REVEREND Father Willy Ojukwu is a priest at the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. He was the pioneer priest at St. Kizito Catholic Church, Kuje, Abuja in 1983 having been posted there by late Dominic Ignatius Cardinal Ekandem. Father Ojukwu trained as a journalist and video maker in Canada as well as a priest. He had been in Abuja in those formative years and has witnessed the transformation from a virgin land. Ojukwu went through some periods of trials and what came out of it was a book where he narrates how a journalist interviewed the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The book has now been made into a movie with a crop of Nollywood stars including Emmanuel France, the renowned actor. The Reverend Father who has passion for football presented this great movie in Abuja. Thereafter, he took it to the United States of America where it also received acclamation and public acceptance. As a result of the acceptance of his movie and other great works by Nigerians in Abuja and the United States, Father Ojukwu has begun the process of establishing what he called a Soup Kitchen in Abuja through an organization called Perpetual Helper Society.
During an interview in his office in Abuja, the cleric told The Guardian that he did the same thing when he was abroad many years ago and the Soup Kitchen tradition entailed people coming from all over the place to “come and eat free and go!” He disclosed; “We are looking for a big land in Gwagwalada or Kuje, where I can get a space, fence it and build it, and cook every food. All the beggars in the world can come, line up, feed and drink water.
“This is what I want to do. I discussed with former Governor Peter Odili and he was highly excited that he didn’t know what to say. The beggars and all these people at least will have food at least two times a week. Free food, eat well and go.”
Ojukwu who hails from the Agulu-Nanka area in the Eastern part of Nigeria has been working in Abuja Arch Diocese, for about 30 years.
He studied Journalism and had his first degree in Video from St Paul University, Ottawa in Canada in 1974. Although he does not practice journalism, he was inspired to write the book on Virgin Mary by acting as the journalist who interviewed her.
According to him, the story of his life which inspired the writing of the book which has led to the making of the movie began when he was sick a couple of years ago and he went to Dubai for treatment.
“I had surgery. Two days after I came out of the theatre. I had a very terrible pain. I was on my bed with my younger sister, she was sitting by the side in the hospital, I was crying. I was in pain. Then the doctor came in and he gave me one injection, then the pain subsided. Then I slept. As I slept, that was when I got the voice that I should write a book on Virgin Mary. I wrote two books on her in the end. That day, after I woke up I started searching for the title of the book I will write. Each one I got, my mind would say no. A voice asked; “why not interview Virgin Mary and tell her who I am?’ said the Priest.
He said further; “I called my sister who was sitting far away. I called her to give me a pen and paper. I was lying down there. Immediately, the title; “A journalist interviews Virgin Mary” came into my mind and then I started writing it down. As I wrote it down, the questions started coming into my mind and then I started writing even on my sick bed. Then when I had finished, I didn’t write much. In the morning I got up, I stayed another two days in the hospital. On my way back to Nigeria inside the plane, I was writing, it was flowing like that. The books have been sold all over. People who read them were thrilled.”
Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan was asked to give an upstart and he did. Father Ojukwu also asked Dr. Martin Igwemezie Uzoukwu, Catholic Bishop of Minna Diocese to write foreword after reading the manuscript and he wrote it. The book was later published. The idea of the movie came up later.
Then when the idea of the movie came up, I believe in it and I supported them.
HOW was he able to become a priest after studying journalism?
He narrated: “When you are doing video making in Canada, in that University, you are exposed to all kinds of courses. So I took courses here and there.”
He recalled that his aim of studying journalism was that he wanted to write books and work in a newspaper house. But immediately he finished his degree, he switched over to Priesthood there in Canada. “it has been my dream since childhood to be a priest.”
He went down memory lane; “I finished my primary school in 1956. I was very small and I was very much interested in being a priest. I went up for Priesthood at All Hallos Seminary, Onitsha. That was in 1957. It didn’t work out well. After three days I felt I should leave. As it were, I felt it was easier for me to carry on provided I become a missionary to work for God and humanity. I was so tiny. I knew I didn’t know where I was going. Well during the war, I was so much involved on the Biafra side. Then with all that I saw on the side of Biafra and how Biafra suffered so much and the people I helped and I felt God has called me to be more on the part of helping the people. I established as it were, over 40 Kwashiorkor Centres and Soup Kitchens and refugee camps throughout Biafra’s period.
“After that, I moved on to Canada to join the White Fathers Congregation. That’s where I did my Philosophy in different Universities. I did my Theology and continued on to do my Doctorate degree. So after finishing in Canada, I went to England. From England I went to France for further studies and I ended up in America doing my Doctorate degree.”
Today, Father Ojukwu is happy that his book and movie projects have been accepted and are helping him tremendously to assist the poor in Abuja since August 1983.
He recalled: “I was here when Shagari was overthrown and the rest of them. When I came here in Abuja, there was no road as such, except this express road that is coming in from Lokoja, coming in straight away. We started developing Abuja right from day one.”
He expressed joy over the transformation that the city has witnessed over the years. “The Federal Capital of Nigeria was built so fast. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa and also the most costly city in Africa to live in. A lot of Infrastructures have been established since I came in and I want it to continue,” he added.
However, Father Ojukwu decries the fate of the Gwari people who originally lived and owned the land.
“My greatest regret is what is happening to the indigenes, those who call themselves indigenes like the Gwari people and so on. Their rehabilitation is very slow. They should be given a very good treatment as human beings, as Nigerians and as children of God,” said the priest.
He added; “That’s why I don’t agree with the former Minister who said Abuja is for the rich people. It’s not true, God is rich, if God presumes Himself like this, He’s rich, therefore we poor people, God shouldn’t have tolerated us. But we are all children of God, We are equal before God. There’s nothing like rich and poor people before God.”
On the book that led to the making of the movie, the Reverend Father said that in the book, the Virgin Mary told him all about her “biography, her life, her vocation as the mother of God, her joy being the mother of God, the qualities and the greatness of her son, Jesus Christ and also the consequences that follow being the mother of God and that’s why she’s called the Mother of Sorrows.”
The priest is a fan of Chelsea. Last year, he went to Stanford Bridge. His spiritual son in football is Samson Siasia. The priest was putting Super Eagle’s Jersey when this interview was being conducted.
On political development in Nigeria, Father Ojukwu said; “if you know me very well, I am very vocal, I don’t hide my feelings. I am not a politician, but I love politics, the politics that is clear. Politics is evil, it’s a science. It’s good, but people make them bad. I have been for the masses. Since 1914, when the Amalgamation of Nigeria took place, God has not given us a good leader. God has given us all sorts of good things, human and material. God is a Nigerian, but he has not given us a patriotic, selfless, and loving leader.”
He said; “Jonathan is trying, the present President. But unfortunately for him and for us, the situation which has been built up over the years, he cannot overcome it overnight. The problem is corruption. From day one, from everybody including myself, in Nigeria, everybody is corrupt in one way or the other at different levels and that’s why we have baptized corruption as if to say it is accepted norm. And that’s the canker worm of everything that kills us.”
Father Ojukwu said another problem in Nigeria is greed and avarice without realizing “that vanity upon vanity, all is vanity.”
“We don’t learn from history. That’s one thing with the leadership in Nigeria. They read history but they don’t put this history to practice. Nigerian leaders travel abroad, they go everywhere, enjoy everything, all amenities, amass all the money and send them back to those countries to develop those places where people have already developed and are enjoying.”
According to him, “If Nigerians can use their money very profitably, we can’t talk of unemployment in this country. We have enough of money to establish different types of industries in this country. We have beautiful climate. We have water resources. We have enough gas and petroleum to give us energy. We have dams. There is nothing that we don’t have that cannot make us an industrialized nation. Once we have an industrialized nation, unemployment will go. Everybody will get something doing.”
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