministry as fiery Enugu Catholic priest and director of the ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, yesterday bowed out of Christ the King Parish, GRA, Enugu, which he presided over as parish priest for 20 years.
The entire Enugu capital city also stood still as over 30 lorries accompanied by thousands of his adoration faithful escorted him in a motorcade to his new parish, Our Lady Parish, Emene, a suburb of the capital city.
Mbaka’s transfer became a topical issue as a section of the society saw it as a punitive measure for his recent prophecies especially that of December 31st 2014, when he predicted that former President Goodluck Jonathan would be defeated in the 2015 elections. This has however been dismissed by the church who explained that the transfer is a routine exercise done every six years by the bishop.
But Mbaka’s transfer as a parish priest to a resident priest, where he will serve under another priest, has raised eyebrows eliciting further comments from close observers.
Mbaka himself while handing over formally to his successor yesterday told those around that he was going to suffer, moving from a duplex to a room in his new parish but asked them not to worry that God has bigger plans for him.
Hear him: “I know we are going to suffer; between now and few months to come, I am going to suffer; I am going to suffer because I have no place to lay my head; I am going to suffer because I have no place to keep the Ministry’s assets; I know I am going to suffer; fortunategoing to suffer because I have no ly it’s going to happen in the month of Lent; so I am going to use my exit here to observe the Lent. But Jesus said it to His apostles in John 16:20, ‘You will be sorrowful and the world will be rejoicing but very soon I will turn your sorrows to joy.’ So I am waiting for that moment because for now I know we are going to suffer. The Adoration Ministry is passing through suffering right now; even though I have accepted it as the will of God; it is the will of God through suffering; it is a mega suffering. But however, the grace of God will carry us all; even though some of you may pray that God should remove this thorn from us, the scripture says ‘His grace is sufficient for us; for its even in your weakness that the power of God is demonstrated. So we are moving but don’t forget the scriptures, ‘my brothers they make me keeper of vineyards, my own vineyard I keepeth not. All these while we have been keeping vineyards, building for Christ The King Parish…Bishop Gbuji asked them, how much …but because I don’t want to disclose my charity, they can’t keep that account. How many trailer loads of cement came here? All the monies I made from my cassette and other private crusades all of them were used to build this church. We cannot quantify it but let God be glorified.”
“It is the will of God; and when the will of God either permissive or however, happens, nobody should question it. All you have today is Amen; so to the will of God Fr. Mbaka has said Amen.”
Mbaka said he welcomed the decision of the church leadership with absolute acceptance and obedience, stating that nobody should see him as a recalcitrant priest. He assured that the parish would not collapse due to his exit, and urged the members to treat his successor, Rev. Fr. Theodore Ozoamalu, well, and to assist him in any way he needs help and not allow him to cry.
His words: “Don’t starve him; don’t allow him to suffer; in my own time I didn’t need your help because God blessed me in my own unique way and I am happy. God will keep the parish because we have fought the good fight; I am not regretting anything and the highest gift God has given here is his Holy Spirit who assisted me up till now.”
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