Ehusani: Priest, gentleman and scholar at 35

On your first encounter with Reverend Father George Ehusani, you cannot fail to spot one quality: his soundness of mind. Bring up any subject and you’d discover his versatility, from the sacred sciences to secular arts. He is deep in thought and passionate about its expression.

Everything in you tells you that this man has passed through the crucible of refined and civilised education. You might find him today delivering a breathtaking lecture on religion, law and politics to a distinguished audience of politicians, religious leaders and legal luminaries; and then find him tomorrow playing his saxophone or guitar with such dexterity as to make him the envy of professional musicians and artistes.

Tune to AIT at 11pm every Sunday and you would be amazed at the depth of divine wisdom oozing from the pulpit of the multi-talented preacher. Are you gifted in poetry? You would be a novice in the poetic school of this man of unparalleled literary sophistication. Ask those who have had the honour of reading Father Ehusani’s innumerable prosaic pieces of writing. The density, profundity, urge, power and emotion in his language and style will keep you on your toes until the last word.

When Taiwo Abioye, Professor of Stylistics and Applied Linguistics and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, published her seminal book, Language and Ideology in George Ehusani’s Writings (2011), she was testifying to the power of words in the mouth of “a man whose preoccupation is with saving souls for the Kingdom of Heaven.”In writing the foreword for the book, Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, former Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities Accra, Ghana, could not hide his admiration for “such a remarkable, greatly talented, versatile, enigmatic, yet simple, easy-going, but very focused and firm Nigerian and reverend gentleman, Father Omaku George Ehusani…a theologian, teacher, speaker, poet, musician, human rights activist, social commentator and writer of numerous journals and newspaper articles.

Born in December 1957 in Kogi State, Father Ehusani started his priestly journey on October 1, 1975 when he resumed at Saints Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Ibadan, for his formal studies. However, the inner spiritual journey started many years earlier through the wise tutelage of his grandmother, the woman who taught him piety and fear of God. She came from the background of traditional African religion but was later converted, becoming a first generation Christian in Karaworo, Kogi State. Her heroic life of authentic Christian witnessing made a deep impact on the life of the boy George.

Reminiscing on his life much later, Father Ehusani did not hide his fondness and admiration for this woman: “If I had the means to begin the cause of her canonization as a saint, I would have started it… I believe however that she is with the Lord… She died about the year 1991, but I always remember her with a great sense of gratitude to God for the wonderful Christian life she lived, and for the inspiration I got from her in the tender years of my life.”

When Father Ehusani went to boarding secondary school, he distinguished himself so much for his academic brilliance and spiritual illumination, such that at age 16 he was already the President of the Young Catholic Students (YCS) in the Diocese of Lokoja. It didn’t come as a surprise to many when, after a rare spiritual experience on Christmas vigil in 1974, the young George opted for the Catholic priesthood. From 1975 to 1978, he had his philosophical studies at the Ss Peter and Paul Seminary, Ibadan, and then went on to the St. Augustine’s Seminary, Jos, for his theological studies. George graduated in May 1981, and on August 15, 1981, he was ordained a priest.

Since his priestly ordination, Father Ehusani has traversed many pastoral tasks. In 1990, he earned a doctorate degree in Ministry from the Howard University School of Divinity, Washington DC. His doctoral essay won the award of the most distinguished dissertation of the year. He was editor of The Light Catholic newspaper in Lokoja Diocese for many years. He was also a teacher and supervisor of Religious Education in the Kogi State Education Board. He served as theological expert at the first Synod of Bishops for Africa in Rome in 1994. From 1994 to 2007, he served as Deputy Secretary-General and later Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.

From 2007 to 2008, he had his sabbatical year at the Development Agency of the German Bishops Conference; and from 2008 to 2013, he served as Parish Priest of the Catholic Church of the Assumption, Asokoro, Abuja. It was during this time that he established Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, an outfit for the training of future leaders of the Church and society in Nigeria. In 2012, he went on to set up the Psycho-Spiritual Institute (PSI) with its first study centre located in Nairobi, Kenya. PSI is aimed at training and graduating experts in psycho-spiritual therapy for English-speaking African countries. The Institute is affiliated to the Catholic University of East Africa, Nairobi and the awards a Master’s degree in Psycho-Spiritual Therapy.

In all of these apostolates, Father Ehusani has spent his life touching other people’s lives positively, and helping thousands of young people to discover the meaning and purpose of their lives. His power-packed homilies, wise counsels and spiritual guidance have transformed the lives of many people. As a human rights activist and fiery writer, Father Ehusani is one of the most gripping clinical analysts of the Nigerian condition. His book, Nigeria: Year Eaten by the Locust, chronicles the many provocative essays and biting satires that he published in a number of Nigerian newspapers at the height of the most brutal military regime in Nigeria.

In a society where men of valour, virtue and commitment are in short supply, Father Ehusani stands up to lead the way. His 35 unbroken years of dedicated priestly service bear remarkable signposts of a man leading humanity to God. After these decades of divine employment, he remains a bold and undaunted spirit, passionately pursuing the values of the kingdom.

In a conversation with young people which produced the book, Father George Ehusani in Conversation: Young People and the Hunger for Meaning (2011) he sums up his life’s horizon thus: “Though it has not been all smooth-sailing, I must say I am grateful to God for every day I have spent in this privileged vocation. I am a happy priest. I believe the Lord led me to where I would find utmost fulfilment… I have never regretted the fact that I answered the Lord’s call to the Catholic priesthood.”
Ojeifo is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Abuja.