Weep Not for Father Ejike Mbaka- Yemi Adebowale

That Catholic priest and master of double talk, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has been moved out of the massive Christ the King Parish, GRA, Enugu is no longer news. The news is that Fr Mbaka, founder of the renowned Adoration Ministry is still seething. Parishioners and members of his Adoration Ministry are also seething. Wonders shall never end in this our country. A priest is moved to another parish by his Bishop and he goes about making noise. The provocative priest was moved by the Bishop to a smaller parish called Our Lady Parish, Umuchigbo, Njinike on the outskirts of Enugu.  Mbaka was also degraded to a resident priest to serve under the Parish priest of Our Lady’s Parish. 

Weeping Mbaka declared that he would suffer moving from a duplex where he was living at Christ the King Parish to a room in his new parish. “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. 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,” said Mbaka.

I can’t understand why Mbaka is seething when he knows that it is customary for priests to be moved after six years in a Paris. Mbaka has spent almost 20 years at Christ the King Parish and became King at the parish. Perhaps, his lamentations are emotional after spending such a long time in a parish. The Catholic Church needs to explain why it breached its own rules by allowing him to stay that long. As a man of God, Mbaka should be happy going to a small parish. It offers him an opportunity to use his influence to turn the parish to a big one. Unfortunately, he is not looking at it this way. The truth is that Mbaka is weeping because he has lost his big apple - Christ the King Parish - where he is King. There, whenever Mbaka makes biting political statements, it resonates across the nation, generating praise and disgust, depending on the side one belongs. Mbaka is thinking more about personal gains. The tiny Our Lady’s Parish won’t offer much in this direction.

What I find very nauseating about Mbaka’s messages is his claim that they are “divinely-inspired.” This is controversial. Many will remember the “divine message” he gave in November 2014 to Patience Jonathan, when she visited his church. Mbaka had told Patience that her husband had done well and deserved a second term. He said Goodluck Jonathan could have done more if not for “distractions”, faulting those blaming Jonathan for his inability to rescue the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok by Boko Haram militants. “Jonathan is not a kidnapper,” Mbaka said at the mass and predicted that Jonathan would get a second term.

Mbaka later turned around to hit Jonathan below the belt with his “from Good luck to Bad luck” declaration. Apparently, the cleric’s inability to reach Patience on the telephone after the prediction of victory must have fueled his “from Good luck to Bad luck” outburst. He subsequently switched support to Buhari. Mbaka’s statement on Sunday, January 4 2015, confirms my position: “When she (Patience) came here, I told her to give me her number so that I could give her messages, but thrice she refused. It was later she told one of the pastors with her to give me his number. So, before that message, I had called the number for two weeks but it was always the personal assistant to the pastor that picked the calls.” Haba! What manner of a priest is this?

This provocative Priest is already frolicking with President Muhammadu Buhari. He recently visited the Presidency. Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had to put aside all activities in Aso Rock to receive him. They rolled out the red carpet for Mbaka. This priest has profited a great deal in the name of God with his “divinely-inspired” messages. The result is obvious. His business empire is now stretching from manufacturing to schools. His followers also purchase a customised recharge card at different rates through which they call him for prayers and counseling. Mbaka’s companies under the parent name of Aquarapha produces consumables such as sachet water, bottle water, vegetable oil, yoghurt and olive oil. He also owns a recycling plant, and produces exercise books, AMEN stickers, AMEN recharge cards and AMEN prayer books. With his array of companies, Mbaka has proved how profitable it is to do business in the name of God. What a lucky chap.

My advice to religion bigots today is very simple. Learn to place your faith in God Almighty and stop going about bowing before men. They will only deceive you and collect your money. Learn to stand by the promises of God the Creator. Those who worship Him wholeheartedly will have no regret. Seek ye only the anointing of God the Creator. Any weapon fashioned against His anointed shall not prosper; it shall be crushed.

THISDAY