The Transfer of Father Ejike Mbaka.

ENUGU STATE; NIGERIA -It was an exercise
laced with emotions as catholic
priest; Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka
was escorted by thousands
of catholic faithful in Enugu
to his new parish at Emene,
an outskirt of Enugu urban.
The faithful gathered at the
Christ the King,CKP, GRA,
Enugu as early as 7.00 am,
preparatory for the
movement. Several lorry
loads, buses and cars, all
line the street in what could
be dubbed a triumphal exit
that halted economic and
other activities along major
streets where the long
convoy passed.
With several music provided
by the various band groups,
the over four hours journey
began, amid wailing by
members, who were
apparently unsatisfied with
the transfer that has
removed Mbaka from the
CKP, where he had been
since 1996
Mbaka, had while
addressing the crowd
before the movement,
expressed reservations over
the transfer, which he said
was calculated to make him
suffer by certain leader of
the church.
He said:“I know we are
going to suffer within now
and few months to come. I
am going to suffer and
suffer; I know that.
I’m going to suffer because
I have no place to put my
head. I am going to suffer
because I have no place to
keep the Adoration
ministry’s assets. I know
I’m going to suffer.
Fortunately, it is going to
happen in the month of
lent. So, I am going to use
my exit here as a Lenten
observance but Jesus said
it all in John 16:20 to his
apostles that you will be
sorrowful and the world will
be rejoicing but very soon I
will turn your sorrow to joy.
But for now I know you are
going to suffer. The
Adoration Ministry is
passing through suffering
right now even though I’ve
accepted that is the will of
God. Is the will of God
through suffering? It is a
mega suffering
“The quantum of the assets
of the Adoration Ministry is
the only thing I am bothered
at for now. Where am I
going to keep them? I am
going to stay in one small
room that has only one
small bed, one small table,
little toilet and bathroom.
So where am I going to
keep all the adoration
assets? My clothing and
books I can keep in the car
or somebody’s house but
where will I keep these
assets that I have given to
the Catholic church of
Enugu? But I say may God
take the glory and
whoever that has offended
me, I have forgiven.
I won’t fight anybody or
even dream of battling
anybody. If anybody allows
the devil to use him, the
same that advised you to
make a mistake will laugh
at you when you cry over
the error. The baby is born,
there is no going back.
We are moving out. We
have been doing it and we
will do it again.
Moses was going out with a
rod in his hand, Mbaka is
moving out with his bible
and this nobody can take
away from me”
Decrying what he described
as “attempt by some
persons to politicize the
church”, by feeding the
Bishop falsely, he noted: “ I
am giving God the glory
and I welcome the church’s
choice and action with
absolute acceptance and
obedience. So there is no
negation to what God has
approved and what the
church suggested.
Nobody should see me as a
recalcitrant priest. I am not.
I have taken an oath of
obedience and I stand on it.
I pray God to bless all of
you who in one way or the
other have supported the
work of God here and those
who have sincerely allowed
God to use him or her for
the jobs we did here all
these years.
God will bless the people of
God here and reward you
according to your labours.
The parish is not going to
collapse, it the church that
will continue to grow”.
He told the members their
journey to Our Lady Parish,
Umuchigbo
Njinike, Enugu where he has
been posted as Resident
Priest serving fewer than
two Priests should be seen
as the “journey of the
Israelites out of Egypt”.
“God has planned a future
and hope out of disaster
and where I am going, He
will go before me to level
mountain. The bible says
that He will deliver me from
all evil; He will keep my
going out and coming in
both now and forever…
I am praying that God will
keep his church and my
fellow adorers so that our
journey to Umuchigbo will
be a journey of Israelites
out of Egypt.
Some of them were
grumbling leaving Egyptian
soil because they were
having the phobia for the
unknown, but I am telling
you people as a courageous
leader, do not be afraid. We
are moving and in no
distant time, you people are going to smile ’ He told them.