Dominic Ignatius Ekandem 1917-1995: The Prince Who Became a Cardinal, the Vanguard of Catholicism in Nigeria

By Michael I Edem CM

A phenomenon seldom recognised in the media of Western Europe and North America is the extraordinary growth of the Catholic Church of South America and sub-Saharan Africa during the last five decades, and nowhere more than in Nigeria.
A key figure in that country and in that growth, up to his death in 1995, was Cardinal Ekandem, the first Anglophone West-African bishop - the first of many - and an outstanding churchman of the 20th Century.
Fr Michael Edem's scholarly biography of the Cardinal is a fascinating account of a journey from life in a traditional African village to the consistory of cardinals of the Catholic Church in Rome.
It will be of enormous interest to a wider public for the author's personal knowledge of the cardinal and of the Efik/Ibibio culture in which they both grew up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514486047

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Michael I. Edem CM.

Catalog: Biography / History

IMPRIMATUR: + Joseph Edra Ukpo

Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Calabar

Cross River State, Nigeria

Library of Congress Control Number:       2016906334

ISBN:       Hardcover       978-1-5144-8606-1

       Softcover       978-1-5144-8605-4

       eBook       978-1-5144-8604-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/06/2016

Scripture quotations marked JB are from The Jerusalem Bible, copyright © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Website

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Contents

Foreword

Preface

Comments About the Book

Preliminary Considerations/Appreciations

Prologue: IN PRINCIPIO (IN THE BEGINNING)

Chapter One

IN MENTE DOMINI (IN THE LORD’S MIND)

The Coming of the Maynooth Fathers, St. Patrick’s Society, and the Erection of Calabar Prefecture

⁴⁴Chapter Two

POPULUM TUUM IN CHRISTO (YOUR PEOPLE IN CHRIST)

The Origins

a) The Origin of the Ibibios

b) The Worship of Abasi Ibom, the Supreme God

c) Government

d) Obio Ibiono, the Home of the Okukus

e) The System of Government in Obio Ibiono

f) Religion, Traditional Institutions, and Feasts

g) Recreational Facilities

⁸⁰Chapter Three

NATUS EST (HE IS BORN)

Parentage, Birth, and Early Years

a) Birth and Family Setup

b) The Family Communal Life

c) Member of Qua Iboe Church

d) Initiation into Ekong Traditional Title Taking

e) Early School Life and Catholicism

Chapter Four

IN FIERI (IN THE PROCESS OF…)

Seminary Training, Priestly Ordination, and Early Days of Priesthood

a) Circumstances That Led to Priestly Inspiration

i) Disclosure of the Idea to His Father—the Okuku

ii) The Father’s Reaction

b) Obong Ekandem’s Predicament¹⁰⁷

i) The Meeting with the DO (the District Officer)

ii) Contact with His Father in Prison/Hospital Situation

iii) The Intervention of Father Ryan, the Father In Charge

(a) The Seminary Situation

(b) The Journey to the Minor Seminary in Onitsha

(b) The Seminary Days

(d) The Probation Period

(e) Entry into Major Seminary

c) The Obstacle and the Great Demand

d) The day the Sun Turned into Darkness

e) The Effects of the Decision

f) The Choice

g) The Diaconate and Priestly Ordination

h) Dispensation Process

i) The Benefactress

j) Ordination and Early Years in the Priesthood

k) The Circumstances That Contributed to Father Ekandem Becoming Rector of the Minor Seminary, Afaha Obong

l) The Necessity of Separating the Seminarians

m) The New Dwelling Place at Afaha Obong, the Emergence and Autonomy of the Seminary

Chapter Five

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO (GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST)

The Bishopric and the Episcopal Consecration

i) Indigenization Process

ii) Parable or Joke of Bishop Moynagh?

iii) The Consecration of Dominic Has a Solid Link with the Mother Diocese of Calabar

iv) The Nigerian Independence Celebration

v) The Consecration and First Posting as Auxiliary Bishop

Chapter Six

PRIMUS ORDINARIUS PROPRIUS (THE FIRST PROPER ORDINARY/BISHOP)

First Residential Bishop

a) Introduction

i) Bishop’s Residence at the Creation of the Diocese

ii) Means of Communication and Transportation

iii) Funding

iv) The Indigenous Priests at the Inception of the Diocese

b) Pastoral Vision

i) Development of Pastoral Strategies

ii) Establishment of Marriage Centers in Parishes

c) Priestly Decorum

d) The Capacity to Affirm, Correct, and Identify

e) During Annual Priests’ Retreat

f) Encounter in a Marriage Context

g) Resolution of Conflict of Authority

h) Disagreement of Parishioners with a Priest

i) Practice at Liturgical Functions and Correction

j) His Trust of Functionaries

k) His Faith and Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Prayer Life

i) The Spiritual Life of the Prince-Prelate

ii) Ascetical Disposition

l) The Diocesan Gathering of Nka Adiaha Obong and the Birth of Utom Abasi

m) His Sense of Humor

n) Humble Service

o) Combination of Simplicity and Humaneness

p) Dedication to Pastoral Care

Chapter Seven

PATERFAMILIAS (THE FATHER OF THE FAMILY/FAMILY HEAD)

His Fatherly Role and the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus Congregation

a) Origin of the Handmaids and Growth: The Prewar Situation

i) Circumstances Surrounding the Emergence of the Postulants

ii) The First Postulants

iii) Laying of the Foundation of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus

iv) Internationality of the Handmaids at its Foundation

b) The Great Transition

Chapter Eight

CONGREGEMUR IN UNUM (GATHERED INTO ONE)

The Sprouting Events and Coming Together of the Sisters

a) His Trials during the Civil War

b) Responsibility for the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus

c) War Turmoil and Scattering of the Flock

i) The Reaction of the Sisters During the War Situation

ii) The Shift to Eriam/Urua Inyang

iii) Eriam as the Temporary Generalate of the Handmaids

iv) Preparation to Bring Back the Sisters from Urua Inyang

v) The Return Journey from Urua Inyang and the Hazards

vi) Contact with the Retreating Biafran Soldiers

vii) The Return Journey from Urua Inyang and Efforts to Rescue the Sisters in 1967²⁵⁴

d) The Entry of the Nigerian Soldiers into Loretto Girls’ Juniorate, Eriam

e) The Blunder of Love and Concern During the War

f) The Preeminence of Choosing to Stay or to Leave and the Intervention of the Ordinary of Ikot Ekpene in the Face of the Impending Troubles

g) The Solidarity of the Sisters, Some Voices, and Plotting of the Path

Chapter Nine

EGO SUM VIA, VERITAS ET VITA (I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE)

The Journey to Lagos and All It Entailed

a) The Accusation and the Journey of the Sisters to Lagos

b) The Ordeal of Evacuation

c) The Final Lap

d) An Avalanche of Correspondence

i) The Rectification and Withdrawal Letter of Mother Gertrude

ii) The Accusation and Reaction of Mother Mary Elizabeth Umoh

e) Various Interpretations of the Situation Akin to a Character Assassination

f) Refusal to Compromise with Conscience

g) Mother Elizabeth Umoh’s Document and Defense Entitled The HHCJ Before, During and After the Nigeria/Biafra Civil War

h) Memories of Bishop/Cardinal Ekandem by some Who Knew Him

i) Our dear Cardinal

ii. One Memory of Late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem

iii) A Brief Account on late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem—Archbishop of Abuja

iv) My Daddy Dominic Cardinal Ekandem 1966–1995

v. On Cardinal Ekandem

vi. Bishop Dominic I. Ekandem’s Relationship with the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus

vii. Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, A Man of Rare Qualities

viii. Distant Memories of Dominic Cardinal Ekandem.

i) The return to Ifuho and the Relocation of the Generalate

Chapter Ten

MISERICORDIAM DOMINI (THE MERCYOF THE LORD)

The Cardinalate

a) Announcement and Recognition as the First Nigerian Cardinal

b) The Reception at Port Harcourt International Airport

c) Reception at Enugu

d) The Seminarians’ Congratulatory Message

e) Some Outstanding Events

i) Diplomatic Speech at the Governor’s Visit to the Rehabilitation Center, Ukana Iba

ii) The Ordination of the Vincentians and an Abuja Priest

iii) Cardinal Ekandem and the Coming of the Knights of St. John International

iv) Its Establishment at Enugu, Owerri, and Ikot Ekpene

v) A Brief History of the Coming of the Knights of St. John into Nigeria

vi) Concerning the Catholicity of the Church

Chapter Eleven

MISSIO SUI JURIS (INDEPENDENT MISSION)

The Abuja Independent Mission³⁴¹

a) Emergence of Federal Capital Territory

b) The Arrival of the Catholic Church in the Federal Capital Territory

c) The Temporary Status of Abuja Independent Mission

d) Request for Priests from CBCN, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and the Arrival of Msgr. Dominic Inyang

e) The Zeal to Begin the Work of Evangelization in the Territory and the Process of Appointing Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah

f) The Transition Period

i) The Arrival of Msgr. Dominic Inyang in Abuja

ii) The First Meeting of the Two Dominics

g) St. Mary’s Catholic Church Suleja, the Touchstone of Abuja Independent Mission

h) Mr. Ansa’s House, the First Residence of Priests in the Federal Capital Territory

i) The Arrival of Fr. Matthew Kukah in Abuja

j) The First Offertory Collection, First Bazaar in the Federal Capital Territory and the Disobedience of Monsignor Inyang

k) The Arrival of the First Female and Male Religious

l) Constant Shuttling between Ikot Ekpene and the Federal Capital Territory

m) Pastoral Strategy Adopted by Dominic Cardinal Ekandem

n) The Ordination of the First and Second Priest for Abuja Independent Mission

o) The Necessity of Land Acquisition

p) Erection of Abuja Diocese and Transfer from Ikot Ekpene

q) Congratulatory Message

r) The Succession Plan

s) Special Invitation Given to the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

t) Memo on the Necessity of Active Involvement in Abuja Apostolate by the Missionaries of St. Paul

Chapter Twelve

PRO CHRISTO LEGATIONE ERGO FUNGIMUR (SO NOW WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST 2 COR. 5:22)

The Development of the National Missionary Seminary/Society of St. Paul

a) The Origin and Inspiration of the Idea of a National Seminary

b) Conception, Prospects, Failures and Obstacles

c) Approval and Permission

i) The Inspirational Memo of Cardinal Ekandem

ii) Historical Background³⁷³

d) Appointment of Acting Rector

i) Letter of Appointment

ii) The Initial Protocols and Necessity of Securing a Site for Commencement

a) Early Involvement³⁷⁷

b) Preparation to Visit Iperu Remo

iii) Meeting with the Bishop of Ijebu Ode, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Sanusi

iv) The Choice of St. Patrick’s or Kiltegan Fathers

a) Funding of the Repairs

b) The Formation of the Various Boards and Committees

v) Formation of the Bishops’ Committee on the Seminary after Approval at Kaduna

vi) The Governing Council

vii) The Internal Governing Council

a) The First Set of Students at Gwagwalada Seminary

Chapter Thirteen

DEUS PROVIDEBIT (GOD WILL PROVIDE)

Implantation and Growth of the Society

1) The Grand/Official Opening³⁸⁹

a) Missionary Dimension

b) Local versus Universal Church

c) Poised for the Future

2) Extracts from Ambassador Magazine on the Grand Opening

a. Spirit of Saint Paul

b. The Necessity of a National Seminary in Nigeria

i) Something New

ii) Specifically Missionary

iii) Missions Outside Nigeria

iv) The Parish Clergy

3) Our Story

i) Iperu-Remo as the Home of the Missionaries of St. Paul

ii) Our Present Home

4) Historical Background of the National Missionary Society of St. Paul

5) A Special Appeal for Support of the National Missionary Seminary of St. Paul, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State.

6) The First Rector’s Processes of Excardination/Incardination, Incorporation, Temporary and Perpetual Vows/Membership.

a) Temporary Oath of Membership: Again, the internal governing council took the pains of communicating with Monsignor Akpan while indicating their expectation of him as an older person in the midst of the younger people that would be following.

b) The Reception of the Letter for Permanent Oath of Membership and Response

c) Appointment of Acting Superior General

7) What Transpired before the First Missio ad Intra and ad Extra (Internal And external Missions)

a) What Went on Before the First International Mission⁴⁰⁴

b) A Memorandum: One Year Pastoral Ministry in Nigeria before Being Sent on the Missions

Chapter Fourteen

ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST (AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH)

Processes of Autonomy, the First General Chapter and the Silver Jubilee

i) Reason for Postponing the First General Assembly

ii) Preparations and Other Related Issues

a) Canonical Transformation

b) Decision on Scheduled Assembly/Chapter

iii) The Question of the Founder

a) The Founder of the Missionary Society of St. Paul⁴⁰⁸

b) The Dream Plan

c) Contra Voices or Objections Raised

d) The Specificity of the Missionaries of St. Paul/Seminary

e) The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria’s Decision to Proceed with the Founding of the Society/Seminary after removing the Obstacles

f) The Internal Governing Council’s Approval for Permanent Oath of Membership

iii) The Actual Commencement of the First General Chapter

iv) Announcement of the New Superior General

v) Silver Jubilee Celebration

Chapter Fifteen

IN CRUCE SALUS (IN THE CROSS IS SALVATION)

His Prophetic-Trials, Battles, Crosses and His Religious Disposition

A) His Motto in Real Life

i) His Motto in Real Life and Consequences

ii) His Sickness

iii) His Battle with Ekpo

B) Some Ekpo Heinous Activities

C) The Python Incident and the Battles Fought⁴³⁵

D) Ukana Offot-Awa Itam: His Battles as a Young Bishop

E) His Internal Battles

i) His Battles in the Diocese and in the Presbyterium

ii) Women Oppose Bishop’s Transfer!⁴³⁸

iii) The Crisis over Bishop’s Transfer⁴³⁹

iv) The Plot to Remove Dominic Cardinal Ekandem as Bishop of Ikot Ekpene Diocese

F) Dispute about Abak Hospital Land

Chapter Sixteen

AD ASTRA PER ARDUA (THROUGH DIFFICULTY TO THE STARS)

Some Selected Sermons and Pastoral Letters

i) Toward a Viable and Self-Reliant Church⁴⁴⁹

ii) The Church in the Rise of Nigeria⁴⁵¹

iii) True Spiritual Leadership – A Vital Contribution to Nation Building⁴⁵²

iv) Don’t Abandon the Poor⁴⁵⁴

v) The Conversion of the King

Chapter Seventeen

VOX POPULI, VOX DEI (THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE, THE VOICE OF GOD)

His Foresights, Insights, and Awards

a) Provision of the First (Iron Beds) Vono Beds at Queen of Apostles Seminary, Afaha Obong

b) Attempt at Christianization

c) An Effort at Inculturation of African Values

d) Reintegration of Twin Mothers

e) His Organizational Ability

i) St. Joseph Catholic League

ii) The Background and Formation of Catholic Teachers’ League

f) Nka Adiaha Obong—The Catholic Women’s Organization

g) Silver Jubilee of Nka Adiaha Obong

i) Congratulatory Message from the Founder

ii) Congratulatory Message by Bishop Brian D. Usanga of Calabar

h) The Federation of St. Joseph Catholic Teachers’ League

i) Establishment of Schools

j) The Graciousness and Simplicity of the Bishop⁴⁶⁹

k) A Man of Surprises

l) Provision of Benefactors/Benefactresses for his Seminarians

m) Awards

n) Addressing the National Catholic Students’ Body at Benin University

o) The Need for a National Catholic Press

p) The Menace of the Present Educational System in Nigeria

q) On Nigerians and Public Revenue

r) Advice for a Better Future

s) African Priests and Celibacy

Chapter Eighteen

IN VITAM AETERNAM (IN ETERNAL LIFE)

Death and Burial

i) Cardinal Ekandem’s Death in the Context of World Events

ii) His Last Days and Final Exit

iii) The Funeral Ceremony

a) The Vigil

b) Attendance

c) The Liturgical Celebration

iv) Speeches by Some Dignitaries of State and Church

v) The Interment

vi) Emphasis of the Different Condolence Messages

EPILOGUE

APPENDIX

1) Last Will And Testament Of Cardinal Ekandem

2) The Draft Contract for Abuja

3) Final Copy of the Contract Formula

4) Documents About His Benefactress, Mrs. Annice Gordon and Family Members

i) A Letter to Mrs. McDonnell

ii) A Tribute to Mrs. Gordon: A Woman of Rare Courage and Generosity

5) Cardinal Ekandem’s Letter to Very Reverend Father Filippelli

6) Sabbatical Leave of Msgr. Godwin Akpan, First Rector of Missionary of St. Paul, Gwagwalada

i) A letter to Fr. Robert Kearns, SSJ

ii) A letter to Fr. Joseph Giordano, CICM

7) Beatification

Bibliography

Endnotes

BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

1. CONFUSED VALUES IN NIGERIAN CONTEXT: RITUALS REVEAL MYTHOLOGY, LAGOS, NIGERIA, JEROMELAIHO & ASSOCIATES, 1993.

This book makes use of rituals and mythology as tools of interpretation of cultural, social, ecclesial and political situations and actions in a larger context and specifically in the context of Nigeria to portray the contradictory nature of what is said or done as opposed to what is professed. Rituals are to be simply understood throughout the text as actions and mythology or mythological as words conveying meanings and understanding. It calls for a reorientation of life and attitude. [Out of print]

2. DECISION AND THE POWER OF GOD, ILORIN, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA, DECENCY PRINTERS & STATIONARY LTD, MARCH 1995

This is a pamphlet that focuses on one’s decision with regard to the power of God in nature, in his word and in his actions that is overwhelming and accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish. [Out of print]

3. THE POWER TO DECIDE, LAGOS, JEROMELAIHO & ASSOCIATES, LAGOS, NIGERIA, SEPTEMBER 1995

The small decisions made each time and each day affect the larger or greater decisions that ultimately affect one’s destiny or orientation in life. The minor decisions of life differ from the major decisions that have to be made or that have already been made. Discernment and revision of life or stocktaking play a vital role in making ultimate decisions of life.

4. DRUG ABUSE AND DRUG PUSHING IN YOUTHS SOCIAL PROBLEMS: BY-PRODUCTS OF THE SOCIETY, ILORIN, NIGERIA, DECENCY PRINTERS & STATIONARY LTD, KWARA STATE, 1999. [A CHAPTER IN A BOOK]

Drug abuse and drug pushing are social problems that can be induced by status symbol or relationships. The tendency can lead to self-destruction and ruining of one’s future. The whole book highlights the problems that face the youth as a growing person. The youth should guard against peer pressure in this regard.

5. CHRIST THE IDEAL OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE, ABUJA, NIGERIA, GAUDIUM ET SPES PUBLICATION, 2005. [pamphlet]

Christ is the model of every form of service. He is the only one who offers a selfless, compassionate and loving service without counting the cost. This goes against all forms of selfishness and injustice. What is justifiable is serving as Christ served whether in the Church or in the society. No one should use office or religion as a cloak of deception. Service applies to both the ministerial priesthood or to the priesthood of the faithful.

6. DECISION AND DESIRE: BLESSINGS AND CURSES, UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA, MACBENS, PRINTING PRESS, 2006. [pamphlet, out of print]

The decisions and desires of the individual contribute the blessings one receives or to the problems one encounters. Blessings demand obedience to the Lord whereas disobedience and stubbornness lead to the consequences of disobedience, the curses. Decisions and desires when properly combined bring blessings.

7. DRUGS AND DEATH: DRUG TRAFFICKING, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND FAMILY IMPLICATIONS AND THE AGENCY’S RESPONSE, LAGOS, SACRED HEART PRINTS, 2007, 2nd Edition 2013.

The book examines the term drug in specialised and general senses. Misuse of drugs that can easily be called drug abuse can lead to addiction and eventually to death if not properly handled. It looks at the percentage and the class of addicts and the range most prone to drug addiction. The factors encouraging drug trafficking and addiction, likewise various categories of alcohol addiction and those involved are examined. It aims at promoting a drug free society.

8. THE USES AND ABUSES OF DRUGS IN J. MADUEKE, J. EZEOKANA & B. OBIEFUNA, EDS., CHURCH AND DEVELOPMENT, NIMO, REX CHARLES & PATRICK’S LTD, 2008 [A CHAPTER IN A BOOK].

9. CHRIST IN THE POOR, UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA, CLE PRINT VENTURES, 2010.

This book takes up the identification of Christ with the poor even in the most abandoned of the society. It calls for a deeper reflection of societal values.

10. DECISION AND FULFILMENT OF GOD’S PROMISES, PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA, MUSTARD SEED PUBLICATION, 2012.

This book examines the accomplishment of God’s promises in the Old and New Testament and the decisions of individuals and groups and how that aided the fulfillment of the promises or its transfer to another person or to a future generation. One major question examined in the book is Can God change his promises?

To all men and women of courageous faith.

Foreword

R EV. FR. MICHAEL Edem, CM, tells the story of Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, a great missionary of the twentieth century in Nigeria, in Ikot Ekpene and in Abuja. Edem sets out to tell this story in a well-researched biography of the icon.

The biographer begins his story with the description of Cardinal Ekandem’s times and age, his birthplace, and his contemporaries. Some people are born great; some people acquire greatness, while greatness is imposed on some people. To which category does young Tom belong in this biography? Read Michael Edem’s story!

No man is an island. A child is born into a family, into a community and a village, into a country, into the world. The biography of Dominic Cardinal Ekandem begins in the Ibibio nation. The Ibibios of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, worshipped Abasi Ibom as a superior god in African Traditional Religion (ATR). Young Tom is of the royal pedigree of the Okuku Dynasty. Tom Ekandem was born on June 23, 1917, into Ibibio clan in the village of Obio Ibiono. His father was Chief Paul Ino Ekandem Ubo Etok, the Obong and chief priest of Obio Ibiono, and his mother was Nwa Ibong Umana Essien. He was born great into a royal family. From his boyhood days, Tom served at the sanctuary of the pagan religion assisting his father in the rituals performed to reconcile the deity of the land with the people and to settle disputes between families. As a believer of the African Traditional Religion (ATR), he was allowed to carry the sacrificial victim (goat, chicken, and other items) to the altar of sacrifice.

The gift of faith, the conversion to Christianity, was a dramatic turn in the life of young Tom. He was baptized in 1925 with the name Dominic. In the third chapter of his book, the biographer has written in great details the parentage, birthplace, and religion. It was not easy to be the first convert from ATR to Catholic Christian in his town. The events of his juvenile life brought Dominic into close contact with the white man in school and church. He enrolled in a primary school to learn the white man’s way of life contrary to the customs and traditions of his people. The Qua Iboe Mission Church, a missionary group of Christians, was Tom’s first contact with the white man’s religion. He joined them but later converted to Catholicism. This was the beginning of great challenges in his life. Dominic was among the first converts in Obio Ibiono by the Shanahan missionaries of Southern Nigeria. Dominic met several obstacles in the practice of the Christian faith. He made serious attempt to change the traditional Ekpo society from a heinous cultist group to a cultural dance for entertainment. This met with great opposition.

To be a Christian in Ekandem’s days was anathema. It was worse to contemplate the Catholic priesthood. The call of a young promising prince as a seminarian from the Okuku palace was regarded as an abomination that would call down the wrath of the gods on the Ibiono Ibom people. On the contrary, Dominic’s priestly ordination was a momentous event, which set his tribesmen drunk with merriment. Reverend Father Dominic was ordained in 1947, the first priest of his tribe. Seven years later (1954), he was ordained the first auxiliary bishop in the Anglophone West Africa. The young auxiliary bishop was posted to Anua. In 1963, the new Diocese of Ikot Ekpene was created from Calabar, and Ekandem was installed as its first bishop. Pope Paul VI raised him to the status of Prince of the Church in 1976 to become the first Nigerian cardinal.

In spite of all, Dominic’s life was full of trials, spiritual battles, and crosses in his personal religious life and that of the church. He drew strength from the cross of Jesus Christ, In Cruce Salus, In the Cross is Salvation, which was Ekandem’s motto in real life and commitment to service in the Lord’s vineyard. At a certain stage of his life, he came face to face with the culture and traditions inimical to the Christian tenets. Ekpo masquerade was part of the menace. With God’s grace arising from the strength of his episcopal motto, with his writings, Lenten pastorals, sermons, and speeches, he remained focused and committed to his people. He built schools for the normal and the physically challenged throughout the Diocese of Ikot Ekpene. Cardinal Ekandem’s fatherly role comes out very strongly in chapters seven, eight, and nine connected with the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ) and the civil war. These chapters are a must-read in the book.

The Nigerian Civil War (1966–1970) was a tragic period in the history of Nigeria. The cardinal had the care of the clergy and religious and, indeed, the faithful of Christ. It was a nightmare for the cardinal to guarantee the safety of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ) in his war-torn diocese during the civil war. The Handmaids sought refuge in far away, relatively safe Lagos. The trials of the civil war brought tremendous difficulties to the HHCJ sisters. Being sisters from different ethnic groups in Nigeria increased the tension between them. Ekandem was caught in the midst of the trials and travails that would have led to a split in the HHCJ Congregation. With wisdom and experience in conflict resolution, Cardinal Ekandem solved the terrible war difficulties, revived unity among the sisters, calmed the storm, and healed the wounds inflicted by the war on the members of the congregation. The reconstruction of the war-torn country at the end of the war was a task that had to be done. Cardinal Ekandem helped to bring back the Generalate of the HHCJ to Ifuho and their Mother House to Calabar. The biographer has described in detail the events and effects of the civil war on Nigeria in general and on the church in Ikot Ekpene in particular.

At the end the civil war, the capital of Nigeria was relocated to Abuja. The church created Abuja territory missio sui juris. Without hesitation, Dominic Cardinal Ignatius Ekandem was appointed the first ecclesiastical superior to take charge of the Abuja Independent Mission. He was the pioneer, the leader, and the first to tread the new path to growth of the Catholic Church in the new capital of Abuja, Nigeria. His foresight and resourcefulness were brought to bear. This was another feather on his red hat and another first. In 1992, Abuja was raised to the status of a diocese. Most Rev. John Onaiyekan, bishop of Ilorin, was transferred to Abuja as the coadjutor with the right of succession in 1990. At this point, Cardinal Ekandem’s retirement was imminent. He retired in 1993.

Cardinal Ekandem initiated the idea of a missionary society of priests in Nigeria. The idea was accepted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), and Ekandem was in the forefront and played a leading role in the establishment and growth of the Society of the Missionaries of St. Paul, Gwagwalada. St. Paul’s Missionary Seminary was opened in 1977 in Iperu Remo. The ordination of the first set of priests took place in 1986. Although there were several hurdles and teething problems associated with founding a pious association, Cardinal Ekandem nurtured the missionary society to great heights. The society having overcome all the obstacles held the first General Chapter in 1995.

Dominic Cardinal Ekandem remained an ideal servant of God, a renowned pastor, a meek and humble lamb like his Master Jesus, a victim of the difficulties of being the first in many situations in life, a light lit and put on a lamp stand to show the way, and a bridge builder among men. He spurred me to the priesthood being the first black Catholic priest that I saw in my life. He debunked the notion that the Catholic priesthood was the prerogative of the whites because all Catholic priests in the diocese were Irish. Today I am an archbishop. It is my privilege to write the preface to his biography. We pastors must remember that our lives are beacons of light and must be kept shining that all might see and give praise to God. The life of every priest should leave a legacy that is worth emulating; that says boldly of Cardinal Ekandem imitate me for I am meek and humble of heart. It is a sermon on priestly vocation.

The cardinal’s health deteriorated fast after his retirement in 1993. His light dimmed. Cardinal Ekandem passed away on November 24, 1995. May his soul rest in perfect peace. He was given a befitting funeral and buried in Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Abuja.

Fr. Michael Edem, CM has written and given us a vivid life history of a star of evangelization in Nigeria. Whoever reads this biography, and I encourage you to read it, will feel like a contemporary of Dominic Cardinal Ekandem.

+ Joseph E. Ukpo

Archbishop Emeritus of Calabar Metropolitan See

Calabar

Cross River State, Nigeria

A Very African Cardinal (Foreword B)

I feel honored and privileged to be given the opportunity to write a foreword to the biography of Dominic Ignatius Ekandem, the prince who became a cardinal, the vanguard of Catholicism in Nigeria by Rev. Fr. M. Edem. Dominic Ekandem is a very African priest, bishop, and cardinal, a visionary who reversed the question Can anything good come from Nazareth? As a visionary and as an innovator and social pioneer, he showed that something good can come from Nazareth. This book is a labor of love. It was painstakingly researched and written. It’s been a learning process for me too. Though a Catholic from birth, I plead ignorance to what is contained within this book before now. I knew nothing about His Eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, the first Nigerian cardinal, to be appointed by the pope… That this man single-handedly initiated, planned, and carried out a large number of social and welfare programs in Nigeria, embracing all classes of people, including the disabled, is an eye-opener to me. It is something as a Nigerian I am hugely proud of and feel inspired by his actions. As a Nigerian, I feel that we owe him a debt of gratitude for what he accomplished for Nigeria/Africa in his lifetime through the Catholic Church. The role that the Irish missionaries and sisters played in establishing the Catholicism in Calabar Province is quite obvious.

The Catholic Church in Nigeria with the help of Cardinal Ekandem was at the forefront and instrumental in developing a lot of the welfare provisions in Nigeria in the areas of health, housing, schools, including disabled children, orphanages, and water, without which a lot of our people would not have made any progress or survived. Some people would not have received formal education of any type if not for the church. It can be argued that since the Catholic Church is no longer involved actively in the social/welfare programs or initiatives, there has been a lull in the development programs; and in fact, since the government took over a lot of these initiatives, there has been a decline in such provisions, and some have deteriorated. This is evidenced in the schools that have survived without adequate facilities for educational purposes. The book brings out an undeniable fact of the huge contributions of the cardinal with priests and sisters to nation building.

A fuller history of the role the churches/religious organizations have played in the development of Nigeria is yet to be documented. The pioneering spirit of these religious men and women has not yet been recognized. Are there any records of the sacrifices and the labors of love made by the cardinal and other priests/religious in the development of Nigeria apart from the scanty ones in biographical contexts? We are often told of what the government has done but not the clergy has. What became apparent especially in the section on the development of the FCT (Federal Capital Territory) Abuja is the cooperation of the cardinal as the superior of Abuja Independent Mission with a Muslim president (Shehu Shangri). They worked hand in hand to bring about the necessary change in the Federal Capital Territory in those early days.

To think that in those days when they had so little, they were able to accomplish so much, armed with faith in God, they produced so much is a testament to their willingness to be used by God in shepherding the flock. Yet in these days and age with so much at our disposal, we find it very hard to do even the minimum with all Nigeria is blessed with. What is stopping us? Is it that we have very little faith?

In many ways, the book seems like three books in one. The first is on the culture and tradition of the cardinal’s background and the impact on his decision to become a priest, the second is on the activities of establishing numerous programs for the people, and finally, what he went through as a person, including his health problems, etc. One could almost lose sight of the focus of the book; however, the author has kept the various strands together to his credit. This leads me to the adage to whom more is given, more is expected. Out of one man’s sacrifice, many benefited, including the author.

The timing of publication of this book couldn’t have been more apt, as it falls within the time when the new president of Nigeria has been elected on the platform of change, one hopes that the government will use this opportunity to reestablish links with the Catholic Church in particular and other religious organizations in general to work toward a unified program of national development for Nigeria and her people. The life of generosity, selfless sacrifice, and caring for the people of God both on the spiritual and social welfare level of Cardinal Ekandem is a great challenge to the Catholic Church and other denominations in Nigeria and, indeed, the whole world. Perhaps this is an opportunity for the Catholic Church and others to retrace their steps and go back to the original mandate of Christ who evangelized with power and authority and compassion and love instead of concentrating on themselves.

Juliana Ojinnaka-Osammor

Lecturer, The Sheffield College

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Preface

I T IS JUST about twenty years since the death of our revered father, His Eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekandem. May his dear soul rest in perfect peace.

Already we have two full-length biographies in circulation by two of his spiritual sons, each with its own peculiar literary genre. The first to come out was by a priest of Uyo Diocese, Rev. Fr. Edidiong Ekefre. This publication was in the form of a classical hagiography aimed at projecting and highlighting the heroic life and virtues of a highly admired spiritual father. Almost simultaneously was the second book by Rev. Fr. Dr. Cosmas Nwosu, MSP, a professional historian and member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul, a society that prides itself to be spiritual sons of the cardinal. In this second publication, Father Nwosu attempted a first version of scientific biography of a great man of many parts. These two books somehow complement each other. But even put together, they have not said the last word on Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, the great pioneer indigenous missionary, pastor, patriot, and builder of church and nation.

It is therefore no surprise that another spiritual son has undertaken a new project of Cardinal Ekandem’s biography. Nor will this be the last. We owe Fr. Michael Edem, CM a lot of gratitude for giving us another widely researched story of the life and times of this great Prince, Primate and Patriarch of the Church. This work has covered some gaps in the previous works.

The long life and ministry of Cardinal Ekandem covered almost every aspect of the history of the well-acknowledged phenomenal development of the Catholic Church in Nigeria during much of the twentieth century. He had the burden of leadership thrust on him at all the crucial moments of this development before and after our political independence. His deep concern for the growth of the church shone through his entire active life, especially in his promotion of Christian life as a vocation—priestly, religious, missionary and lay.

His peaceful heart suffered through the horrors of the Nigeria/Biafra Civil War. Like most Nigerians of his era, beyond the tragedy of an avoidable self-inflicted national calamity, he watched with recurrent disappointment as one hope after the other was dashed through greed and lack of concern for the common good. His dreams of a great Nigeria turned out to be a constantly receding mirage until his death, dreams that he had left with us to nurture into reality. When? Who knows?

Among the merits of this publication is the sustenance of those dreams and hopes of our pioneer Nigerian priest, bishop, and cardinal. His life is certainly the material of which saints are made, for the edification of the Church of God, to the glory of the Lord. He has run his own race. His reward is great in heaven.

+John Cardinal Onaiyekan

Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria

Comments About the Book

Fr. Edem CM has offered all those who knew the Cardinal personally, those who heard of him, a vade mecum of sorts. He has served a dish that we must consume with relish. In this great work, he has patiently excavated and presented to us, a lot of background, some of it historical, some anthropological, theological, psychological and spiritual of the Ekandem persona.

This book is a great contribution to knowledge, but also to both the history of the Catholic Church and the history of the people, culture and environment that produced this great son of Africa who has really earned his place in the pantheon of the great. This book should find its place in the shelves of our public libraries in general and those of our religious institutions in particular. I highly recommend the book. 

Most Rev. Matthew H. Kukah

Bishop of Sokoto, Nigeria

The world’s upheavals in early 20th century affecting world politics, religion, etc. with a severe threat to human health and even to human existence which altogether culminated in the first World War, with the corresponding repercussions and ripples that did not totally die out before or during the second World War, cannot be completely written and contemplated upon without a key year 1917 in the context of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima which was later to become part of Western Europe after World War II, as well as serious matters and events drawing towards revolution in Soviet Union that was to become the head of Eastern Europe. All these put together and with a lot more which are not mentioned here, cannot leave us in this part of the world, Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, ignorant of the impact of the birth of a boy: Dominic Ino Ekandem, in a remote and obscure village of Obio Ibiono in South Eastern Nigeria.

The boy in person unknown but, like little Jesus in Nazareth with a royal blood in his veins, will always remain for all of us in this part of the world, an icon, a luminary, a reference point in history, tradition, religion and culture to such an extent that the history of the said period can never be completely written without a mention of Dominic Ekandem even if such a writing is only a tip of the iceberg, a drop of water in the ocean or a mere mole of dust on the surface of a large office desk.

If the author of the Acts of the Apostles had to acknowledge that he had already written ‘in his earlier works’ all that Jesus said and did and that he had in that earlier work attempted to present a more orderly account of the life of the same Jesus since some others had already started compiling facts and data on Jesus, I must acknowledge that there are already works written on Dominic Cardinal Ekandem. Notable among them and more recently are books by Rev. Fr. Nwosu MSP and Rev. Fr. Ekefre. Now, Rev. Fr. Michael Edem CM, aware that these works exist, presents to us yet another attempt but complementary to others, in an orderly account of the life of Dominic Ekandem. I am more certain that this will not be the last nail on the coffin because there are yet many aspects of the life of this God-chosen servant yet to be written. I cannot wait to read them even as I have read the two before and now this work. All and all, it will always remain an enriching experience to read the present work on Dominic Cardinal Ekandem: the first Catholic Deacon of our people; the first Catholic Priest of our land; the first indigenous Catholic Bishop of Nigeria and the first indigenous Cardinal of West Africa.

Most Rev. Joseph Effiong Ekuwem

Archbishop of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Lives of great people end with death like every other person but their greatness last longer in the stories people tell of them. The positive impact their lives and achievements had on people live on in memories and writings of those who cherish their greatness. Dominic Cardinal Ekandem had left behind his greatness on the tales and history of the Church in Nigeria, Africa and Uyo Diocese in particular. His stories can never be over flocked. Rev. Fr. Edem CM in his own perspective attempts in this book to tell the world more tales of the Life, achievements and holiness or spirituality of the late Cardinal. He had the singular privilege of being ordained by him and have had face-to-face encounter with the Cardinal while he was alive. This work is commendable in its originality and simplicity of accounts given. The life of a simple honest person is recounted from a humble beginning to how eventually he led many of the black race to the Catholic priesthood, episcopacy and college of Cardinals. The Cardinal was unique in many ways as the first and had been one who was in the conclave that elected the Great St. Pope John Paul II. His simplicity was outstanding, his spirituality astute, his holiness perceptive and his achievements outstanding. He gave Nigeria and the world, The Missionaries of Saint Paul to the greater glory of God. These are all embedded in this work for many to read, learn and emulate the great man of Africa and the Church. 

Very Rev. Fr. Francis O. Essien

St. Joseph Major Seminary, Faculty of Philosophy/Theology,

Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

"It will be obvious to the reader that the author of this book has written about a subject very dear to his heart - he has chosen to write about one of the greatest men in the modern history of Nigeria, Cardinal Dominic Ekandem.

Father Michael Edem CM has spent an enormous amount of time and energy in compiling a tremendous amount of background information for use in this book, as well as fully researching the life and times of this amazing man of God and man of the people. This book details both the upbringing of Dominic Ekandem as well as his education and religious career, together with the horrific catalogue of events that beset his country, and other countries in the vicinity.

A compelling read from beginning to end".

Mr. Hugh Finnigan

Organist, St. Marie Cathedral,

Sheffield, United Kingdom

This is a tremendous work. I cannot wait to read it.

Very Rev. Fr. James Shryane,

Holy Rood Catholic Church, Barnsley, South Yorkshire

United Kingdom

An Updated Biography One of the identification marks of a great person is that after the person’s death, many people spontaneously do certain things to immortalize his or her name. This new biography of His Eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekandem written by Rev. Fr. Michael Edem, CM, comes at an appropriate time to add to the growing biographies of our beloved late Prince, Primate and Patriarch. The work, which has the benefit of perusing previous biographies on the Ibibio born Catholic prelate would declare, like Luke the evangelist did upon writing another gospel of Jesus: Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed (Luke 1:1-4). Fr. Edem’s work, therefore, born out of a genuine desire to correctly immortalize the memory of Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, has brought new light to the life, words, actions and numerous achievements of this great son of Nigeria and Africa.

It is truly an updated biography of Dominic Cardinal Ekandem that is worth reading besides other biographies that one may already have read.

Anthony Iffen Umoren, MSP

Catholic Institute of West Africa

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

This book is a compelling narration of the context, life and enduring contribution of a great legend and true trailblazer. I recommend it to all who love the Roman Catholic Church and Africa and to those who seek inspiration to serve sacrificially. Many will be enriched by the largely unique historical records captured herein.

Professor Ifiok Otung

University of South Wales

United Kingdom

Preliminary Considerations/Appreciations

N EXT YEAR 2017, will marked the centenary of Cardinal Ekandem’s birth. This book pre-empts that centenary celebration.

This book marks the twentieth anniversary of the death of His Eminence Dominic Cardinal Ekandem (1917–1995). The first phase of his existence was during his life on earth. His death marks the beginning of the second phase of his life when he left for his Father’s House during the Advent season of 1995. Happily, he had had enough time to prepare for the final lap of that journey. This book looks at both phases of his existence and what it entails.

This work on Dominic Ignatius Ekandem, the prince who became a cardinal and played an unforgettable role in the development of Catholicism in Nigeria, has taken almost two decades. It has eventually overcome many setbacks that hindered its publication before now. Such setbacks include the loss of original scripts, the search for the discarded scraps, and the emergence of other publications in the interim period. Meanwhile, other works have been published as this one was still in the process.

The pioneer work on the cardinal was that of Fr. Uduakobong Umoren published in 1976 shortly after his constitution into the consistory as a cardinal. Prof. Sylvanus I. Udoidem published his Hospitality as Holiness: the Genius of Cardinal Ekandem, the Spirituality and Mission of Cardinal Ekandem, which also touched the virtues and values of the cardinal almost a decade after his death in 2005. In 2013, Fr. Cosmas K. O. Nwosuh, MSP published the cardinal’s biography from the point of view of evangelization as a pivotal instrument of the church’s evangelization and expansion program, and in 2014, Fr. Edidiong Ekefre wrote on the cardinal from the perspective of his subtitle: The Testament of Light.

These works have contributed enormously to the understanding of the person and ministry of Cardinal Ekandem. This particular publication is not likely to be the last on him; more works might still follow. In Ikot Ekpene Diocese, The Cardinal Ekandem’s Lecture has already been established, and about two or three have taken place in that series. These are likely to appear in printed form.

The title of prince came naturally to him from birth as a privileged son in the family of Okuku Ino Akpan Ekandem. When his father, Okuku Ekandem, was baptized, he bore the name Peter Akpan Ekandem. After baptism, he married in the Catholic Church, which involved a great personal sacrifice. This took place at the great cost of discipleship where his father had to do away with his very many wives so as to give Dominic the opportunity of being ordained. With the great sacrifice of the father sending the many wives back home to their villages, the ordination of Dominic went ahead.

Dominic abdicated his privilege of being an heir to the throne as a future Okuku. Yet a greater privilege was to come from God, for no one can outdo God in generosity. He became the prince-prelate of the church when he was consecrated bishop. This was a historic event that drew international attention since some of his co-consecrators came from other countries like Cameroon and Gabon to participate in that ceremony. Thus, he was prince by birth, prince-prelate by consecration as the first Anglophone West African bishop, and patriarch by elevation to the status of a cardinal in the Catholic Church, the first in Nigeria to have had that privilege. In this way, the prince became a cardinal. As a cardinal, he was regarded as the first citizen both within the church and in the society. It surely contributed to his being the vanguard of Catholicism, although he was not the first to become a Catholic in the country. His early firsts in many aspects gained him the unique position of being the vanguard of Catholicism.

The term patriarch is a very common one in the context of the Judeo-Christian religion like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God decided to reveal himself to Moses as the God of their fathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the patriarchs of Israel and, above all, as the I AM (Exod. 3:6; Matt. 22:32). Patriarch is a very common term in the Oriental churches but not so common in the Western Latin rite. In the Latin rite, this refers to heads of some autonomous churches consisting of several local churches. The title of personal archbishop granted to him by Rome would not have qualified him for this. It was his position as the very first West African English-speaking bishop and primacy of position as the oldest West African bishop that automatically conferred the title on him, coupled with the fact of being the groundbreaker of Abuja Metropolitan See. These circumstances combined to define him as a true patriarch. At one time, the title was even used for the pope as patriarch of the West, a title that is no longer in use in the Latin church for the pope.¹

The title of patriarch does not demand much explanation in relation to the Catholic Church since by Divine Providence, he became the first Anglophone West African bishop, which gave him the privilege of being a patriarch of the whole country at a time when no other West African could be seen as a bishop. He was not the oldest among his contemporaries in St. Paul’s Junior Seminary attached to Christ the King College, CKC Onitsha, but by God’s providential plan, he was the first to be consecrated bishop.

He was not the first to be installed as a resident bishop. Bishop Anthony Gogo Nwedo, CSSp was the first Nigerian indigene to be installed as bishop of Umuahia. This does not deprive Bishop Ekandem of the eligibility to be a patriarch, especially with his conferment of the title of cardinal too as the first Nigerian cardinal. The aspects of prince, prelate, and patriarch fit in very well as he stood high among his equals. At his funeral, His Grace Abp. Albert Kanene Obiefuna publicly acknowledged that he was like a much beloved headmaster² of a school to very many over several years. He adopted a title rarely applied to clergy. All the same, he described him as such because of his influence and uniqueness when the ecclesiastical dignity in the hierarchical order was considered.

His eminence reinterpreted his name Ekandem by giving it a Christian significance. Ekan-Ndem originally means the mother goddess or mother of water goddess. With his reinterpretation, Eka, that is mother, and Ndem, the female water god or goddess, had been defeated or overcome. With this new understanding, Ekandem became the victor over the water gods and goddesses or even the gods or goddess on land.

This work encompasses matters beyond the physical life and works of the cardinal. It is more than a spiritual testament as such or a religious diary. The work covers his influence in civil society as well as in the church, his influence in the emerging Catholicism, his spiritual development, and his use of those gifts in various contexts. It recognizes the external and internal side of his life as a man who was very close to God, enjoyed extensively an infused knowledge like St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. He has something in common with the great mystics as God’s gift. As part of his purification, he passed through several trials within and outside the diocese.

As for infused knowledge, that is incontestable. St. Paul speaking to the Colossians says, That their hearts may be encouraged as they are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2–3). The hidden wisdom of God (1 Cor. 2:7) can only be reached through contemplation. That was what led him into the depth of his knowledge and perception. Most Rev. Albert Kanene Obiefuna, the president of CBCN and archbishop of Onitsha Metropolitan See, publicly acknowledged this aspect of his life during the cardinal’s funeral celebration on December 2, 1995, in Abuja, Nigeria.

His gentle disposition, circumspective, and prayerful attitude gained him the capacity to overcome the challenges of a crisis that nearly dragged his name to the mud. The same disposition and composure disposed his mentor Most Rev. James Moynagh, SPS, the first bishop of Calabar, to perceive a treasure in this African recommended for the office of auxiliary bishop. St. Teresa of Avila wrote: All were pleased with me, for the Lord gave me the grace to be pleasing wherever I went and so I was much loved.³ Like her, Cardinal Ekandem experienced many crosses, and he was greatly loved. As a trailblazer, he opened the door of hope to so many through establishment of many associations and societies for different categories of people.

His path of life brought many crosses. As he conceived the idea of the Cross of the Master, so did he live it out in his daily life to the extent that Abp. Brian D. Usanga, who preached at his funeral mass, said that "he lived in constant imitation of his Master Jesus Christ by obeying him and following his voice till his death.⁴ He sought the Cross, he found the Cross and carried it throughout his entire life, during the Nigerian/Biafran Civil War through his care of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus through false accusations, the internal crosses in his Diocese of Ikot Ekpene, as an Administrator of Port Harcourt Diocese including Abuja where he was a pioneer in very new circumstances; his sickness, his defence of the Church all brought with them elements of the Cross of his Savior and bore out the Gospel affirmation: God makes light the burden we bear.⁵

His power to perceive a situation and translate it into action is what gave birth to Nka Adiaha Obong, the Catholic Women’s Organization, the Teachers Guild, the Catholic Teachers’ Association that provided the first Vono Beds to Afaha Obong Seminary, the MSPs, the Missionaries of St. Paul (MSP), and both seminary and society that have become phenomena of the twenty-first century. The perception and resilience of the prince-patriarch brought forth wonderful treasures from the depth from what appeared unlikely at first.

He was not the only one who perceived something. People also perceived the same things, but he pierced through to the depths with his infused knowledge that St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus calls an instruction by the Doctor of doctors.⁶ The divine instruction with his humility aided in discovering his exceptional gifts in many of the honors he received from society, from the church, and from further afield.

Cardinal Ekandem did not write much. What he wrote was incisive, penetrating, and full of wisdom but sometimes needing a commentary not unlike The Flame of Love by St. John of the Cross but always seeking to inspire and uplift. His thoughts were directed toward the upliftment of the people in all spheres of life.

What this work presents is only a tip of the iceberg. His true personality and worth will only be excavated slowly with time and with patience. The exit of this great man is like a big iroko tree, giving way in a square where it used to provide shade for all that wished to take shelter under it. That exit was for the greater glory of God to establish the long-awaited union with the Father face to face (panim el panim) in God’s House.

This work can be divided into three major segments: prewar that covers from the prologue to chapter six, incorporating the background, the seminary, the priesthood, the apostolate, the bishopric, and the first residential bishop of Ikot Ekpene; the second segment covers the war extending from chapters seven to nine, concentrating on the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus during the Nigerian/Biafran Civil War and the postwar, including the return of the handmaids and relocation of the Generalate to Ifuho in Ikot Ekpene; and the third section begins with the cardinalate in chapter ten till his death in chapter eighteen. This section looks at the cardinalate in chapter ten, Abuja Independent Mission in chapter eleven, the Missionaries of St. Paul incorporating chapters twelve to fourteen, while chapter fifteen looks at his episcopal motto: In Cruce Salus. Chapter sixteen looks at some of his pastoral letters and sermons, while chapter seventeen includes many tributes from people who knew him well together with some of his achievements. Chapter eighteen draws the curtain to his life on earth, looking at his last days, death, and burial followed by the Epilogue, Appendix, Bibliography, and Index.

This work owes a great deal to many contributors before its publication. The very first set of people who typed and copied the materials into a diskette were Anna and her cousin Viola together with Mrs. Francesco Giglioli, all of Vigna di Valle in Italy. That was the copy that never saw the light of day but got lost in transit. Our seminarians who have now become priests, namely, Frs. Augustine Abiagom, CM and Kevin Okonkwo, CM; Joseph Tumo Edem, my nephew; Rita L. Asuquo now married to Mr. Emmanuel Asuquo; the seminarians at Eternal Covenant Missionaries, Umuechem, Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State; Mr. Augustine Chidiebere Onuoha, ECM, Raymond, ECM, and Victor, ECM who helped tremendously in typing many of the materials for me; and Fr. Aloysius Udo, the second priest of Abuja, sometimes called Filioque, who provided some of the needed documents, they deserve special thanks. Fr. Emmanuel Bala deserves many thanks and appreciation for all his contributions for obtaining and making available the details of the funeral ceremonies. Especially indebted to are all those who granted interviews whether oral or written for their tremendous contributions. They are marvelous and exceptional.

The following deserve unalloyed appreciation for accepting to read, comment, criticize, and offer positive suggestions for the improvement of this work: Most Rev. Joseph Edra Ukpo, archbishop emeritus who agreed to write the preface of this work; His Eminence John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaiyekan who accepted to write the foreword to this book; Abp. Joseph Effiong Ekuwem who took special interest in reading this work and making his comments and suggestions; and Mr. Hugh Finnegan who read and made corrections in this work. The same applies to Rev. Fr. Joseph Okeke from Orlu Diocese ministering at St. Marie Cathedral, Norfolk Road, Sheffield, England, and Rev. Fr. Dominic Udosen at the Spiritual Year Seminary at Obio Ibiono, Cardinal Ekandem’s village, who helped in getting some of the documents needed and acted as the liaison officer to confirm certain required facts.

Another group of people that need mention is as follows: Mrs. Juliana Ossamor who took pains to read, comment, and contribute even to the point of suggesting some useful materials for the work; her husband, Mr. Matthew Ogochukwu Ossamor, cannot be forgotten for synchronizing some of the fonts that did not tally for me; Mr. Terry Umoh and Mrs. Hanta Lessore who proofread the work and offered some suggestions; Msgr. Kenneth Enang who painstakingly read one