28/01/2024
*THE BIOGRAPHY OF REV. FR. GABRIEL OBAZI OWOH: A PROFILE IN HARDWORK, COURAGE, AND SERVICE*
By Esheya Greg
*Geneology/Birth*
The extra ordinary life we have all gathered here to celebrate his 40 years of service in the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the first Roman Catholic Priest of Old Ishielu LGA, Ohaukwu L.G.A and Ngbolizhia in particular, Rev. Fr Gabriel Obazi Owoh, was born into the family of Elder Lazarus Owoh Obazi on Ist January, 1953 at Odebor. He is a scion of the stock of Ndi Egba Ituma in Unwu-Imama in Unwuogudu Akpu Ngbo with his last 7 generational ancestors traced back as follows:
(1).Agbo who was the father of Eninyi Agbo.
(2). Eninyi Agbo then fathered Ituma Eninyi.
(3). Ituma Eninyi then begot Igboke Aya.
(4). Igboke Aya gave birth to Ituma Ikor.
(5). Ituma Ikor then begot Ulebe Ogwa.
(6). Ulebe Ogwa was the father of Lazarus Obazi Ulebe
(7). Lazarus Obazi Ulebe then gave birth to Gabriel Obazi Owo. He is the second surviving son in a family of 21 children.
While the mother, late Mary Oyiga Owoh, who is the first out of the four wives of the father, hails from the Royal Household of Odanwu Esheya , of the ancient dynasty of Ndoyibe kindred in Otokoro, Umuogudu Akpu, Ngbo. Her ancestry can be traced to 3rd generation thus: Odanwu Esheya who was begotten by Esheya Onwe Azi, Esheya Onwe Azhi who was fathered by Udu Nwogo and then Udu Nwogo.
She grew-up under the care and tutelage of the elder brother, H.R.M, Esheya Odanwu who gave out her hand in marriage to Lazarus Owoh Obazi.
*Education/Formation*
Gabriel Obazi Owoh had his primary education at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Mission School, now Community Primary School, Otunyi from 1958 to 1965. Then after the Nigerian-Biafran war, he proceeded to St. Augustine’s Minor Seminary Ezzangbo in 1971 and completed his studies in good grades on 3rd December, 1975.
Though his parents then were not Christians, he had early initiation into Christendom, as he received the sacrament of baptism on 27th August, 1960 and first Holy Communion on the following day, 28th August, 1960. Three years after he received the sacrament of confirmation from Bishop Thomas McGettrick.
With the determination to answer the call to the priesthood even as there was no kit or kin who had travelled that road successfully before, the stage was set after completion of his secondary education. And he was posted for his first apostolic assignment to St. Augustine’s Minor Seminary Ezzangbo, his alma mater from January, 1976 to July 1976, a period of six months.
He got admitted into St. Augustine’s Senior Seminary, Jos, Plateau State in August, 1976 for further priestly and academic formation. Here, he studied the disciplines of Philosophy and Theology and graduated in 1983, with Bachelor of Divinity (B.D).While at St. Augustine’s Jos, he enrolled into University of Ibadan, Oyo State for a diploma in Religious Studies. He completed the studies successfully and was awarded, a Diploma in Religious Studies with interest in Christian, Islamic and African Traditional Religion (ATR).
*Ordination/Pastoral Services*
With all the hurdles crossed and all jinx-broken, the stage was set for his ordination. And so on 28th May, 1983, at St. oliver’s Parish, Ngbo, Rev. Fr. Gabriel Owoh, was ordained the first Roman Catholic priest of Ngbolizhia extraction by the Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Most Rev Dr. M.N Okoro, now retired to the glory of God.
Having been called and ordained, Fr. was set for the work in the Lord’s vineyard. Thus he was sent first to St. Mary’s Parish, Afikpo in June, 1983 to serve as assistant Parish Priest to Rev. Fr Clement Osunwoke. He served in St. Mary till September, 1985. From there he was posted next to Assumption Parish, Amagu Ikwo where he worked as the parish priest till 3rd November, 1989.
*Further Education*
His quest for further learning made him to break from pastoral duties from 3rd November 1989 to June 1992. Within this period, he was on further studies at Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. At the end of the studies in June, 1992 he obtained a Master’s Degree in Theology (M.Th) with bias in Biblical Studies. While at CIWA, Fr equally enrolled into University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State for a Post-graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). A study he completed in 1991 and was awarded Post-Graduate Diploma
in Education majoring in Educational Foundations and Religious Studies.
*Pastoral Engagements*
Equipped with a deeper knowledge of God and man, Fr. was sent back to the people to continue his pastoral duties. Hence, from August, 1992 to September 1993 he worked as the Parish Priest of St. Paul’s Parish Ntezi. From St. Paul’s Ntezi he was sent to his home parish, Holy Trinity Parish, Umuogudu Akpu, Ngbo. He served as the Parish Priest of Holy Trinity from 1993 to 1999 when the next transfer saw him at St. Michael’s Parish, Ogboji exactly on 14th September, 1999. He administered the parish for 7 years (14th September 1999 to 23rd April, 2006) as the Parish Priest.
*More Further Studies*
Again, like Ulysses, the hunger for further knowledge took hold of him. He sought for admission and got admitted into Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, USA. His studies in the United States lasted from 2006 to 2008 and at the end he bagged the following certificates:
Diploma in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), with bias in clinical care of the sick from University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Shadyside, Pittsburgh.
Master’s Degree in Leadership and Liberal Studies (M.LLS) from School of Leadership and Professional Advancement, Pittsburgh.
*Back Home for Further Pastoral Services*
In appreciation and loyalty to his Bishop, and as one consumed by the passion for his father’s house/work, he returned back to the country and upon presenting himself to the Bishop, he was immediately posted to St. Oliver’s Parish Amoffia Ngbo as the Parish Priest and as well appointed as the Dean of Ngbo and Izhia Deanery from January, 2009 to January, 2022. From 2010 he rose to the position of Episcopal Vicar of Ngbo and Izhia Deanery, a position he held till January, 2022. Currently Fr. Owoh is serving as the Parish Priest of St. Michael the Archangel Parish Idembia.
*Academic Services*
The gift of the ministerial priesthood makes one not just a pastor but a king and a teacher after the like of Christ. Fr. Owoh conscious of this, prepared very well by engaging in series of trainings and studies as shown above to discharge his duties not just as teacher of the word but as a classroom teacher. In view of this he has taught in many places and held several administrative positions. He started his teaching career with Ebonyi State Ministry of Education. While he was with the Ministry, he was posted to the following schools as a tutor:
1. Mbeke Ishieke Community Secondary School, from 1998 to 2000.
2. Army Day Secondary School, Nkwoagu, Abakaliki 2000 to 2002.
3. Master, Moral Instruction, Army Day Secondry School, Nkwoagu, 2002 to 2004.
He switched his services to Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo in 2004 as a lecturer in the Department of Christian Religious Studies. At the College he held the following positions:
1. Pioneer Deputy Provost, 2004 -2006
2. HOD, Department of CRS from April, 2011 to February, 2016. He successfully retired at the apex of his profession as a principal lecturer after attending the compulsory retirement age of 65 years on Ist January, 2018.
*Community Services*
In fulfillment of his community services, Fr. Owoh has held many positions and served in various capacities including:
1. Chaplain, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo from 1983 to 1985
2. Secretary, Asso. of Nigerian Priests of Abakaliki Diocese, (ANPAD), from 1984 to 1985
3. President, Asso. of Nigerian Priests of Abakaliki Diocese, (ANPAD), from 1993 to 1998
4. Member, Enugu State Committee of Enquiry into the activities of Rangers International Football Club, Enugu State – January 1993 to August, 1993.
5. Board Member, Governing Council, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), 1994 to 1998
6. Pastoral services at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, USA, from June to September, 2006
7. Pastoral care of the sick at Mercy Medical Center, Northwest Canton, Ohio, USA, from August, 2008 to April, 2009
8. Member, Bishop M.N. Okoro’s Golden Jubilee Committee, 2015.
*Past-Time/Hobby*
Beyond the above trio official engagements of pastoral services, academics and community services, Fr. Gabriel spends his leisure time by engaging in agricultural activities. His is the philosophy of we should cultivate what we consume and consume what we cultivate. In one of my visits to him recently after taking a walk around his garden/farm behind the Father’s house and marveled at the variety and size of the farm, Fr. informed me that he had resolved that the only food item or ingredient that constitute his meal that he will source outside his farm or buy in the market is perhaps salt. Fr. engages in the cultivation of tomatoes, pepper, cucumba, vegetables, palm plantation etc. He is a commercial farmer of cassava, yam and rice. In animal husbandry, he is not left out as he is a cat-fish farmer, poultry farmer and has over 20 cow heads without inheriting any.
Fr. Gabriel’s agricultural exploits has its greatest manifestation in the area of rice and yam cultivation. He has proven his mantle as an Abakaliki man in cultivation of these two crops and it’s difficult to find any Abakaliki man today who can challenge him in the combined cultivation of yam and rice in large quantity. It’s always intimidating approaching Fr.’s yam barn. The sheer quantity and massive sizes of yams take one’s breath and leave the person speechless. Fr Owoh is indeed “Okpoji ufo-eka”.
Yet what he has achieved in yam cultivation fades and turns into two cents when placed side by side with his exploits in the area of rice production. In rice value-chain there are different areas of engagement and specialization like seed production, cultivation, processing and marketing and no one engages in them all. But with Fr. Owoh as usual, things are a bit different. The area in the rice value-chain he is not engaged in is perhaps seed production. Fr. engages in all the processes of rice production and processing from start to finish and he does everything with his farming implements and machineries like tractors with its full compliments, trashers, winnowers etc. He has equally established rice mills with distoning components where he mills his rice and avails others the opportunity to mill and process theirs.
But what is more important here is that these “extra-curricular” activities do not distract him from his primary assignment of shepherding the flock of Christ. He has never been found wanting in his pastoral assignments because of his engagement in farming activities.
When Christ called some of his Apostles, he turned them from fishermen to fishers of men. But Christ called Rev. Fr Gabriel Owoh and endured him with the grace to be both a fisherman and fisher of men, to the glory of God.
It was the immortal Karl Marx in his Dialectical Materialism who frowned at straight-jacketing and making people to face a particular career in life, as that was potential-limiting. He rather advocated that they should be free to fish in the morning, trade in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening and philosophise at night, without of course necessarily identified as fisherman, trader, a herdsman, or even a philosopher. Fr. Gabriel has been true to the Marxian standard only to the extent that he has engaged in farming, teaching, research and lecturering, but at all times he has been a priest of the Most High God.
One may ask why does Fr Owoh leave his comfort zone as a priest to dirt his hands in farm work. Fr is inspired by two reasons, one, even though by his position, the people of God are meant to carter for his needs, he does not feel comfortable depending on the people given their economic state. This is why he works hard to ensure that he takes care of himself and even extend helping hand to others. The second reason according to Fr. is that the people by seeing him, who by virtue of his state is already adjudged comfortable leave his comfort zone to engage in teaching/lecturing and farming, the people will be inspired to work harder.
*In Love with the Culture of his People*
Rev. Fr. Owoh is a culture enthusiast. Most often when Africans are exposed to western culture, they despise their traditional cultures seeing them as paganistic, fitish and anachronistic. Not for Fr. Owoh, who the more exposure he garners, the more he appreciates the cultural values of his people propelled by the understanding that culture is relative. Thus fr. is a promoter of the good aspects of Igbo and Ngboejiogu cultures. His enthusiasm is in line with the ecumenical and acculturation orientation of the Church. In his evangelism, he appreciates the place of culture. Christ on his own did not come to condemn the tradition of the Jews, but to fulfill it. A proper evangelism must take root within the people’s culture not alienate it in as much as it practices are not anti-Christ. Fr. thus strives to revive the autochthonous cultural values of his people.
*Pastoral Feedback*
In all the places Rev. Fr. Owoh worked for the past 40 years, he left indelible marks in conduct, pastoral teaching and guidance, in physical growth of the church, and in spiritual growth of faith. He had cordial relations with the people of God that of a truth he was and still is a friend and father to them. This signature edifice of St. Oliver’s Parish, the venue of this uncommon and first of its kind celebration bears eloquent testimony of indelible impact on the physical growth of the church in the places he has served.
From the social side we equally have a rich testimony from the feedback he gets from the people in appreciation, expressed majorly via:
1. Naming their children after him : Rev. Fr. Owoh has as of today, 25 name sakes (and still counting) majority of which are not from his family and relatives, but from outsiders in appreciation of his pastoral activities and to create a permanent bond of cordiality.
2. Awards and chieftancy titles. As part of the pastoral feedback, Fr. has received many awards and chieftancy titles including:
A) Ozuoha 1 Imeoha by St. Michael’s Parish, Ogboji
B). Enyi Waru-Uzo 1 of Ngboejiogu by St. Raymond’s Station, Ama-Okwor
C). The Good Shephard of CYON by the Catholic Youth Organisation of St. Michael Parish, Ogboji
D). Award of Excellency in Service by St. Paul’s Parish Orri Ntezi.
E). Ist Pillar of Ngbolizhia Deanery by Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, Ngbolizhia Deanery.
F). Nwata Du Ufvu 1 by St. Michael’s Chaplaincy, Ebonyi State College of Edu, Ikwo.
G). Enyi Oha 1 by CWO, Announciation Parish, Umuezaka, Ngbo
H). Osu-Ofia 1 by CWO, Ngbolizhia Deanery.
I) Ochiri Ozoo 1 by Unwu-Enyi Dynasty of Ukwuagba Agadire.
*Growth of the Priesthood in Ngbolizhia*
The story of Rev. fr. Owoh sojourn in the Catholic Priesthood will not be complete without reference to the fruits it have borne. The pathfinder not only broke the jinx but charted a path that many have followed. It’s important to emphasis here that it is not enough for one to cross a bridge but more importantly not to break the bridge after crossing it for the sake of others. Fr. Owoh crossed the bridge of Catholic priesthood and he strived to maintain the sanctity of the priesthood and so inspired others to follow. The figures indicate that the 40 years journey has been so fruitful that over 25 sons of Ngbolizhia have joined him in the priesthood and numerous daughters of Ngbolizhia equally took to the religious life serving within and outside the shores of Nigeria. By way of roll call of priests we have
Rev. Fr. Dr. J. O. Odey Ordained 1984
Rev. Fr. J. Eze (of blessed memory) Ordained 1990
Rev. Fr F. Aka (MSP) Ordained 1998
Rev. Fr. S. Ituma Ordained 2003
Rev. Fr. Dr. I. Ogba Ordained 2003
Rev. Fr. Dr. P. Omogo Ordained 2004
Rev. Fr. Dr. G. Onuorah Ordained 2004
Rev. Fr. C. Ogwudu Ordained 2005
Rev. Fr. R. Nwegede Ordained 2005
10. Rev. Fr. P. Agbo Ordained 2006
11. Rev. Fr. H. Chieme Ordained 2007
12. Rev Fr. P. Azi Ordained 2007
13. Rev. Fr. Capt. A Ugwoke (Rtd). Ordained 2008
14. Rev. Fr. E. Ugwoke Ordained 2009
15 Rev. Fr. JP Nwankwo Ordained 2012
16. Rev. Fr. P. Aleke Ordained 2013
17. Rev. Fr. T. Elom Ordained 2015
18. Rev. Fr. T. Ekuma Ordained 2016
19 Rev. Fr. H. Okoh Ordained 2018
20. Rev. Fr. O. Onwe Ordained 2018
21. Rev. Monk. L. Enyi Professed 2018
22 Rev. Fr. J. Awoke Ordained 2019
23. Rev. Fr. M. Ekuma Ordained 2019
24 Rev. Fr. P. Awoke Ordained 2021
25. Rev. Fr. I. Ngele Ordained 2022
26. Rev. Fr. F. Eze Ordained 2023
*Conclusion*
In concluding this narrative, we can hold as Macbeth held of King Duncan in Shakespeare’s all-time-seasoned piece, *Macbeth* ”that Fr. Owoh has borne his faculties so well. In 40 years he has maintained the status of pastor bonus who disposed himself to learning and in turn poured himself out to the people as a libation in his pastoral duties, in his office as an academic and in community service and has borne fruits in hundred folds. As he steps into the next 40 years, we pray God to imbue him with sound mind and body. May he count his blessings and name them one by one.
*And so be it.*
*Congratulations Nwata du Ufvu and many happy returns*
