Reverend Father Camillus Ejike Mbaka is today, perhaps the most popular Catholic priest in Nigeria. Apart from his usual controversial comments regarding politics, Rev Mbaka has also become one of the most notable evangelical catholic priests in the history of Nigeria.
Every week, catholic faithful have trooped to his immaculate presence in Enugu, to listen to his preaching and messages of hope and salvation.
Mbaka in the past, has also been deeply associated with human rights activism, especially in the defense of average Nigerians in the face of oppression from government circles. Nigerians, particularly Enugu people will never forget the many battles Mbaka fought with the then Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who had sacked some workers for demanding payment of their salaries.
No wonder Mbaka today has continued to speak fiercely against the government, even at the national level. His love for human rights knows no bounds- he would rather get into trouble than keep quiet when ordinary citizens are being attacked by wicked rulers.
But there is one chapter of Reverend Father Mbaka’s life that very little or virtually nothing is known about- the area of philanthropy. Mbaka, since his childhood, have always shared every gift God gave to him with ordinary people. As a high priest of God, heading a massive Ministry like Adoration Ministry, Enugu (AMEN), Mbaka has continued to give succour to the poor, needy, the downtrodden and those who lack.
Mbaka is the type of priest that will give out alms and assistance to widows, fatherless children, the vulnerable, the poor, the sick, the needy and so on, once he becomes aware that you have a need. He does not have special days or special occasions, or committees or groups that sit down and plan on how or who to give to, or who to assist.
Once the need is there, Reverend Mbaka provides it for the needy and moves on, usually forgetting about it. So unfortunately, most of his philanthropic deeds have gone without note, without record.
A team of journalists however, were able to intercept some of the beneficiaries of Mbaka’s deeds and here now brings you some interesting things he has done.
For example, he has built houses for the poor, trained whole families in school, paid rents for families, paid hospital bills for mothers at maternity wards, paid bills for patients in hospitals, and provided funds for many people to go into businesses.
When Mbaka says he wants to train you in school, he ensures that he pays your school fees all the way to the university. He also ensures that all your siblings get equal educational opportunity.
When he pays rents for you, he also furnishes the house down to matches and broom, as well as provide the food for the family that will live in the house.
When he builds you a house, he also ensures that the house is tastefully furnished so that the beneficiary just walks in to live.
When Mbaka pays your hospital bills, he also ensure that you get surplus money to cater for your feeding and drugs, as you leave the hospital. He thinks of everything you need and gives it to you.
Our team of journalists met with diverse characters ranging from those cured of terrible diseases like madness, poor families who found succor in Mbaka, fathers who were assigned in their trades, students who were trained all the way from primary school to tertiary levels, mothers whose hospital bills were settled and nursing needs fully paid for, and youths who were picked from the gutter and sent abroad to play for foreign football teams.
We also ran into widows, over 3000 of them, who receive monthly largesse from the generous coffers of Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka. What about communities who got electricity, road networks, pipe borne water, and other bounties because Father Mbaka was involved? They are all part of what we shall bring you from time to time in our series, titled, The Deeds of Reverend Camillus Ejike Mbaka.
Beginning this week, you will read about these charity works of the man of God, told by the beneficiaries themselves.
Please watch this space.