THE HISTORY OF ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, AMAKOHIA-UBI, OWERRI-WEST, IMO STATE, NIGERIA
Amakohia-Ubi is a community located in Owerri West Area of Imo State, Nigeria; and the only Catholic Church domicile in this community is St. Mary’s Catholic Church. This church became a parish in May 2019 after several attempts to attain that status. On that success, I acknowledge the efforts of the parish priest at the time through which that dream became a reality, so thank-you Rev. Fr. Kenneth Onyechege.
Now, the focus of this article is not to emphasize on how the status of the church came about but to educate the church community, the young folks who may not have being privileged of knowing the history of the church and whoever that cares to know about: • When the church started • Who brought the church • Where the church started Many parishioners and indeed the people of Amakohia-Ubi today wake up only to see a catholic church in place without knowing how it came about. Here is an opportunity to know about the origin of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Amakohia-Ubi. So follow me as I unequivocally give the narrative of the founding of Catholic Church in Amakohia-Ubi. HOW, WHEN AND WHO BROUGHT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO AMAKOHIA-UBI
There was a young man, the first policeman in Amakohia-Ubi, the son of Nze Ihenacho Ezeala Akuba of Umumeziri Umuike – Amakohia- Ubi, by name Mr. Mark Ugwuegbulem Ihenacho. This Nze Ihenacho’s son while in Onitsha discharging his duty as a police-man came in contact with some early missionaries; he desired to have their church in his community and so decided to take them to his community for possible church planting in Amakohia-Ubi, they got to Ogbaku before preceding to Umuike his village. On reaching home with these “Catholic Missionaries”, his father Nze Ihenacho welcomed them and gave them a place in his house and they felt at home. The following day they swung into action and the church began and named St. Mary Catholic church, established in 1914. WHERE THE CHURCH STARTED FROM St. Mary Catholic church took off from Nze Ihenacho’s “IBARI” as it is called in the community. You may want to know what “IBARI” means. “IBARI” is the ‘Hurt’ or house built by a man, especially chiefs/Nzes, where they receive and welcome guests. Nowadays, it’s called a reception room. It was in this “IBARI” that the missionaries started their church after having presented to Nze Ihenacho and the villagers their mission and the message they came with. Having seen that his father had welcomed his guests, the young policeman, Mark Ugwuegbulem Ihenacho decided to go back to his duty post in Onitsha. From “IBARI” Ihenacho, the church was moved after four days to where Afoma Nwaozuzu (still in Umuike village) built his house. It was a thatch house that the church temporarily erected to shield them. The church continued to celebrate mass; and as the parishioners increased in number and other resources they proceeded into establishing school in that same location in order to educate its members for easy understanding of the gospel. Shortly after this time, they felt the need to relocate the church and school to a more central place which they did move them.
THE DISPUTE BETWEEN NZE IHENACHO AND CHIEF OHIRI
One day Nze Aririagwuike Ihenacho (who is the first son of Nze Ihenacho) was in the classroom when he sighted Chief Ohiri Durueke (a contemporary of Nze Ihenacho) the then Warrant Chief of Amakohia-Ubi furiously coming with a white man (Nwa-Dishi) and he (Aririgwaike) ran out to quickly inform his father Nze Ihenacho about this intrusion because at that time, it was unusual and abnormal for the white man to enter the village or community un-announced. Nze Aririagwuike felt that something was wrong and so he sneaked out of the class-room to notify his father Nze Ihenacho before they would abruptly storm his father’s house for possible arrest.
Chief Ohiri Durueke (of Umuominee Obiokwu Amakohia-Ubi) wanted his arrest for the following reasons:
1. That Nze Ihenacho was not a warrant chief of Amakohia-Ubi therefore he has no right to establish church and school.
2. He (Chief Ohiri) demanded that from that moment the parishioners should be paying taxes.
Consequently, Chief Ohiri decided and actually went to Owerri and brought the Church Missionary Society (C.M.S) now called Anglican Communion. He located the C.M.S in the same venue where the Catholics worshiped; this brought a lot animosity between the two churches’ members. And so the matter was taken to court. Nze Ihenacho suffered so much that he was almost being imprisoned. At the end there was a verdict that separated the two churches from each other.
This is why if you take a good look at the members of these two major churches in Amakohia-Ubi today, you will discover that Obiokwu and Umunjam villages, especially the Umuominee kindred in Obiokwu (where Chief Ohiri came from) dominated the C.M.S Church in Amakohia-Ubi.
Some other people also played significant roles to achieve smooth running of the Church. Amongst them were the first head of church committee in the person of Mr. James Ogbonna of Umuoke Umuike, Amakohia-Ubi, the father of Mr. Louis Ogbonna; Nze Ihenacho had handed over the church affairs to him, this position he occupied till his death. Then Mr. Michael Akoronye took over and the queue goes on.
Let me profoundly give credit to Nze Ihenacho for the founding of the Catholic Church in Amakohia-Ubi. His son Mr. Mark Ugwuegbulem Ihenacho (Policeman) who took the first bold step would simply say “my father and I are one”.
In the missionary endeavour, a lot of people play different roles to make a success of the church mission. Some would provide spiritual support, intellectual support, financial support, moral support and other forms of support. In the case of Nze Ihenacho, he was a missionary of some sorts. He brought the church and created the enabling environment for it to grow.
In onclusion, I like to say that as humans we are being remembered for the things we do. The things we do are the most important things of all. The things we do are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. Today, we say Nze Ihenacho is not gone. People die only when we forget them, Nze Ihenacho lives on as his offspring are around to carry on his good deeds for the church in particular and humanity in general.
Written By: Mr. Tony Onyemauche, Nwa Joseph Aririagwuike Ihenacho
Contributor: Mr. Maurice Ogbuehi
Edited By: Moses Onuawuchi, Nwa Hyginus Onwuzuruigbo Ihenacho