Date Published: 09/20/10

Bishop V. Achikwe. A Tribute

Had he lived till the month of January 2011 which is but three months away he probably would be celebrating his 73rd birthday as well as his 23 years of Episcopal ordination. But death which Ernest Che Guvera sarcastically refers to as a “Recurring Monster who steals away precious Life” struck at the Ahiara Mbaise Diocese penultimate week and plucked off its first Bishop, Victor A. Chikwe, leaving the entire diocese not only in a mournful mood but devastated. Born, June 24 1938 in Eziala, Ihitte Mbaise in the present day Ezinihitte Local Government Area of Imo State, the young Victor attended primary school in his village Ihitte in the then Eastern Nigeria before gaining admission into both the Minor and Major seminars in the then Eastern Nigeria. He was thereafter ordained Priest in April 17 1966 at the heat of the Nigerian/Biafran Civil War and like his peers at the time, not only ministered to the soul of the beleaguered Biafran people but was of immense assistance ensuring that food supplies coming direct from Gabon to Owerri Diocese were effectively distributed. Not a man to be distracted from his priestly calling, he quickly returned to parish work immediately after the civil warin 1970 and was at various times Priest in charge of several parishes in Owerri Episcopal Province. His last posting as a Priest was to Mount Carmel Catholic Church Emekuku in 1986 unarguably the biggest parish after the Owerri Cathedral and it was from therethat His Holiness, Pope John Paul II taking note of his uncommon diligence, personal conduct, intelligence, candour, attitude to work, managerial skill, erudity and love for mankind irrespective of Creed or Religion ordained him Pioneer Bishop of Ahiara Diocese on January 6 1988. Not a man to fall to laziness, Chikwe began the process of nursing a young diocesan Catholic congregation whose presence in Mbaise began as early as 1915 when Rev. Fr. Daniel Walsh sowed the seed of evangelism first in Umopara Nguru, thereafter at Ogbor Nguru, then at Nnarambia the present seat of the Diocese; later in Amumara in 1947 and much later in Uvuru in 1959. By the time the Nigeria/Biafran Civil War broke out in 1967, Mbaise has had a total of over ten parishes and several out stations scattered the place over. To Bishop Chikwe’s credit the population of Catholic adherents increased from over 430, 210 in 1988 when he took charge to over 520,000 today. He also worked - closely with Resident priests totaling over 194 while Missionary and Religious Priests in the diocesewere over 40. There were also a robust increase in the number of Catholic seminaries, Church owned Nursery and Primary Schools, an ICT Centre, as well Center for non-Catholics. Again for the first time in the history of Catholic church administration, a Bishop’s priority was not on production of Priests alone rather emphasis were made on other vocations like Medicine, Law, Engineering, Fine Arts for men in Cassocks. This writer could vividly remember his first encounter with this respected man of God in the year 2004 when Mr PGU Madu a Lagos based Attorney had invited the Bishop over to Lagos to meet with Mbaise Catholic community resident in Lagos,needless to say that the Bishop carried on him the image of what ordinarily a Catholic Bishop should look like reminding one of the Late Bishop Mark Unegbu ,the post War Bishop of Owerri diocese who carried himself with so much dignity that most young men in Mbaise at the time turned themselves into Seminary schools in the 70’s just to be like Bishop Mark Unegbu.

As expected, encomiums have continued to come the way of the departed Bishop. In a tribute sent from far away Italy where he is studying, the very Rev. Fr. Emeka Nwachuku Editor of the Guide the diocesesan Newspaper wrote “ I don’t know what this 2010 actually portends for me. The next closest person after my mum is His lordship Bishop V.AChikwe, and I have lost both this year. I cannot forget his words of encouragement, his strength of character and continual desire to overcome always. At the Catholic centre, we see him as a Father, a Friend, and aninspiration and never once did we see him as a boss yet he remained the best boss ever. Chief Emmanuel Akubueze, a Knight of St. Mulumba in a tribute circulated to the local media in Imo State wrote; My late Lordship, Bishop V.A. Chike is a respectable clergyman who made Priests out of Priests, made Catholics out Catholics. Outside the realm of Priesthood, we saw him more of a priest who lived for us, who gave us knowledge and one who would go extra mile to ensure he visits all parishesbefore the year runs out. Another faithful, Mrs Nwugo Kemdirim, a retired Nurse from Amuzi Parish Ahiara and one of the leaders of Catholic Women Organization when Mbaise was under the Owerri Diocese in the 70’s of Bishop Chikwe “There are a few like him, he is an exceptional man with high pitch values and virtues he has little respect for money, he is a political preforming to marry his Episcopal duties. Again he not a man given to pride and provolone life. I tell you Mbaise and indeed the Catholic community in Nigeria including the Vatican shall surely Miss him. He was indeed a Goodman and heaven bound. Before the death of Bishop Chikwe penultimate week, confirmed information has it that he has initiated meaningful discussion with some Mbaise Catholics abroad to establish a University in Mbaise while also working to get scholarship opportunities for some young men and women to study on diocesan scholarship. Bishop V.A. Chikwe will be mostly remembered by Mbaise people who saw him not only as their Spiritual leader but one who loved both Catholic and Non Catholic alike. Not left out among those who will cry over Bishop Chikwe’s sudden death include the Papacy, his colleague Catholic Bishops who continually demands he chairs assignment dished out from Rome as well as the poor and downtrodden who immensely benefited materially and spiritually from the man of God. Adieu Nnayi Bishop.

Uba Maximus lives in Mbaise Nigeria