A Short Profile of Rev.fr. Prof. e.m.p. Edeh

A SHORT PROFILE OF Very Rev. FR. Prof. E.M.P. Edeh

A SHORT PROFILE

OF

VERY REV. FR. PROF. EMMANUEL M. P. EDEH, C.S.Sp., OFR

BY

ALBERT U. OGBODO, Ph.D Director of Research

International Bio-Research Institute, Ugwogo-Nike


© 2010, Saviourites Publications

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

There are people who helped in many ways too subtle to

remember but if I had not known them, this work would

have been futile. In the first place I would like to thank Jesus

the savior who guided me throughout the research work. I

also thank and appreciate the good gesture of the father

founder, the father of African philosophy, the doer of

practical and effective charity, the Ambassador of world

peace, the colossus in academic warfare…. and numerous

achievements and establishments which bring peace to our

modern world.

I also appreciate the contributions of Professor Okpara

Okpara the Rector International Bio-Research Institute;

Ugwoke Nike; Prof. Luigi Mescia the Promoter of

International BioResearch Institute, Ugwoke Nike/ President

of the Fraternity Foundation, Italy; Barr. Odogwu I. U.

Odogwu the Principal Partner, Maranatha Chambers, Hqtrs

Abuja Nigeria, and Orah Bethrand the Registrar

International BioResearch Institute Ugwoke Nike, and other

staff toward the success of this research work.

More importantly, words are not enough to thank and

appreciate the immense contributions of Associate Prof.

Edmund Ugwu Agbo, Director, Institute of Bioethics,

Madonna University, Elele, who guided and provided

valuable frame work and materials with which this work was

developed and accomplished. To others who helped in one

way or the other towards the success of this work, I owe

love and reverence.

Ogbodo Albert U.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

CHAPTER ONE:

BACKGROUND

- Who is Rev Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh?

[people opinion]

- His Birth and parentage

- Naming and christening

- Academic formation

i. Primary school

ii. Junior seminary

iii. Senior seminary

iv. Priestly ordination

v. Doctorate and post doctorate

vi. Studies overseas

CHAPTER TWO

MISSION TO ELELE

- Rev Fr. Edeh as the Parish Priest of our Lady of

Lourdes Parish, Elele

- Establishment of the first Centre for Peace, Justice

and Reconciliation

- The Catholic Prayer Ministry

- The Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration of

Jesus The Saviour And Special Marian Devotion

- The Museum of Charms and Fetish Objects

CHAPTER THREE

CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD OF LEARNING - Articulation of African philosophy

CHAPTER FOUR

MISSION OF PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE

CHARITY


- Socio economic contributions to the society

i. Umuogbenye centre/Home

ii. Motherless babies home

iii. Youth rehabilitation centre for skill acquisition

and creation of employment

iv. Rehabilitation of the mentally deranged

v. Free medical care for the abjectly poor and the

abandoned

vi. Scholarship programmes for the handicapped

vii. Free medical care for the bishops and elderly

priests.

viii. Madonna international charity peace award

CHAPTER FIVE

CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT

OF EDUCATION

- Nursery , primary and secondary schools

- Founding of tertiary institutions

- Founding of Universities:

o Madonna University

o Caritas University

- Scholarship programmes

- Situation of peace and harmony in Rev Fr. Edeh's

schools [peoples' opinions]

CHAPTER SIX

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT

OF RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS

- The marks of possibility for the continuity of Rev Fr.

Edeh's programmes for humanity [peoples' opinion]

- Congregation of Sisters of Jesus the Saviour

- Congregation of Fathers of Jesus the Saviour

- Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour [male]

- Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour [female]


CHAPTER SEVEN

VARIOUS ANALYSIS OF EDEHISTIC PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER EIGHT

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF EDEHISTIC PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER NINE

PROMOTION OF WORLD PEACE

- Through Africa philosophy of being

- Through conflict management and effective

reconciliation [Centre for Peace, Justice and

Reconciliation]

- Efficacy of Rev Fr. Edeh's type of conflict

management and resolution [people opinion]

- Through Retrieval of charms and fetish objects.

- Fr. Edeh's peace promotion and religious tolerance.

CHAPTER TEN

MADONNA INTERNATIONAL CHARITY

PEACE AWARD - Background

- Sources of fund for the award

- Major aims of the award

- Awards given so far

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AWARDS AND HONOURS RECEIVED BY

REV FR. PROF EMMANUEL EDEH FROM

ALL OVER THE GLOBE

Conclusions

References

The background

Chapter One

THE BACKGROUND OF

VERY REV. FR. PROF EMMANUEL MATTHEW

PAUL EDEH, C.S.SP., OFR.

In this existential experiment called life, some people are

revered, not only for what they are but also for what they

achieve; the legacies they left behind when they have gone

to continue their existence in the life beyond; and the

number of people they are able to touch their lives,

positively. People whose lives exist and who operate at this

upper echelon of societal strata are known as great men; the

great achievers. They are born and rarely made and are the

rare gems of the society. They are the people whose

identities are sought tooth and nail by the intellectuals of the

world. One of such precious being is the very Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Matthew Paul Edeh, C.S.Sp., OFR. Then the

almighty question is:

WHO IS REV. FR. PROF EMMANUEL EDEH

From an empirical research carried out by the author about

the identity of Rev. Fr. Prof. Edeh, various respondents to

the questionnaires chosen from different works of life and

from different locations attempted to give a tip of an iceberg

on who this colossal human being is, using all kinds of

adjectival expressions at their superlative degrees. Their

inability to deliver an exhaustive exposition of his life and

works goes a long way to affirm that Rev. Fr. Edeh (as he is

popularly called) is not only a man but a super human. To

explain who he is only from the angle of his charity works is

a dawn to dusk business. Rev. Fr. Edeh has achieved a lot

for the total emancipation of man from the slavery of

poverty, sickness, hunger and starvation which are eloquent

testimonies of those qualities that make him 'super human'.

According to Associate Professor Umeh, Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh is a scholar, a priest, a humble man of God,


an employer and a reconciliation genius. He went further to

qualify him as a “human comet” that God created into the

world to touch the lives of people who are suffering.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Eboh, S.O. referred to Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh as a

gifted priest who serves as an instrument of peace, God's

blessings and development for the entire human race; a

philanthropist, religious congregations founder and an

employer of jobless youths.

Barr. Ugwu K.I. identified him as a reconciliator whom God

sent onto the world for the elavation of the less privileged

ones.

Ugada, M.O. described him as a man of many parts, a

philanthropist, a stabilizer, a musician, a manager of great

reputation, a researcher, a symbol of peace and holiness, a

genius.

Ogbodo A.U. in critical analysis of the person and Rev. Fr.

Prof Edeh's diversified involvements summarized him as

“peace and charity personified, as eponym and articulate

hero of African philosophy and recipient of many awards;

the father founder”.

Ezenwajiaku, E presented him as God's gift to humanity in

this part of the world, a priest of the Catholic Church who

has dedicated himself to the service of God and man.

Nwanne, V.N. specifically classified Rev. Fr. Edeh as a

priest of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit; the founder of

Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit and Eucharistic

Adoration, Elele, the founder of many educational and

health institutions.

The background

According to Dr. Eneh, F.O. Rev. Fr. Edeh is an avatar

destined by creation to save or alleviate mankind from the

bondage of poverty, suffering and mis-understanding due to

ignorance and conflict.

Ramos, E.M. (a philippine) explained that Rev. Fr.

Emmanuel Edeh is a person with global perspective whose

non-racial and non-discriminatory qualities make him to

embrace both Christians and the non Christians who are in

dire need of spiritual help and social upliftment.

Rev. Fr. Edeh, according to Mbachilin, S. (from the

Phillippnes) is a “Messiah of our time whose activities for

peace have provided almost all the needs of mankind,

spiritually, economically and Socially”.

Nwankwo, J.C. referred to him as an illustrious son of

Nkanu land, an ordained priest who uses the power of God

in him for the deliverance of the sick, the oppressed and

people in the bondage of satan.

Ovute, F.E. called him the father founder of many religious,

educational and charitable organizations.

Okorie, E. (KSM) wrote that Rev. Fr. Edeh is a man who

changed the lives of many families through his peace and

reconciliation activities.

Ilo, A.U. affirms that Rev. Fr. Edeh is one of the most

preciously favoured and honoured of all persons created by

God.

Dr. Ugwu, E referred to him as a 'living legend' whose

achievements are beyond human imagination and whose


personal contributions to institute peace in this modern

world will never be overemphasized.

Dr. Ugwu E. Agbo, describes him as a harbinger of

goodwill, maker of peace, doer of charity, paragon of

abnegation, demonstration of elevation through humility,

doyen of philosophy, servant leader and the great articulator

of African philosophy.

Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Onaga, the Catholic Bishop of

Enugu Diocese, describes him as a positively “abnormal”

person, who did and continues to do great things which

“normal” persons cannot do.

Summarily, from the above opinions of different people, this

humble man of God, Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh, is

acclaimed by people as the articulator of African

philosophy, a great personality honoured at home and

aboard for his excellent achievements in charity works to the

poor and the less privileged in the society, education,

employment opportunities to the youths, systematic conflict

management and its resultant effective reconciliation, all of

which have brought justice and peace to the modern world.

He has also been described as a colossus in spiritual and

academic warfare, an epitome of peace, a shooting star, a

priest from Nkanu/Enugu State of Nigeria, man of many

beautiful colours and a useful tool in the hands of God,

created to alleviate the suffering of the poor, the needy, the

handicapped and the down trodden in our contemporary

society. That is why people call him “Man of Peace”. His

academic excellence which manifested optimally in his

articulation of African philosophy through Igbo metaphysics

earned him the name “Father of African Philosophy”. Very

Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh is also an accredited initiator and founder

of Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit, the founding

The background

father of Madonna International Charity Peace Award, the

Founder of many religious congregations and quite a good

number of educational and health institutions, recipient of

many national and international awards (and lots more). All

those achievements will be thrown more light on, in part

two. He is also popularly called the “Father founder”.

HIS BIRTH AND PARENTAGE

Mr and Mrs Joseph and Elizabeth Edeh Ani Onovo of

Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu

State of Nigeria were the parents of the icon, Very Rev. Fr.

(Prof) Emmanuel M.P. Edeh, Cssp, OFR. Mr. Joseph Ede

Ani Onovo married her lovely wife Mrs. Elizabeth Edeh Ani

Onovo about the year 1931. The consummation of their

marriage was immediately blessed with fruit of womb. The

birth of the baby after nine months of her conception

heightened the joy of the marriage but unfortunately, the

baby died between the age bracket of two and three after its

birth. The second baby came later and also died at the same

age brackets; and so did the third. One could imagine the

grief and the trauma this couple might have passed through.

Life seemed to Mama Elizabeth as if her star of hope has

been shattered into fragments and as if she was living in a

dark world of apprehension.

For those trial periods of good sixteen years, Mother

Elizabeth had no surviving child. Among the Igbo's of

Enugu State of Nigeria, children are valued as the blessing

of marriage and a treasure from God. A woman without a

child is usually regarded as the bitterly denied or a woman

of misfortune.

According to Rev. Fr. Remy Onyewuenyi, life and marriage

without children in a traditional African family is better

imagined than experienced. He referred to it as being next to

hell. As human beings that we are, a mere thought by any


married woman that she has no surviving child is enough to

make her heart jump into her stomach. The fact that Mama

Elizabeth (Omeogo as she was popularly known as) must

had passed through some emotional and psychological

trauma is not far from truth but the surprising issue was that

she did not allow her mien to portray the inner feelings, she

was a woman of faith and courage. She did not despair,

irrespective of her situation; she only committed the

situation to God and allowed him to take control.

She believed in the popular Igbo proverb which says that,

“before God ever thought of creating coconut fruit, He has

also thought of how to give it water to sustain itself on top of

its tree.” Her strong faith in God of providence made her

cling tenaciously to Him in hopeful anticipation that He will

one day make her proud and put smiles on her face by

blessing her with children who will come and stay with her.

She had always maintained a positive frame of mind and

committed all her energies in doing charity works to the

poor, the less privileged and to the children of other people,

not minding she had none. She absolutely committed herself

to taking care of poor widows and from time to time, shared

some of her food items and farm proceeds and palm oil

which she had always processed by herself with them. She

also invited them to her house during festivals and gave

them measures of raw grain/food and some condiments for

them to go home with and cook for their children, she also

touched the hearts of some of those widows who were so

poor and frustrated that they could not even afford to clothe

themselves by giving them some of her fairly used clothes

and wrappers.

The unflinching love she had for children was evident in her

special love and care for the children of neighbours even

The background

though they were not her children. She was fond of them

and the children knew and called her 'Mama'. She had

always bought snacks for them whenever she went to

market. Little wonder all the children living in the

neighbourhood always came out en masse, every market day

evenings and waited for mama to return from market.

Whenever she was in sight, all of them ran to her and

embraced her with their usual welcome song: “mama anata

oyoyo! Mama anata oyoyo!” which literally means “mother

has returned, we are happy”. Mama Elizabeth liked this

gesture and will be happy and pleased in herself. They

would follow her to her house, some of the grown up

children did relieve her of her market basket and helped her

carry it home. She then shared the snacks which she had

never failed to buy for them, like 'moi-moi, akara, 'okpa or

biscuit as the case may be, among them.

Quite often, on Sundays, she did cook jellof rice which the

children loved so much and called them together to eat it.

The children had known about this and some of the female

ones came earlier after church services to help her grind

some pepper and shred vegetables. The aroma of 'mama's

cooking jollof rice always made the mouths of the grownups

and the children in the neighbourhood water.

Her benevolence to children did not end among the grown

up and the little ones, new born babies also shared in

Mama's charity. Every morning, before she went to farm or

market, as the case may be and in the evenings when she

returned from same, she would go round visiting homes

where new babies were born and helped their mothers,

especially the newly married ones who were still learning

'Omugwo bath' and whose mothers had not come for the

'omugwo'. She did help such young mothers take their bath

and massaged her body especially her stomach and other

parts with very hot water and the woman would scream in


reaction to the hotness of the water on her body.

She also helped them bath their new born and feed them

with lukewarm water boiled with onions, 'uda and some

other local species to make it tasty and give it an appetizing

aroma. The mother of the baby would sit, near her watching

with keen interest, learning how she did it. It was all those

works of charity to make better, the lives of the poor, the

abjectly poor, the widows and her special cares for children

of other people that made people revere her with a special

name “Mama Omeogo” which means “mother of charity”.

Her husband, Papa Joseph Edeh Ani Onovo was a kind

loving parent and husband desirous of giving to his lovely

wife all the comfort she needed. He supported his lovely

Elizabeth during her trial periods and encouraging her to

anchor her fact in 'Chi-ukwu' or the Almighty God whom he

believed would one day bless them with reasonable children.

When God wants to bless someone, He doesn't take

permission from anybody. That was why Mama's prayer

reached heavens like the smoke from Abel's sacrifice, a

fabulous draw clicked. Sometime in early September, 1946,

Mama Omeogo took in again and went through a successful

gestation period of nine months which terminated on the

20th day of May, 1947.

In the night before that day, just after dinner time, a glow of

light was seen flash across the dark sky, illuminating the

darkness like a star with a tail. Both men of wisdom and the

ones all over Nkanu land were agitated by the sight of that

star. They wondered what great happening was about to

occur in the land because they believed that when comets

are seen, it is an indication that either a great man will leave

the world or a great or destiny child will be born into the

contemporary world.

The background

The biblical account of the birth of the greatest child in the

world-our Lord Jesus Christ and the appearance of the

eastern star which directed the three wise men to where he

was born gives credence that appearance of special kinds of

stars are symbols of great and noble births. One of the

greatest writers in the world, William Shakespeare wrote in

one of his books – 'Julius Caesar': “When beggars die, there

are no comets seen but heavens themselves send out sparks

of light for the death of princess'. Paragraphing the above

philosophical postulation, it also means that when beggars

are born, there are no comets (or special stars) seen but the

heavens themselves send out comets for the birth of princes

and children of destiny.

The following day being 20th May, 1947, 'Omeogo' went

into labour while processing palm fruits in a wooden trough

under a tree and without prolonged labour, put to bed, a

bouncing baby boy. Shouts of joy from women around

apprised all the neighbours that the 'eagle' had landed.

Women gathered together jubilating and singing songs to

welcome the colossal being. They were still consumed in

happiness and joy when something extraordinary suddenly

happened. The sky suddenly made night of the day in a total

eclipse of the sun. a sudden darkness enveloped the world.

People ran helter-skelter, chicken scurried to shelter for an

unintended roost. Lizards basking in the afternoon sun ran

and took cover into peoples houses, children, and all other

nature's creations were in utter perplexity and confusion.

This happened around three o' clock in the afternoon.

When the eclipse was over some hours later, and the sun

surfaced again and consumed the darkness, both the

superstitious men and women and those of high minds

heaved sighs of relief and maintained that even the sun itself


bowed in reverence to the child with a golden heart.

However, the child was a dew drop onto the soul of Mama

Omeogo for he really came to wipe away from her eyes,

tears of child bearing misfortunes. This was because she

suffered many tribulations in relation to child death. The

father of African Philosophy came as a comforter to gather

the broken pieces of his mother and remold it.

Papa Joseph Edeh Ani Onovo and his lovely wife Mama

Elizabeth (Omeogo) prayed to God for the life of the born

child and reposed their confidence and trust in him believing

strongly that the child had come to stay. God Himself heard

their prayers. The only worry they had at first was the child's

refusal to eat any other food except breast milk and this he

did for about a year and six months. It really surprised

people how fast and vigorous his growth was occurring. At

that stage the fear that he might die at the usual age in which

her other children died was then a forlorn issue and she had

relegated the thought at the back of her mind; but

neighbours were filled with anxiety about the uncertainty of

his staying alive.

NAMING AND CHRISTENING

The eight day of his birth ushered in the day of the naming

ceremony as is the custom of the people of Igbos. In Nkanu

land per se, the father of the child and some of this

immediate relatives would come together to give the child

names that day. Many factors are considered in naming a

child. A man is to name a child after his own father (if he is

the first male) or after his own mother (if she is the first

female) and after his in-laws for subsequent children. He

might also among other names, name the child after the

traditional market day he/she was born within the Igbo local

week. The local week is made of four market days; hence

we have Oye, Afor, Nkwo and Eke. Customarily, if a child

is delivered on Oye market day, the father may decide to

The background

name him/her 'Okoye or Nwoye' (for the males) or 'Mgboye'

(for the females). The same thing is applicable to other

market days. The second factor is that he could name his

child after his sister, brother or after himself as the case may

be Mr. Joseph Edeh Ani Onovo decided out of his own

volition, among that array of choices to the name the child

of destiny after his own father, Ogbodo Edeh. The name

'Ogbodo' means 'protector of the weak and the abandoned.

History revealed that Ogbodo Edeh was a great warrior and

in those days, used to protect the weak and prevented them

from being taken away into slavery. Papa Joseph Edeh Ani

Onovo believed without doubt that his son Ogbodo Edeh

reincarnated to continue the good works of heroic generosity

of protecting the weak and caring for the poor and the less-

privileged in the society.

His family glowed with saintliness and viewed the world

from high moral grounds. That was why the little Ogbodo

Edeh (Jnr) grew up with Vim and vigour and with all the

advantages of humble and moral up 'bringing'. He was

christened Emmanuel at the age of nine following his

reception of the sacrament of baptism in April 1956 which

took place at Holy Angels Catholic Mission Ndiagu Akpugo

and officiated by Rev. Fr. Brennan, CSSp. His full

membership of the Church was concretized with the

Sacrament of confirmation in the year 1957 which earned

him the name Paul and thirteen years later, when he was

professed in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers and

Brothers.

HIS SCHOOL DAYS

i. Primary School

Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh was about eight years

old when he started his primary education at Holy Angels

Catholic School, Ndiagu Obuno Akpugo in 1955 that was


infact the ripe age for him to do so as his right hand put

across his head by the Headmaster was able to touch his left

ear conveniently which in those days, was the yardstick for

determining the maturity of a child into school age. His high

level intellectual capabilities notwithstanding he was

undented with the tar of stubbornness present in most 'bright'

children.

He was very humble and obedient to his parents especially

to his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Edeh (whom he always helped

after school hours in carrying out some house chores like

cooking, fetching water from the stream, fetching firewood

and such domestic chores that are meant for girl child, not

minding). His early formation was also advanced by the

knowledge and learning he acquired from the missionary

school during which he was conditioned to the fear of God

and service to humanity. His ardent desire to serve God all

the days of his life was ignited after his admiration of an

Irish Holy Ghost Missionary who came on a motorcycle on

his visit to his school, in Akpugo. He not only admired the

neatness, humility and gentle nature of the missionary but

also the motorcycle and wished that he would one day be

like him and have the opportunity of riding his own

motorcycle. In the year 1962, through hard work and

perseverance in his studies, he was among the best in his

class that finished his primary education.

ii. Junior Seminary

The year 1963 blessed him with admission into Holy Ghost

Juniorate Ihiala where he did his secondary education. This

school which served a dual purpose as a secondary and also

as a seminary school was established by Irish Holy Ghost

Missionaries. Father Emmanuel Edeh, as a seminarian then

in the Holy Ghost Juniorate faced his studies body and soul

without compromise.

The background

However, being articulate by birth and inclination, he joined

the famous “Juniorate Band” in order to nourish his soul

having realized that music is the food of the soul, and made

his participation prominent. This band group was popular

nationwide for its excellent performances which won for the

members many laurels in both Regional and National

Festivals of Arts and Culture and which bought them the

opportunity to being selected to feature at the 1960 National

Independence Celebration.

Life in the seminary is not always an easy one because one

has to pass through a kiln and gold smith's furnace in the

formative processes. To graduate from seminary into priest

hood involves a lot of tests and purification exercises. That

is to say, that for gold to be purified into a precious noble

metal, it has to pass through goldsmith's furnace. So the five

years seminary programme was hectic but did a lot of

pruning in the life of Emmanuel Edeh.

Having endured courageously to the end, he passed out in

flying colours from Holy Ghost Juniorate in 1967 (when the

Nigeria – Biafra war was just beginning). The light of love

to undertake a religious vocation and care for the poor was

enkindled in him by Rev. Fr. Patrick Animba, the first

indigenous priest of Nkanu land from Nomeh whom he

encountered during his junior seminary days. He learnt from

Rev. Fr. Animba to hand over his entire life to the practice

of charity. This went a long way to concretize his natural

giftedness in charity and generosity and genuine concern for

the need of others which he inherited from his mother at the

earlier state of his life.

After his junior seminary in 1967 Edeh enrolled

immediately for this philosophical studies at Holy Ghost

Scholasticate Awo-omama in 1968 and graduated


successfully in flying colours in the year 1970. His Novitiate

formation suffered a little set back. This was because after

his admittance into the Holy Ghost Novitiate at the end of

the Nigeria-Biafra War in 1970, Nigerian Military

Government repatriated the Irish Holy Ghost Fathers and

Brothers and other expatriate missionaries who manned the

Novitiate and other spiritual formation Houses in Nigeria for

their refusal to leave Biafia when they were ordered to do

so. Edeh did not despair rather he and other Holy Ghost

Seminarians – both the philosophers and theologians,

managed to struggle with the maxim: forward ever towards

their formation process at Bigard memorial Seminary the

only major seminary in the Diocese then.

Later in the year 1976, the Spiritan School of Philosophy

was reopened at Isienu – Nsukka to salvage the situation. It

was a stressful experience for Edeh, in those trial periods but

he clung tenaciously to his unflinching desire to become

what he wanted to be. If only cost him an added year of

delay but not a year of denial as destiny can only be delayed

but cannot be denied.

The manifestation of his love and care of the needy and the

suffering became evident through his participation in the

charity works of Caritas International, an International

Catholic Non-Governmental Organization that played a

major role providing food, clothing and medicine for Biafran

children, refugees and displaced persons. The organization

had many feeding centres and Fr. Emmanuel served in three

of these centres which were located around the Holy Ghost

Novitiate Awo-Omama. Being good humoured in nature, he

found time to play with the Biafran Children and taught

them how to pray and sing some hymns using Nkanu-Wawa

accent.

The background

iii. Senior Seminary

Fr. Emmanuel was admitted into the Senior Seminary

Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, to study theology in the

year 1972. The school was first established in 1922 in a

town called Igbariam as St. Paul's Seminary as a brain child

of the then Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Southern

Nigeria, Rt. Rev. Joseph Shanahan, CSSp. As a result of the

need to build two regional Seminaries, years later, one for

the Western and the other for the Eastern Nigeria,

permission and fund were given to Arch Bishop Charles

Heerey to build a seminary in the East. Archbishop David

Matthews, the then Delegate to British East and West Africa

commissioned the Seminary for business on March 4th

1951. The Seminary took the name Bigard Memorial

Seminary in memory of two French ladies, Stephanie and

Jeanne Bigard (mother and daughter) who founded the Opus

Sancti Petri Apostolic, an organization that supplied the fund

for the building of the Senior Seminary. The seminary

encountered many shocks following the shifts of military

strategy at the war fronts during the Nigeria-Biafra Civil

War. It was first moved to take refuge in Umuowa, then at

Afaha Obong, Amakohia and Awo-Omama and at the end of

the civil war eventually settled back in Enugu in 1970.

It is pertinent to note that the humble and dedicated nature of

Edeh did not make him crucify his social life on the altar of

religion and academics. Even as a member of the Legion of

Mary, he also joined a French oriented association called Le

Cercle Francais where he contributed many articles to the

societal journal called 'Bigard D' Aujour D' hui. He was also

an active member of Committee de Redaction and became

one of the dactylographer's in 1974. His membership of this

French association enabled him to learn how to speak

French fluently and he also learned how to use type writer in

his early life.


In 1976, the Pontifical Urban University Rome awarded him

Bachelors Degree in Divinity (B. D). It is to this University

that Bigard Memorial Seminary was affiliated since 1971 for

the award of Bachelors Degree in Divinity.

iv. Priestly Ordination

Finally, his ordination to the Priesthood materialized on 19th

April, 1976 in a colourful ceremony in his home town

Akpugo in Nkanu Enugu State, Nigeria.

v. First Pastoral Assignment

The background

In 1978 having served diligently in the Holy Ghost

juniorate, Ihiala (between 1976-1978) as teacher, secretary

and Assistant Parish Priest respectively Fr. Edeh was sent to

overseas to further his studies.

vi. His Studies Overseas

He studied at De Paul University Chicago USA where he

obtained Bachelors of Arts (BA) Masters of Arts (MA) and

Ph.D degrees all in Philosophy and specializing in

metaphysics.

He underwent some courses in Computer Science and

Educational Psychology. He also proceeded to take another

course at Loyola University Medical Centre cum Mary Ann

Joy Hospital Maywood Illinois, USA and obtained a

professional certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education.

Chapter Two

MISSION TO ELELE

OUTLINE

- Rev Fr. Edeh as The Parish Priest of Our Lady of

Lourdes Parish, Elele

- Establishment of First Centre for Peace, Justice and

Reconciliation

- The Catholic Prayer Ministry

- The Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration of

Jesus the Saviour and Special Marian Devotion

- The Museum of Charms and Fetish Objects

As a Parish Priest of our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Elele

To start with, the first missionary assignment of Rev. Fr.

Emmanuel Edeh started immediately after his ordination in

the year 1976. A cock that will grow into rooster, says an

Igbo adage, starts from hatch. This young missionary was

assigned a triple responsibility at a time. He took a teaching

appointment at Holy Ghost Juniorate, Ihiala, Anambra State.

He was also appointed as the Provincial Secretary of the

Holy Ghost Congregation and at the same time served as a

curate to the then Parish Priest of Ihiala, Rev. Fr. Tobias

Enneremadu CSSp.

Irrespective of the load of work, he still exhibited his

meticulous and articulate qualities by carrying out those

duties simultaneously and humbly with absolute precision.

During the time of his services at Ihiala, he did not fail in his

duties and people who felt the presence of God through him

during his series of retreats preaching and charity works,

swore that they drank deep from his bowl of wisdom. He

held those positions for a period of two years and in 1978,

he had an irresistible call from his superiors to travel

overseas for further studies.

Mission to Elele

When Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh returned to Nigeria

from United States of America in 1984 after his further

studies, he was filled with the inspiration and enthusiasm for

his call for his ministerial duties. He was however hit by the

realities of human life in the society when he observed

curiously the deplorable condition of people since after the

Nigeria Biafra civil war. It surprised him to discover that

people were still struggling and gasping for breath in the wet

of frustration. Family members quarreled among themselves

at the slightest provocation, husbands and wives lived like

cats and dogs. People indulged in rituals and giving in ritual

sacrifices, others concentrated their energies in killing,

maiming and making their fellow men and women useless in

life with charms and diabolic objects. Some men were made

impotent, some women barren and some others, mentally

deranged using those charms and fetish objects. Chaos and

anarchy with their resultant sicknesses, overstay and death

were unleashed upon the world and peace flew away from

and among the people in the society.

People lost their faith in the Almighty God and anchored

their confidence in fortune tellers and diviners with a holistic

reliance on their charms and fetish objects of protection.

Those fortune tellers and diviners (or dibias) complicated

issues the more by employing their real or fake visionary

prowess to cause collision of heads among members of the

same family and among neighbours and friends in the

society. The society was socially religious and morally

decayed. Hunger and starvation stared the people in the face.

Illiteracy, sicknesses and general sufferings were the order

of the day. There was general breakdown of law and order

among the youths who walloped in the quagmire of all sorts

of criminal and immoral acts.

It was against this backdrops that when the humble man of

God Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh was posted to Elele on


his return, he took the challenges of his posting to Our

Lourdes Catholic Church, Elele town between Port Harcourt

in Rivers State and Owerri in Imo State of Nigeria. This

small town in a typical remote area is inhabited by the

people known as Ikwelle in River State and their people's

language is predominantly Igbo language. Elele town had

been in oblivion prior to the advent of Rev. Fr. Prof.

Emmanuel Edeh but was blessed with rich mineral

resources. The Nigerian Biafra war which tore the whole

nation apart impacted so much on these people negatively;

the fighting soldiers used there as their base where they

usually conglomerated to share their loots of war and also as

a dumping camp for their wounded colleagues and war

victims. As a result of this, the residents of this village

suffered many vices ranging from simple intimidation to

more serious sexual harassment on the part of young girls

and some married women from the soldiers. Many people,

especially, the youths were disoriented as morality and good

conscience were thrown to the dogs. Catholic Church

evangelization into the area became a hard nut to crack as

many priests posted to serve there saw it as a punishment

and did not stay long there as the result of high poverty level

and backwardness of the faithful there. Fr. Edeh was first of

all posted to join the Novitiate staff, at Awo-Omama, on his

return from further studies overseas. Awo-Omama was in

Orlu Diocese then. He worked there and cared for the needy

who always came to him from time to time for spiritual and

material help. He worked there some months before his

Superior, Fr. James Okoye, CSSp noticed the manifestation

of the special gift of charity in him and had a change of

opinion and thought it wise to post him to a parish where his

services could be felt by the target people the poor and the

needy. He arrived Elele on 30th August 1984 on foot

trekking from Awo Omama for he had not even a vehicle to

convey him from Awo-Omama to Elele. At Our Lady of

Mission to Elele

Lourdes Church Elele, he succeeded Rev. Fr. Bartholomew

Ofoegbu, CSSp. The first Mass he celebrated there in

September, 1984 was a history which still remains ever

green in the memories of the people who witnessed it.

People concluded after the celebration that God himself has

sent His servant to lift up Elele from pit to palace. They felt

the power of God.

He finally resumed with the vim's and ugouis of not only a

ready but also a willing young missionary, power packed

with the civil war experiences coupled with that of his

programme of studies. He came up with his own evangelical

programme. He created many outstations, about twenty eight

of them to ensure that he ministered to all to the grassroots.

He also ensured that all Christian societies in the church

such as Catholic Men Organization (CMO), Catholic

Women Organization (CWO) Catholic Young Men

Organization (CYMO), and Catholic Young Women

Organization (CYMO) which had all gone moribund were

revitalized, resuscitated, reorganized and restructured by

him into active and functional Christian associations

(Onyenwuenyi, 2009). He also ministered effectively to the

non-Catholics – the Pentecostals, Muslims and the

traditional African religionists who were coming to him in

and outside the parish.

He also carried out regular visits to all the twenty-eight

outstations to ensure that catechism classes ran concurrently

in all those outstations especially on Sunday evenings. The

positive effects of all the perseverance of Rev. Fr. Edeh

culminated in the revitalization of the faiths of the faithful

which had been latent over the years as a result of the

negative impact of the civil war. The people turned out, en

masse to embrace God through the sacraments of Baptism,

Confirmation, Penance and Matrimony respectively, as the


case may be. Our Lady of Lourdes Church Elele continued

to grow and the Faithfull increased in geometric progression

to an extent that within a time frame of four, months, the

parish was exploding in population to the extent that for the

first time, a mass wedding of a total number of one hundred

and eighty-two couples joined hands in a Christian wedlock

in the parish by this erudite priest Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh.

No one knew that Elele, a small unknown village in the bush

will undergo such a rapid transformation.

As of today, Our Lady of Lourdes Elele Parish which was

previously regarded by some priests as a 'Centre for

punishment” because of its remoteness, poverty level and

scarcity of faithful has been transformed by Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh into a world tourist centre for Christians

from all over the world who are on pilgrimage. The centre is

constantly undergoing amazing physical and spiritual

metamorphoses which are evident in its structural and

infrastructural development and expansion to accommodate

the daily teeming population of the poor, the sick, the

troubled who come on pilgrimage from different races and

creeds from all over the world who come regularly to have

their problems solved and obtain peace of mind.

GENESIS OF THE FIRST CENTRE FOR PEACE,

JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION

Within that very short period of time Rev. Fr. Edeh started

officiating in Our Lady of Lourdes, Parish Elele in 1984 the

news about how God was using him to bring peace to the

minds of the people spread within Elele and beyond like

harmattan fire. People started trooping in and he received

them with open mind. He started reaching them practically

through prayers counseling and charity. There were the poor

and the abjectly poor, the hungry and the abandoned, the

sick and the broken hearted. He accommodated most of the

Mission to Elele

people; especially those who came from afar and even

shared his little food with them. As the information

continued to spread, people continued to come.

The parish was a poor one and there was not enough food

but Rev. Fr. Edeh starved instead of any of those people. He

had much compassion for them and tried all he could to see

to their material comfort by providing accommodation for

them. As the number of people coming to him for spiritual

help continued to increase, he decide that, as the parish was

poor, the only way to carry the load of feeding those poor

and “hopeless” people was to employ “back to land”

strategy. There was a native hoe, a digger and a matchet

which his father brought to him the first day he came to visit

him when he was newly posted to Elele.

Irrespective of numerous pastoral tight schedules, Rev. Fr.

Edeh still carved out time to engage himself in farm works

and cultivated yams, cassava, vegetables and fruits of

different kinds. He also reared cows, goats and fowls given

to him by his father who until his death was known as a very

successful farmer. God heard his prayers and the farms gave

forth, bumper harvests with which he was able to feed the

poor people clamouring around him from all over the

country on hearing the news of his evangelization exploit.

As a result of this, Rev. Fr. Edeh became a household name

everywhere in Nigeria as far as evangelization, special care

and giving hope to the hopeless. By that time, it was not

only the sick that came to him, people who are rich but with

different crises in their lives also did. People with shattered

and broken families, people or communities in disputes and

people with different loads of problems weighing them

down also met him and had peace of mind. Those in

disputes had their cases peacefully settled for them by Rev.


Fr. Edeh and were reconciled and peace returned to their

hearts and in the society at large. Because of the succor it

brought to the people of the world and the peace it gives to

the society, the centre was referred to as “Centre for Peace,

Justice and Reconciliation” and it happened to be the first of

its kind in the Christian world.

THE FOUNDING OF THE CATHOLIC PRAYER

MINISTRY

This prayer ministry was founded by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel

Edeh in Elele in 1985 following the result of his prayers,

charity and counseling as they were felt by millions of

people from all and Sundry who needed consolation. These

people continued to gather until the number grew

exponentially large. Rev. Fr. Edeh then organized these

people and formed them into a group of devotional laity

with an objective of deepening one's prayer and charity with

hopeful anticipation of finding solution to the spiritual and

psychological problems of the sick, the suffering, the

abandoned and the troubled youths of the society so as to

bring peace to the world. He called this prayer group, “the

Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit. Through the

ministry, the faith of the people of God became strengthened

and their knowledge and services to God deepened in the

realization of the presence of Jesus the Saviour in the

Eucharist. They were made to realize through Rev. Fr.

Edeh's preachings that with strong faith and total devotion to

Jesus the Saviour and Mary, the mother of Jesus, they can

touch the heart of God. People who felt the presence of God

spread of his coming and the resultant chain effect was an

influx of devoted worshippers from all over the world who

were coming for either spiritual or material needs.

Mission to Elele

The catholic prayer ministry however, not only provides

special spiritual solution but also psychological and socio-

economic care for the poor and the less privileged.

THE BIRTH OF THE PILGRIMAGE CENTRE OF

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION AND SPECIAL

MARIAN DEVOTION

The foundation stone of the Pilgrimage Centre which was

established in 1984 was blessed in 1998 by His Holiness,

Pope John Paul II when he came to Nigeria for the

beatification of Blessed Iwene Tansi. The Centre was born

out of the necessity for expansion of the Catholic Prayer

Ministry of the Holy Spirit. When the number of devoted

Christians attending the catholic Prayer Ministry rose

outrageously and continued to increase in geometric

progression to an extent that space to accommodate the daily

teeming population was a barrier, Rev. Fr. Edeh was

worried. He started nursing the idea of expanding the prayer

arena. It was on that premise that he sought the permission

of Bishop Fitzgibbon, the then Bishop, of Port Harcourt

diocese to expand the church premises so as to

accommodate the swam of devoted worshippers attending

the prayer ministry. His Lordship, Bishop Fitzgibbon neither

hesitated nor procrastinated in approving this request for the

humble man of God. The Bishop permitted him to source a

virgin land which will be large enough to meet his target.

That was how the Pilgrimage Centre came to birth.

This centre is a devotional Pious association of the laity with

special intention of paying special devotion to Jesus the

Saviour in the Blessed Sacrament and to Mary, mother of

Jesus the Saviour. At the headquarters of the Catholic Prayer

Ministry, Elele, perpetual Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed

Sacrament is done every hour of the day, while the special

Marian Devotion is a daily affair. People learn how to pray


and pray correctly at the Pilgrimage Centre. The central

point of the worship of God in the centre and infact all the

activities in the centre is the Adoration of Jesus in the

Blessed Sacrament. Another highlight of the centre is prayer

and due honour and respect given to the Blessed Virgin

Mary, the mother of Jesus through Rosary prayed at her

shrine which stands conspicuously prominent at the centre.

The centre has brought peace, reconciliation, Justice and

mutual understanding, good relationship and trust between

parties or groups or individuals in dispute and to those

people whose hearts had been shattered by the outcome of

the ugly civil war. Such people, through the Prayer Ministry

and the Pilgrimage Centre were touched, consoled,

reconciled and rehabilitated.

The Pilgrimage Centre has also impacted so much on the

society through ushering in of peace to the hearts of men and

also sanity to the society through the reorientation and

rehabilitation of the frustrated. It is a centre for practical and

effective charity where special and substantial interest is

given for the upliftment of the lives of the poor, the sick, the

abandoned, the down trodden and the wretched of the earth.

The centre is also a breeding ground for the upbringing of

religious vocations in the church. The centre has spread all

over the world as smoke dissipates in the air.

In America, it is established in Miami, Los Angeles, San

Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento, New York, New

Jersey, Atlanta, Nsahulle, Austin, Texas, Houston, Dallas,

Boston, Detroit, Chicago etc.

It is also established in Germany in the following cities;

Frankfort, Aachean, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Essen, Nurnberg,

Muenster, Berlin etc.

Mission to Elele

In England, it can be found in St. George's Cathedral,

London, Lewisham, Manchester, Lever Pool etc.

In Holland it is established in Amsterdam, Den Hague,

Rotterdam etc. In Austria, it is found in Venna and Gratz.

Members of this Ministry always come from their respective

countries, on monthly pilgrimage to the Headquarters in

Elele which is the headquarters, of the International Centre

for International Pilgrimage. At the end, the pilgrims return

to their respective countries with renewed spirits and

strengthened faith. Throughout the Catholic Church, it is the

fifth well attended pilgrimage centre in the world after

Jerusalem, Rome, Lourdes, and Fatima.

Through the Catholic Prayer Ministry and the pilgrimage

centre, the entire Catholic community has been growing

rapidly in the population of priests, consecrated men and

women and the entire laity. This has made the faith of the

people strong in the service of God and respect for

humanity, and consequently, resulted to the enthronement of

peace in the hearts of men.

ESTABLISHMENT OF MUSEUM OF CHARMS AND

FETISH OBJECTS

There are different kinds of museums-museum of arts and

artifacts, war museums and so on. We also recently got

museum of charms and fetish objects and one can be found

here in Nigeria. The name is so called because it is a place

where the charms and fetish objects collected from all over

the world from people who renounced them are kept.

Charms are meant to charm or harm people and fetish

objects are those objects used in the worship of false gods

and which are planted in peoples' homes or elsewhere to

destroy people.


Charms are so destructive and devastating like nuclear

weapons. The world at large has experienced the destructive

and genocidal impacts of nuclear and biological weapon. A

reminiscence of the condition of Hiroshima is a typical

example of this. The life and survival of man have been

seriously threatened by the negative impacts of life

truncating and devastating effects of molecular biological

inventions and that of genetic engineering, and also by

medial technological weapons like contraceptive pills and

abortive pills, death inducing acts like euthanasia and also

destructive charms, talisman and amulets.

Recently, peace of mankind has been greatly impaired by

the effects of charms, talisman and amulets in the

destruction of properties and life of mankind especially in

many parts of Africa, Asia, South and Central America.

The museum of charms and fetish objects is an offshoot of

the Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation founded by

Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Matthew Paul Edeh CSSp,

OFR in the year 1984. When he started his ministry, it was

not everybody that believed in Jesus Christ. People laid their

hopes in charms and amulets and talisman but they could not

enjoy peace in and from them. They ran about seeking

peace. With all the charms in their pockets and homes, their

problems persisted. Then when they heard about the Centre

for Peace Justice and Reconciliation Elele, established by

Rev. Prof Edeh, they turned to Elele seeking peace in Jesus

the Saviour the Prince of peace. Coming to Jesus, they

surrendered their charms and fetish objects. Those charms

and fetish objects were received by Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh and

by sprinkling of holy water on them and prayers, were

destroyed and then kept. People who confessed and

surrendered their charms, and accepted Christ had peace of

mind within and in their homes. Not so long, the news about

the centre of Peace Justice and Reconciliation spread across

Mission to Elele

the world and people seeking peace of mind came from

every nook and cranny to Elele for solace in Jesus the

Saviour.

Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh CSSp, OFR, speaking in an

interview with Nollywood during a Docu-Drama

presentation by the research Department of Madonna

University, Nigeria on museum of charms and fetish objects

revealed that the retrieval of charms and fetish objects

started as far back as when Pilgrimage Centre started in

1985. Since then people have continued coming to settle

their problems. He said that they were made to understand

that for one to be accepted by God they have to be far from

devil, and being far from devil means extricating every sign

of allegiance with devil from themselves. It was on this

premise that he (Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh) insisted that anybody

coming to the Pilgrimage Centre should bring his/her

charms (if any), and deposit them in the centre, a sign that

the person has abandoned the devil and its wicked promises

and accepted Christ and his blessedness.

Then the issue of building a museum cropped up when large

quantities of charms have been gathered. There was the need

to build a place where they will be kept for references. He

explained that going through the charms reveals that they

were collected from all over the world. He showed, as an

example, a bottle of dry gin containing a big crucifix which

was magically ingested into the bottle without breaking it.

He revealed that the charm was brought to the centre from

China.

Rev. Fr. Jude Nwokolo, (FJS) the Administrator, Catholic

Prayer Ministry, Elele, reiterates that most of the charms

surrendered have their own stories. Some of them have

direct action with the devil, some are possessed by people


who were coming to try God and his servant, but arrested by

Christ himself; Some were made mad by their own charms

and when they were brought to Catholic Prayer Ministry at

Elele, they were cured, they then surrendered those charms.

So it is all about Satan trying God. It is the issue of a popular

saying in Nigeria that when power collides with power, the

lesser power bows.

Dr. Edmund Ugwu Agbo, Editor in chief of the International

Journal for African Philosophy and the Director, Bio-ethics

department, Madonna University, likened the revolution

carried out by Rev. Fr. Prof. Edeh in the area of giving peace

to the modern man through the collection of charms, to the

efforts to eradicate the employment of atomic bomb.

The Deputy Director of the Catholic Prayer Ministry of the

Holy Spirit, Elele, Rev. Fr. Emeka Ezenwajiaku admonishes

that as children of God, we can even pray over those things

(charms and fetish objects) and they be destroyed and

become things of the past in our lives. He advised that we

should not think that they can influence us. He stated that we

are a spark of God and as a result, have the power of God in

us. So the best way to avoid their influence is to abstain

from them.

Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh also explained that the

greatest way of bringing peace in the modern world is to go

to the people and find their problems and then solve the

problems. This is because; St. Augustine wrote that we

cannot have peace unless we come back to God who created

us. So the retrieval of such charms and fetish objects with

which people wrecked havoc in the society has impacted so

much to institute peace in the hearts of men because through

this, people, groups of people including families that were in

disputes were reconciled through covenants and

Mission to Elele

surrendering of their charms. They were also made to

promise that from the day they accepted Christ, they will

never injure anybody again. This then brings unity among

them and enduring peace in the society.

Mr. Chigbo, the curator of the museum of charms and fetish

objects, at the Pilgrimage Centre, Elele, during an

interaction with a group of research students of Madonna

University on tour at the museum explained that from

charms and fetish objects, people also deposited some books

and documents of different kinds of wicked religion. He

showed some books and documents retrieved from people of

such religions as:

– The black cats

– United order of odd fellows

– The Rosicrucian order

– Free Mason

– White Lodge

– Sea dogs

– Reformed Ogboni Fraternity (ROF)

– Ogboni Aborigins

– And also different kinds of mermaid pictures

camouflaged in the likeness of the status of our Blessed

Virgin Mary. The curator Mr. Chigbo, also mentioned the

names of some of the charms they have in Museum and

what their former 'possessors used them to do. Few of such

charms include:

i. Utuenwo: He explained that it is used in inflicting

evil on people, especially for the purpose of

vengeance. For instance, a man who was

disappointed by a lady after training and preparing

her for marriage may employ the assistance of a

native doctor dibia who then uses the


“utuenwo” to cause the lady not to get pregnant or

if already pregnant to have miscarriage.

ii. Ike funanya O kwe: This means, “when power meets

power the weaker power will surrender”. According to him,

the charm (as explained by the owner) was used to make

people not to progress or lock their good lucks; and when

this happens that person is business will collapse and the

person becomes wretched.

iii. Obi Egbu Eke: Meaning that a python (Eke) never

suffers chest pains no matter how long it crawls:- The charm

is used mainly by drivers to protect themselves against

accident. If they have the charm on them, and an accident

occurs, they will disappear. However he explained that the

risk there is that the driver may disappear only to reappear

before an oncoming vehicle on speed and he will be crushed

to death. Similarly, if there is a nearby river or lake or ocean,

the person may reappear into any of them and get drowned.

Devil has no free gift.

iv. Odighi Eshi “spiritual bullet proof”:- This is used by

masquerade. It is worn around the waist and believed to

protect the masquerade or make it disappear when it is

confronted by a more powerful masquerade. People also tie

it around their waists while going for wars so that bullets

will not penetrate their bodies. This also has its own

disadvantage; because with it, one could be harmed with

knife. A story was told of a man having the charm on

himself and was attacked by assassins. They shot several

gun shots on him but the bullets did not penetrate him. They

then caught him and slaughtered him with a knife.

The fetish objects collected in the museum were of different

forms such as lions, crocodiles, canoes, statues carved of

Mission to Elele

wood in the forms of man, woman, pregnant women, sick

woman/man, ofo, mirrors, etc.

The curator also explained about the popular Orimili

masquerade from Idemili Local Government Area of

Anambra State which he (himself) submitted to Rev. Fr

Edeh when he repented and embraced Christ the Saviour. It

was said that when Fr. Edeh prayed over the masquerade

and sprinkled holy water on it an evil bird flew away from

the masquerade.

In the museum of charms and fetish objects, there is also a

sample of a shrine or temple where researchers are the

native doctors or dibias who carry out their fetish prophecies

and demonstrations. The curator being the protagonist takes

the part of the native diviner.

However, one could rightly ask whether, those charms are

still potent. The answer is 'No'. When those charms and

fetish objects were brought to Fr. Edeh, he destroyed them

with prayers and by sprinkling of Holy water and they

became just ordinary objects of reminiscence. They are just

preserved so that people will come and see for themselves

those objects that are used in causing confusion in the

society. Scholars from all over the world now visit the

museum of charms and fetish objects in the Pilgrimage

Centre, Elele, for research purposes and it has become one

of the best tourist centres in the modern world.

Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh, as we can see has succeeded

in collecting many charms and fetish objects thereby saving

many people's lives. Through this, he has restored peace and

harmony to the troubled souls, those under spell and other

deadly influences of charms and fetish objects in the world.


Chapter Three

REV. FR. PROF. EMMANUEL EDEH'S

CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD OF LEARNING

ARTICULATION OF AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh has written his name in an

acme of gold, having been the first person in the whole

world to articulate African philosophy through Igbo

metaphysics just as Socrates articulated Western Philosophy

through the articulation of Greek philosophy. In the course

of his formation as a priest and a philosopher, he heard so

much about European philosophy, American philosophy,

Asian philosophy, Indian philosophy and so on, but he heard

little or nothing about African philosophy. He began to

wonder whether Africa has a philosophy at all. This Thought

enkindled his desire to inquire and trace the history of Igbo

(African) people.

He began his proper research on African philosophy during

his studies at De Paul University Chicago in the United

States of America. He was totally embarrassed when he

asked one of his Professors where he could find some books

on African philosophy and he replied that there was none.

To clear his doubt about his Professor's reply, he visited

many libraries looking for books on African philosophy.

Apart from De Paul University library where he was

studying, he also visited Michigan University library, USA

and St. Paul's Pontifical College library, Rome; He found no

authentic document on African philosophy except some

works of Kwasi Wiredu which only described African

philosophy. It was based on this fact that Edeh decided to go

Contribution to the World of Learning

into proper research on African philosophy with special

interest in metaphysics.

During his research on the history of African people, he

discovered that the African continent is the oldest continent

in the world and the first to successfully sustain life. He

supported this assertion with some facts as seen below:

a. Africa the second largest continent in the world

consists of a great flock of ancient rock that has been rarely

disturbed over two hundred million years except for periodic

uplifts and erosions. The topmost levels are the Kenyan

Mountain, the Kilimanjaro Mountain and the Cameroun

Range.

b. From the most recent findings of archeologists and

paleontologists, it is evident that Africa is historically the

most senior of the continents of the world in the sense of

sustaining human life. In fact, man's ancestors first became

differentiated from primates in Africa.

c. By the Miocene times, a type of a creature known as

“Kenyaepithecus Africanus” appeared in East Africa twenty

million years ago having facial bone structure and dental

arrangement like modern man. This is indicative of the fact

that a common ancestor for man and ape must have existed

in Africa at least twenty million years ago.

d. The fossilized remains of “homo habilis” and “Homo

Erectus” who are the ancestors of man were found in East

Africa near Victoria about two million years ago.

e. From Homo erectus developed Homo Sapiens

(modern man). By six to seven thousand years ago, the main

racial types of human beings we have today were already

settled down in Africa, doing agriculture and stock raising

(Edeh, E.M.P 2009).


According to Edeh, the above archeological and

paleontological discoveries in Africa do not contradict the

biblical account of creation rather it is only a human attempt

at pinpointing where and when God breathed life (the soul)

into man (Gen 2:17). The above discussion on the genesis of

man in Africa helps us to understand how deep and original

African philosophy is as typified in Igbo Metaphysics. The

originality of African philosophy is anchored on the truth

that African philosophy cannot be said to have been

borrowed from Europe, America, Asia or India. With due

respect to the biblical account of creation of man by God,

man has lived in Africa from the earliest times. Suffice it to

say, therefore, that African philosophy is as old as man.

THE IGBOS

According to Edeh in his book, Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics, a brief historical account of the origin of the

Igbos, a distinguished part of the African people, shows that

the Igbos are of very ancient origin. Even at the end of the

stone Age, when the Sahara dried up and became a desert

and people moved from Sahara to North and South of

Africa, the Igbos had settled in Nri-Awka and Isuama areas

for a long period. The Igbos it seems, had developed

independently from ancient times.

According to him, this knowledge of the ancient origin of

the Igbos helps us to understand the source of Igbo

metaphysical thought pattern. If the Igbos came from

another people, the originality of certain metaphysical

principles will be attributed more or less to the Igbos,

depending on whether they were inherited from the Igbos as

a people of their own with centuries of cultural

development. Igbo is an ancient race, a unique people with

specific characteristics, with a copious supply of versatile

common sense and a unique capacity for improvisation.


They have, according to Edeh, a practical unromantic

approach to life and are characterized by a hard-working,

enterprising and progressive nature.

The primary research work on African people which lasted

for fourteen years took him into different villages to study

their modes of live and daily experiences. His observation of

the lives of these people gave rise to his abstraction of some

useful information with which he articulated his Philosophy.

This was presented in a World Forum organized at Oxford

and Cambridge Universities and in Washington. During

Edeh's presentations of his findings in the World Forum the

audience was held spell-bound. The originality and

profundity of his work Towards an Igbo Metaphysics

attracted much recognition and commendation from top

world scholars who encouraged him and cried for the

translation of the work into world major languages due to its

demand by scholars and intellectuals of the world. The

world academics described the book as “a milestone in the

history of Thought.

AN OVERVIEW OF TOWARDS AN IGBO

METAPHYSICS

According to Onyewuenyi R. N. (2010), the book, Towards

an Igbo Metaphysics presents a striking insight into a true

metaphysics namely, the Africa man's “God-man-world

relationship”, that is, how the African understands and

interprets this relationship; what this relationship means to

him and how his being, life and existence are determined by

the relationship.

From the African understanding and interpretation of life

and existence, Being and being; the question of being is

opened up from the Igbo notion of man as mma-di that is,

“the good that is,” because of having been created by

Chineke (God the creator), who is the ultimate source of


being, life and existence. The distinctive feature of African

metaphysics as shown in Igbo Metaphysics is that its notion

of Being is drawn from the concept of man and at the same

time, it is a theological metaphysics.

African philosophy as indicated in the book Peace to the

Modern World” is characterized by the fact that in it, one is

dealing with a practical theoretical science in the sense that

by nature, African metaphysics is a lived philosophy rather

than a purely theoretical or scientific venture; that stems

from an indept consideration of the African culture,

language, socio-religious Millieu and above all, a holistic

view of the Universe,

THE IDEAL OF HUMAN DIGNITY.

For one to capture and present what is truly the African way

of viewing life and existence, Being and being, one has to

grasp the interplay between thought and action. For the

African, philosophy is the way of life expressed in the

people's ritual, language and other cultural manifestations.

This philosophy gives people the ideal of human existence,

and specifically an ideal of human dignity based on the

belief that all beings created by God are ontologically good

and deserving respect. Man who is a homo religiosus is

cared for and supported by God. Hence, he enjoys a position

of high dignity conferred on him from creation.

In African metaphysics, the attentive mind discerns a

reflection of that God-man-world scheme. This is what is

clearly presented in Igbo Metaphysics and it is this that

gives credence to the dignity of human beings and human

existence. African metaphysics is asserting that one should

accept man as good within the context of creation.


THE AFRICAN CONCEPT OF THE ULTIMATE

BEING

Igbos conceive the Ultimate Being as Chineke one who

creates and is actually present in its creatures. They also

conceive it as Ose-bu-luwa- one who has plan for each

creature and an objective plans for the entire creation; who

at the same time guides and directs the creatures to the

realization of the purpose of their creation. The ultimate

being is also Chi-ukwu, that is, the highest being in an

absolute sense, the unlimited fullness of being; the Supreme

Being, the fullness of life, whose perfection is boundless

(Towards an Igbo Metaphysics, pp 132 - 133).

It is pertinent to say that since being is conceived as the

“good that is”, and that African Metaphysics accepts the

Being of beings, that is, the Ultimate source of beings as

Chineke (One who creates). The African mind then proceeds

naturally from metaphysics to theology as the study of God

and his dealings with beings. Thus in African culture, people

are prayerful, invoking God in the morning and every time

to come and participate in whatever they are doing.

African mind aims at a general notion of being as “good that

is”. The being is, because it has been created by Chineke,

the ultimate source of beings, life and existence. Holding

onto God, man also has to care for his fellow man. This

explains why African philosophy is both theoretical and

practical and not merely theoretical. So if God helps

someone, he/she must help his/her fellow human being. In

the realm of theology, the African mind conceives being as

“good that is” because man is said to be the good in so far as

he is created by the Ultimate Being who is also Osebuluwa.

Within this context, man is seen being created by God and at

the same time being cared for by God. This contains the

mystery of man's dealing with God.


Here, African metaphysics offers contrast to the ill

conception of man introduced by the rationalists of the

modern period. In line with this, modern scientific thought

has attempted to banish God from the world and has made

every attempt to practically exclude God from the world.

On the other hand, African metaphysics has maintained the

concept of beings dependent on God. From one

interpretation and analysis leading to Chineke, Osebuluwa

and Chieuku, it is improbable that African thought will

deviate from the direction it has already taken. As have been

maintained, African metaphysics as a religious metaphysics,

gives witness to man as homo religious. The basis of this

wittiness cannot but be a belief in and an acknowledgement

of the absolute being. This belief leads one to an entire

attitude of submission and respect to the Supreme Being

Chi-ukwu.

African metaphysics in its distinctive feature is as it were,

designed to uphold man's boldness to God rather than to

proclaim man as “rational absolute”. The reason for this

conclusion is obvious when we recall that in Igbo

Metaphysics thought is closely tied to the peoples practical

way of life. Africans would more readily comprehend the

idea of man's dependence on “Our God” Chi-ukwu Anyi,

[God who is actively present among us, the one whom we

can conceive of and speak of in an anthropocentric manner],

than they would comprehend the idea of rational absolute

which, in the last analysis, can be seen as the product of

highly abstractive thinking.

The principle of African religious mind whereby man is his

brother's keeper leads to the ideal of human dignity in the

interplay between thought and action which characterizes

African philosophy. African philosophy is also a lived


philosophy rather than a purely theoretical or scientific

enterprise. Hence Edeh's formalization consists in drawing

out a rationalization of the lived experience of the people as

expressed in their rituals, language and other cultural

manifestations. Philosophy of this kind, leads one to the

ideal of human experience based on the belief that all things

are created by God and are ontologically good and deserve

respect. Thus African metaphysics testifies to the fact that

the African is deeply a religious being Homo religious.

THOUGHT AND ACTION

As indicated in Peace to the Modern World, after the

presentation of the African metaphysics thought pattern, one

must go further to show a concrete and practical

actualization of this kind. In the same manner, arriving at the

God man-world scheme that characterizes African concept

of theology and religious tendencies,, leads one to practical

actualization of the interplay between thought and action.

This is to say that the God-to-man-scheme of reality must be

concretized in the African way of life. In other words, the

beholdness of man to God must be experienced in the

African daily life.

God is Chineke, the one who creates and is actually present

in his creatures and he is also Osebuluwa, the one whose is

actually present in His creatures. He is also Osebuluwa, the

one whose active presence in the beings of experience

means his care and support for these beings to the realization

of their purposes. The man in his beholdenness to God must

be deeply involved in the concretized care and support for

his fellow man.

THE QUESTION OF WORLD PEACE

If African philosophy of being Ife-di as typified in the Igbo

Metaphysics is maintained and practiced properly, the

perennial problem of world peace should become a thing of


the past. This brings to mind, what the westerners are very

much after. After presenting his work in the United States of

America, some professors affirmed that Africans have

proffered the solution to the problems of world peace

because they view every human being as “good that is”. If

one views man as dignified, how can anyone spend those

huge amounts of money to prepare weapons of mass

destruction? In fact, if the amount of wealth easily spent on

amassing both nuclear and non- nuclear weapons in

readiness for massive destruction of man by man, is used to

promote and generate the means of practical and effective

charity, it must surely bring peace and tranquility to the

hearts of millions in the society today; and the problem of

world peace would certainly be a thing of the past.

The question of developing and keeping of nuclear weapons

(whether as a means of defense or as a means of attacking

and destroying man who is “good that is”), will be handled

with utmost moral concern. If the world accepts the notion

of man as “good that is”, then man is bound not to destroy

his fellow man, and in his beholdness to God, should treat

with practical and effective charity, his fellow man who is a

creature of God as himself, the source of all goodness. This

is the principle that motivates, compels and guides us to

provide particular and meticulous care through practical and

effective charity to individuals who are in need; the sick, the

suffering, the handicapped, the lowly, the helpless and the

abandoned. Thus providing peace in the hearts of millions in

the society and giving peace to the modern world.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EDEH'S

ARTICULATED AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY AND

OTHER WORKS ON AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY

In the year 1985, Edeh presented to the world, his book

captioned, Towards an Igbo Metaphysics. This book

contains a systematic thought pattern that addresses the


existential realities of contemporary Africa. This systematic

thought pattern which he articulated in form of Igbo

metaphysics is known as African philosophy.

His desire and curiosity to go into the investigation of

African Philosophy was triggered by two major factors. The

first factor was the natural quest for man to know the

rationale behind the inconsistencies surrounding the things

of nature; the second was to save African philosophy from

remaining ever a figment of the imagination by formally

presenting it as an African man and African thinker himself.

His intention and his action were therefore, a radical shift

from the prevailing problem of African thinkers of his time,

which was to know and/or establish the existence of Africa

philosophy. In the year 1980, Kwasi Wiredu in his book,

Philosophy and African Culture, warned that; “it is not

enough to collect information about what our ancestor said

or taught. We must try to interpret, clarify, analyze, and

where appropriate (after critical evaluation) assimilate and

develop the resulting body of thought. This body of thought

has to be both theoretically and practically motivated”.

Philosophy, may therefore, mean an after-thought, after-

activity. This meant clearly that this philosophy is a

culturally-bound philosophy. It is sometimes conditioned by

the cultures of a people but most times it conditions and

creates a new culture for a people. The African philosophy

presented by Wiredu did not therefore, lay emphasis on the

articulation of African philosophy in se nor on the un doing

of African philosophy. As a philosopher, he, however,

succeeded in underscoring the interplay between theory and

practice in African philosophy, but never proved to have

realized this in any of his subsequent works.


In consonance with Wiredu, K.C. Anyanwu and E.A. Ruch,

in their book, African Philosophy noted that, “some African

writers claim to have written African philosophy when, in

fact, they merely narrate what their people believe in and do,

but fail to teach us how they know what they know”. From

this assertion, one could readily see that Anyanwu and Ruch

were in agreement with Wiredu on the point that African

Philosophy cannot be established by the narration of what

African people believe and do, but by teaching also how and

what the Africans know what they know. The interplay

between theory and practice, characteristics of how African

Philosophy was silent, and the solicited demonstration of

how Africans know what and how they know was never

achieved in the above work by these two great thinkers.

Not left of the bandwagon of those that trumpeted the need

for a genuine articulation of African Philosophy, was the

erudite J.S. Mbiti, when he emphasized what African

Philosophy as presented in his book: “African Religious and

Philosophy” refers to the understanding, attitude of mind,

logic and perception behind the manner in which African

people think, act or speak in different situation of life”.

Mbiti's presentation of African Philosophy as the rational

and /or general response of the African peoples to different

situation of life should have been complemented with the

fact that African Philosophy is also both a rational/general

response to different situation and a search for the reason

behind everything that gives rise to the various situations of

human existence; and a search, equally, for everything that

arises from the diverse situations in human existence. The

seemingly forgetfulness or preferred silence of Mbiti in the

areas mentioned above might have been contributory to his

inability to articulate a formal African Philosophy,

succeeding only to assembling various situations in African

life and rationalizing on them. He truly succeeded in


organizing good reference philosophy that was practically

necessary for the formal articulation of African philosophy

that was to be wrought later.

T. Uzodimma Nwala, in the Preface to his book, Igbo

Philosophy, stated that, “What I am presenting is another

paradigm of African philosophy. I do realize that there is

little or no systematic work on African philosophy. What I

have done is just to produce the first fruits of a continuing

search; with the inclination and ambition to help lay the

foundation for the study and development of African

philosophy”. It should be noticed that Nwala in the book

cited above, frankly admitted that there was little or no

systematic work on African philosophy, he made series of

attempts towards laying a foundation for such.

While Nwala was articulating his research on the thought of

the Igbo people as present in their Omenala (tradition,

culture), a contemporary of his was independently, making

an attempt towards the articulation of African philosophy

through the articulation of Igbo metaphysics and that person

was Edeh. Nwala in the preface to the book, Igbo

philosophy, as has earlier been cited, stated that, “during the

period of the civil war in Nigeria July 1967 to January 1970,

I patiently went on with my research into Igbo belief system,

hoping that my findings would crystallize into a book on

Igbo philosophy.

In the preface to his book, “Towards an Igbo Metaphysics”,

Edeh noted that, “the debate of whether Africa has a

philosophy has in recent years given way to a much

pertinent quest: what is African philosophy? This can be

rephrased thus: how is African philosophy articulated and

presented?” To response to the above question, Edeh started

by underscoring that, “philosophy as such is all


encompassing, that is, it aims at the comprehension of a

whole mode or form of life. Africa is a part of our global

society. It has a distinct culture with healthy cultural values

and meanings. True philosophy based on true human value

and meaning cannot but embrace Africa's unique

contribution”.

The point of departure of Edeh that philosophy should start

from the examination of cultural values might be construed

as falling to the same trap with Nwala who considered Igbo

philosophy as Omenani. However, this position could be

countered by the fact that Edeh saw philosophy as all

embracing. Its search for meaning and for life in its various

expressions singled out Edeh's philosophy. The different

areas he covered during his field work: traditional religious

workshop, metaphysics, and so forth, showed a genuine

preparedness to articulate the philosophy of Ndi-Igbo (Igbo

people). After all, Oriental and Western Philosophy were

articulated by individuals from these areas moving from

their cultural realities and searching for meanings of both the

cultures and other spheres of life.

THE FEATURES OF EDEHS' PHILOSOPHY AND

THEOLOGY

v The philosophy of Edeh is hardly distinguishable

from this theology.

v His philosophical speculation is also hardly separable

from his practical application (action) of the ideas or matters

speculated.

v His categorization of being was truly African,

genuinely innovative and universally accessible by reason,

making it a sound philosophy of being.


v His social, political, economic, religious philosophy,

in addition to his philosophy of law were all centered on

God, metaphysically intended and on man who is the “good

that is” deriving from God, and others.

THE PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY OF EDEH

Two chapters of the “Towards an Igbo Metaphysics”, deal

with the philosophy and theology of Edeh. These are

chapters four and five. Chapter four deals with an Igbo

understanding of beings”, while chapter five deals with

“Being and God”. A careful study of these two chapters

reveals that Edeh's philosophy, though, distinguishable from

his theology, is hardly separable from it. Tracing the cause

of evil in Chapter Four, Edeh cited that the four principal

elements he observed, are deified by the Ndi Igbo. To drive

this point home he noted that, “In traditional Igbo culture the

principal elements; Earth, Water (Sea), Air (Wind), Fire

(Sun), are defined because they are extensions of divine

activity. Hence a consideration of the symbolism of the sea

God and the wind God is necessary to understand the Igbo

idea of the cause of evil”.

After discussing the sea and the wind, Edeh emphasized,

“the sea, to the Igbo, is a special cipher-script, a special

language expressing the transcendence of being. It makes

life acceptable by presenting it as a moisture of good and

evil. Though the sea is the abode of evil, it is also a symbol

of power for wiping away evil.

In chapter five, where Edeh treated Being and God, he noted

that the investigation on being according to Ndi-Igbo is an

investigation into something greater. He quickly added that

such investigation will not end there, saying, “This

investigation will take us into the ultimate cause of being.


But it will not end there. We will have to examine how

Igbos arrived at this ultimate cause. What is the relationship

between it and its creatures?” Edeh's arrangement of his

discussion on the above subject matter gives us a clue to his

presentation of philosophy not separable from theology, as

follows:

– From Igbo holistic view of the universe to the ultimate

cause

– The existence of God (Chukwu).

– The Igbo knowledge of God.

So far, without any commentary on the philosophical/

theological thought of Edeh, a reference to one of his papers

will lay credence to the fact that his philosophy is or leads to

his theology”… “My paper therefore will be made of two

parts; the first part presents Africa both as a geographical

space and from the point of view of the life going on in such

a space before the entry of the Church into the continent.

Such life comprises the love of wisdom and faith in God.

Wisdom is the love which is called philosophy, hence,

African philosophy and faith in God, the presence of which

is called religion and the reasoning over it which is called

theology, hence African religion and theology.”

Presenting his African philosophy in some Journals, Edeh

states: “In African philosophy…{Cf. Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics}, I have presented a true metaphysics, namely:

the African man's God-man-world conceptual scheme or

relationship; how the African understands and interprets this

scheme; what this scheme means to him and how his being,

life and existence are determined by the relationship

involved”.


From the African understanding and interpretation of life

and existence, beings, and being, the question of being is

opened up from the African notion of man as “mma-di”,

“the good that is”. From there the African arrives at a

general notion of being a “good that is” because of having

been created by Chineke (God the Creator), who is the

ultimate source of being, life and existence, the Chi-ukwu,

the Almighty.

The distinctive feature of African metaphysics is that its

notion of being is drawn from the concept of man and at the

same time it is a theological metaphysics. In deriving the

African notion of being from a concept of man, African

metaphysics has also presented itself as a religious

metaphysics giving witness to man as a “homo religious”.

To comment briefly on the position of Edeh, one could say

that he attained his metaphysical conclusions with the aid of

reason. It will also be accentuated that his arrival at God

who is now treated with ambivalence: as Being (the Being

of beings) and as distinct from being was also an act of

reason anchored on faith; faith that he has describe as

wisdom and love. The seemingly contradictory position on

God and Being is not farfetched from the age long problem

of the definition of being both by metaphysicians and non-

metaphysician. Some thinkers hold that being is an attribute

and as such it could also be or not be attributed to God. This

title may mean that being is distinct from God, hence the

conjunction. If God is the ultimate cause of the beings, is He

also the Being that causes other beings or a non-being that

causes being? Edeh's position in the chapter cited above

gives some answers to the above question. To recapitulate,

throughout this chapter we have sought for an understanding

of being in its ultimate cause from the Igbo point of view.

We have seen how functional unity of the four elements has

provided the Igbos with the basis for their view of things.


Within this milieu, the people prompted by reason

complemented by faith or religious understanding, discover

God and accept his existence as the ultimate source of all

that is.

EDEH'S PHILOSOPHY OF THOUGHT AND ACTION

(EPTAISM)

In all the works of Edeh, the interplay between thought and

action as the basic characteristic of African philosophy was

consistently maintained. In “Towards an Igbo Metaphysics”

he stated “finally, it is pertinent to note that our

interpretation will be both theoretically and practically

oriented. Theoretically: because as a philosophical

investigation, the work is principally a quest for pure

understating and practically; because we shall survey the

results of our investigations in the context of the interplay

between thought and action. It behooves modern

philosophical endeavour to aim not only at theoretical

achievements but also at practical results. This we hope to

show, is important in the question of Igbo metaphysics.

In his book, Peace to the Modern World; the work in which

he demonstrated the realization of the interplay between

thought and action, Edeh reiterated his position on the

coalescence of thought and action in African philosophy,

saying: “The distinctive feature of African philosophy is that

it cannot be thought of in terms of an objective, abstract

science as is fashionable in Western philosophy. In African

philosophy we are dealing with a practical theoretical

science in the sense that by nature African metaphysics is a

lived philosophy rather than a purely theoretical or scientific

enterprise. To capture and present what is truly an African

way of viewing life and existence, being; one has to come to

grips with the interplay of thought and action”.


Edeh in another work completed in 2009, re-affirmed his

position on the interplay between thought and action. He

also cited the school of thought developed by his followers

to represent this pattern: EPTAISM. He has this to say: “As

I indicated in my book, Peace to the Modern World, after the

presentation of the African metaphysical thought pattern,

one must go further to show a concrete and practical

actualization of this. In the same manner, arriving at God-

man-world scheme that characterize African philosophy

leads one to the practical actualization in interplay between

thought and action. This is what has been called EPTAISM

(Edeh's philosophy of thought and Action)”.

EDEH'S CATEGORY OF BEING

In the Towards an Igbo Metaphysics, Edeh wrote: Basic to

the Igbo metaphysics are categories of “ife-di”.

a. The supersensory category

b. The human category, and

c. The thing category, that corresponds to the diverse

kinds of beings. Within each category are sub-categories. In

the supersensory category are: Chineke and “Ndi muo” (the

unseen). The human category is also subdivided into “ndi di

ndu” (the living), and “Ndi Nwuru anwu” (the dead). The

thing category runs into three major groupings: Anu, Ife

(Ihe) nkiti and Ogu (Ogwu).

The above categories, as earlier stated in the sub-title above,

are true of African vision of realities genuinely innovative

and universally accessible by reason, making it a sound

philosophy of being.

The notion of being derived from “mma-di” (man: the Good

that is”), who in turn, derives from Chineke (God: the

“Ultimate Good that is”)

The central theme in the African metaphysics espoused by

Edeh is that it is metaphysics in which the notion of being is


derived from mma-di. He arrived at this conclusion after his

examination of an Igbo language word for “man” in its

hybridized form: mmadu, which he explained as the “good

that is”, recasting it as mma-di to connote that man is a

“good that is”. Man is good that is because he was created

by Chineke (God the creator), Chi-ukwu (the Omnipotent

God) and Ose-buluwa (the sustainer of the world). God is

the ultimate and the highest “good that is”.

It then follows that as every man is a “good that is”, he has

to be good to other “good that are”. He should cater and

provide for the other who God his creator caters and

provides for. In the book, “Igbo Metaphysics: The First

Articulation of African Philosophy of Being”, Edeh stated:

“From my articulation of African metaphysics, I mean that

this affirmation of man as “good that is “based on the fact

that he is created and cared for by God, must be concretized

in practical terms, thus, the caring is part of the mystery of

man's relationship.”

It is therefore rightly concluded that the African philosophy

espoused by Edeh in the Towards an Igbo Metaphysics was

the first articulation of African philosophy. Its methodology

was not only peculiar but was in conformity with African

vision of the world. The critical examination of the matters

treated; the extensive nature of the areas covered, and the

philosophical position taken from them, show that a deep

demonstration of the love for knowledge (philosophy) was

the beacon with which the wisdom exhibited was lit.

Wisdom to him is the love of knowledge; knowledge of

God.

To justify his philosophy of thought and action, Edeh made

postulations that he went further to put into action. The

anchorage of his metaphysical, theological, ethical, legal and

general teaching is man, who is “mmadi” (the good that is),


who in turn, lives in, depends on God. The book, Peace to

the Modern World is the actualization of the metaphysical

postulations made in the Towards an Igbo Metaphysics. The

metaphysical and theological questions that were not

addressed or were not adequately addressed were

reconsidered in the book, “Igbo Metaphysics: The First

Articulation of African Philosophy of Being”. The

movement in pari-pasu of thought and action singled out

Edeh's work and presented him to the world as the Father of

African philosophy'. However the question is:

How widely acceptable is this position?

The answers to the above question could be obtained from

the responses to research question on this issue collected

through questionnaires from respondents made up by people

of different walks of life during my empirical research about

the life and works of Edeh.

Ezenwajuaku, E. in his response to the above question, made

this ascertain: “One thing about philosophy is that it opens

up a wide variety of options. That philosophical thought

have continued over the years is due to the fact that it leads

to inconclusive conclusions. That Edeh is acclaimed the

articulator of African philosophy by international body of

academics is a welcome development and thing to be

appreciated. This affirms its acceptability by the generality

of the African people. It is on record that International

Society for Research in the Philosophy and Theology of

Edeh (ISREPAT), has assessed the content of his philosophy

and consequently has organized series of conventions with

the intention of unearthing the rich content of his

philosophical reasoning.


Eneh, F.O. briefly summarized Edeh's African philosophy as

the first of its kind in the whole of Africa and that qualified

him as the Father of African philosophy.

Ugada M.O, confirms that Edeh's African philosophy is

unadulterated. It is truly of African origin and its originality

accounts for its wide acceptability.

Ugwu, L.I. hinged his reason for the wide acceptability of

Edeh as the first articulator of African philosophy on the fact

that it has received commendation from all over the world.

Eboh, S.E. commended the works of Edeh on African

philosophy, its distinctive features and the interplay between

thought and action as imbued in the African philosophy,

through the establishment of the realities that touch people's

lives for a positive change.

Ogbodo, A.U. stated that the reason why the notion that

Edeh articulated African philosophy is widely accepted by

reasonable people all over the world is due to the fact that all

other researches on African philosophy are based on review

of related literatures. He wrote that they are mere theories

and as such, not philosophy qua philosophy. He supported

this point by emphasizing that he (Edeh) articulated African

philosophy of thought and action and then went into the

actual doing of this philosophy.

Flavian, G. wrote: “we Africans were being seen as people

without history or philosophy by the outside world

especially the westerners. This derogatory and embarrassing

view on African by the westerners passionately moved Edeh

to research tirelessly on African philosophy when it dawned

on him that truly, nothing tangible and formal had been

documented as African philosophy. Today, we are here to


celebrate the product and achievement of that research by

this noble son of Africa. Edeh's work has made us proud

such that we will never hide or bury our faces again in the

ground whenever westerners confront us with the question

of African philosophy. On this note, I highly recognize and

appreciate the works of Edeh and I call on Africans to

congratulate and rejoice with this illustrious son of Africa.

Nze, C.B. in his words of appreciation of Edeh's work on

African philosophy and his acclamation as the articulator of

African philosophy concluded by writing; “I honourably

acknowledge and appreciate also Edeh's ability to distil

action from theory in African philosophy as a real landmark,

and on it stands (for me), the merit of his work as the BEST

of the articulations on African philosophy. Edeh moved

ahead of his contemporaries, instead of asking whether

African philosophy exists, he showed that there was an

African philosophy and by doing African philosophy, he

showed what African philosophy is”.

Daneschumand (a German) testifies: “We distinguish this

(Edeh's) philosophy from other philosophies because it is

easy to understand. It is practicable, sweet, useful for daily

life and it is easy for everyone, whether a philosopher or not,

to understand it and practice it. It promotes tolerance

because of its respect for life. Therefore, this is the best

philosophy ever to exist in the world”.

Philosophy is good it opens up a wide varieties of opinions

From the various answers given by the above intellectuals,

Edeh's wide acceptability as the first person to articulate

African philosophy is as a result of the fact that other

philosophers just described African philosophy, but he went

into the actual doing of philosophy and also articulated

being from African perspective. Moreover he is the only


person who has handled metaphysics which is the life-wire

of philosophy and dissolved it in such a way that it attains

the comprehension of a lay man. The quality of organized

thoughts in Edeh's philosophy accounts for the reason why

International of Academics named him the “Father of

African Philosophy”.

The impacts Edeh's articulated African philosophy is making

on researchers and scholars of the world are inestimable.

Those seekers of knowledge now have reliable instrument of

research, discussions, arguments, comments and

documentations about the myriad of issues that constitute

other philosophies arising from his view. Philosophers and

Metaphysicians who ordinarily love to argue and research

now have relevant materials of research and discuss in the

context of African philosophy as contained in his academic

works:

i. “Towards an Igbo Metaphysics” (1985), Chicago:

Loyola University Press.

ii. “Peace to the Modern World” (2007), Banbury

(England): Minuteman Press.

iii. “Igbo Metaphysics: The First Articulation of African

Philosophy of Being (2009), Enugu (Nigeria):

Madonna University Press.

iv. And also series of education articles, seminars,

papers, conferences and workshop.

Promotion of African philosophy

Edeh's contributions in the promotion of African

philosophy are given in form of the following groups.

v Publications

v Conferences and Seminars

v Scholarships v Establishment of the Department

of African philosophy


In addition to the above, over the years, many National and

International Conferences and seminars on the articulation

of African philosophy and other matters have been hosted by

both Madonna and Caritas Universities respectively. The

outcome of these conferences and seminars has been

published globally and the contributions are building up into

a new philosophical school of thought.

On Thursday, August 26, 2010, a deliberate attempt was

made to reach out to the Francophone West African

countries when an International Society of Research on the

Philosophy and Theology of Edeh (ISREPATE) organized a

philosophical symposium on the first articulation of African

philosophy of being at John Paul II Pontifical Institute,

Cotonou, Benin Republic. This symposium and others like it

are aimed at putting in place, some structures that help to

promote and perpetuate African philosophy. It has been

internationally observed and acknowledged that African

philosophy so far, has no formal history. What has been on

ground is that each African philosopher develops his/her

own thought; lives and dies with it without formal

documentation. And disciples who can carry on his/her

philosophical thoughts and insights to the next generation as

Plato Aristotle and others did, are busy developing European

philosophy. It is to counter this problem that ISREPATE

was founded in Rome in 2008 through the efforts of some

professors from the University in Rome. Since the symposia

are being organized on Igbo Metaphysics as the First

Articulation of African philosophy of Being. Its primary aim

is not only to promote and propagate not just the

philosophical thoughts, ideas and insights of Edeh, which

anchor on the inseparability of theory and practice of

thought in its Africanness in a way that will be accessible to

the academic world, but also to promote American

philosophy in general.


Other aims of these symposia have been to create the spirit

of history, documentation and discipleship in African

philosophy, and to present Edeh's book “Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics” and the works it has given birth to. Various

researchers have acknowledged the originality, authenticity

and profundity of his work and have also affirmed that his

articulation through Igbo Metaphysics as the first, formal

documented articulation of African philosophy of being.

At the August 2010 symposium, some of the studies

originating from Edeh's articulation of African philosophy of

being were presented and discussed.

Chapter Four

MISSION OF PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE

CHARITY

According to Mother John Bosco Kalu (SJS) in her book

“Peace to the Modern Society”, “Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh's

personal prayer has been: “Jesus the Saviour, kindly make

me a faithful instrument in your sacred hands to save this

category of mankind, namely the sick, the suffering, the

handicapped, the abjectly poor, the abandoned and the

troubled youths of the society.” This is his prayer long

before he started nursing the idea of becoming a Catholic

Priest.

Then, his ardent desire to reach out to this category of

people (in fulfillment of his prayers) started from his

catechism days to the day of his ordination. However, the

gene of doing charity works which he inherited from his

mother had been running strong in his veins even when he

was in the seminary. The divine inspiration and zeal to

accomplish this made him to organize his personal prayer

into a complete system which he called “Mission of

Practical and Effective charity.” Its objective is to carry out

special (holistic) care of the sick, and the suffering, the

handicapped, the abjectly poor and the abandoned, and

providing proper education for the troubled youths of the

modern society. The love to carry out this mission was

developed out of his love to implement the lived life

principles of his African philosophy, which he articulated as

an ideal for human existence and specifically as an ideal of

human dignity.

Edeh affirms in his book “Peace to the Modern World”, that

he sets out on this special mission, for special (holistic) care

of the people who have no peace in their lives: the sick and

the suffering, the handicapped, the abjectly poor, the

Mission of practical and Effective Charity

abandoned and the troubled youths of the society. Edeh's

intention is therefore, to bring peace to them through the

practical implementation of those structures that provide

effective charity to the people. This means helping those

who are mis-oriented in the society in every way possible, to

find solace and peace of mind and body through helping

them regain their health and get rehabilitated. By this, they

are reconciled with God, in whom they must be joined. They

are also helped to realize their potentials and become

fulfilled. Thereby helping them attain the purposes for which

they were created. His mission of practical and effective

charity is based upon his belief that all beings created by

God are ontologically good and that they desire peace of

mind, respect, care and love, and this will bring peace to the

world. He also believes that this kind of peace will usher in

justice, honesty in education, morality, good health,

development, and respect for dignity of human the person

irrespective of race, colour, creed, social status or physical

condition. He advocates that the interplay between thought

and action as contained in his African philosophy should be

made manifest for the upliftment of man from his lowliness,

especially as man is metaphysically conceived as “good that

is” mma di.

The factors that propelled Edeh to transcend every obstacle

militating against his ventures are his childhood

determination to be what he wanted to be, self discipline and

unalloyed faith in the Supreme Intelligence. He wrote that

he patiently hastened to sympathize with and console the

sufferings as they came to him and narrated the stories of

their lives.

Edeh's compassionate and human qualities can also be

observed in his daily routine of feeding the sick, the poor

and the abandoned and also in caring and working with the


handicapped, the deaf and the dumb until(in most cases)

they improve.

In order to effectively achieve the objectives of his mission

of practical and effective charity, he categorized the

multitude of the troubled souls into different groups and

cared for them socially and economically, according to the

nature of their problems, through different establishments as

follows:

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE

SOCIETY

i. Umuogbenye Ward: – This is where the abjectly poor

are kept, fed on daily basis and taken care of. In this ward,

Umuogbenye (the abjectly poor who have no means of

fending for themselves) are fed three times daily on equal

ratio. In other words, there is no special consideration or

favour irrespective of age, gender, language or ethnic group.

On regular intervals, Edeh visits the poor, the needy, the

young children and the aged. The Ward is coordinated under

the auspices of the Congregation of Sisters of Jesus the

Saviour which has a Rev. Sister coordinator as the head. The

Father Founder himself directs and approves other special

needs of the abjectly poor using his own discretion. His

charity works in the centre are hinged on his philosophy that

man “the good that is” Mma di, is God's own image and

therefore caring for man is inevitably caring for God.

ii. Founding of Motherless Babies' Home: – Edeh

founded Our Saviour Motherless Babies' Home in

1992, where abandoned children and the

motherless babies are given special care and


nurture. This home is also taken care of by the

Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour.

iii. Establishment of Youth Rehabilitation Centre for skill

acquisition and creation of employment opportunities: – Our

Saviour Rehabilitation Centre was established in the year

1986. The centre takes care of many people who are sick

and are abandoned by their families. These categories of

people are picked up and given free medical treatment. They

are helped to regain their health and then rehabilitated. They

are taught self-help small-scale projects such as production

of soap, wine, powder, stickers, and pomade and so on, in

order to help themselves and continue living their lives

meaningfully.

Edeh has also excelled in his charity works

through the provision of employment opportunities to the

youths. He considered this necessary because he is aware

that idle youths, whether educated or not, are serious

challenges to peace in the whole world. An idle mind, says a

proverb, is the devil's workshop. The idle youths take to

various crimes such as armed robbery, political thuggery,

street violence and gangsterism. Edeh took the issue of

unemployment of the teeming youths into consideration

while planning for his mission of practical and effective

charity. Through his establishments, he provided

employment to numerous youths in Nigeria and beyond.

This has helped to reduce the number of criminals and

perpetrators of different crimes to the barest minimum.

iii. Rehabilitation of the mentally deranged: – Edeh also

established a centre where mentally deranged

persons are kept and taken care of. Some of these

people are uncared for by their families and

relatives at the early stage of their illnesses. The

situation as a result, deteriorated and their cases


became so serious and they turned violent. This

kind

of people are gathered and cared for by the

Catholic Prayer Ministry Charity Scheme, Elele.

They are also treated free of charge by a team of

doctors and nurses from both Nigeria and abroad.

v. Free medical care for the abjectly poor and the

abandoned: – As the Holy Spirit continued to guide Fr.

Edeh's initiatives he established some Health Institutions

where the abjectly poor and the abandoned are taken care of

for over twenty four years now. He has progressively and

successfully put in place a good number of different health

and social welfare institutions such as:

One maternity hospital

One rehabilitation centre

One teaching hospital

One specialist diagnostic laboratory

One motherless babies home

One medical clinic

These health institutions are in line with the African

philosophy of being (man as the good that is) and are also

the realization of his mission of practical and effective

charity. Many people have, through this special mission and

care, enjoyed good health by receiving proper medical cares

from the centre. Free medical care in the areas of surgery,

diagnosis, and consultation has been given to many poor

people from different parts of the country, who resort to the

Pilgrimage Centre for assistance.

vi. Scholarship programme for the handicapped: – The

disadvantaged in the society are not left out by Fr. Edeh in

his educational benevolence to the youths. This scholarship

programme started in the year 1986 at OSISATECH


Polytechnic and College of Education Ogui Road, Enugu.

Free accommodation, free tuition and special classes are

created for the handicapped and the physically challenged

such as the deaf and dumb, the blind and the crippled.

Special arrangements are made with special lecturers who

are experts in the language of the deaf and the dumb.

The number of handicapped persons who have

graduated from both OSISATECH Polytechnic and

OSISATECH College of Education are innumerable. At

Madonna and Caritas Universities respectively, indigent

students are given scholarship and some others the

opportunity of work-study programme. The scholarship

programme has helped to make the blind, deaf and dumb,

and the crippled to become gainfully employed.

vii. Free medication for Bishops and elderly Priests: – In

due consideration of the health care of his Superiors (the

bishops), and his elder colleagues, Fr. Edeh runs a free

medical care scheme for them in the Madonna University

Teaching Hospital, Elele. Any Catholic Bishop or elderly

priest who is sick and is referred to the hospital is treated

free of charge. Often, some seriously sick priests have been

sent to the hospital by their bishops for treatment and they

received free medication.

Apart from the bishop and elderly priests, free

medication scheme is also extended recently to young

priests especially those in poor parishes and also to the poor

laity who either are recommended by their bishops or parish

priests or who come to the CPM Hospital, Elele on their

own.

viii. Establishment of Madonna International Charity

Peace Award: – as we shall see in chapter ten was to give

awards and honour to anybody from any part of the world

who has excelled in the perpetuation of grassroots charity.


This award is not under any government, or charitable

organization, or non-governmental organization

sponsorship. It is a dividend of Edeh's mission of practical

and effective charity which sows the seed of peace in the

hearts of millions of people of God who are suffering all

over the world and invariably bringing an enduring peace to

the modern world.

These awards are motivating factors to the recipients and an

encouragement for others to emulate for the sake of giving

peace to the world.

Contribution To The Development Of Education

Chapter Five

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF

EDUCATION

The effect of the Nigerian civil war was so devastating on

educational sectors of the country. This is one of the

country's sectors that received the blows of its sledge

hammer. Hence, the system collapsed, making way for the

upsurge of adverseion morality in various educational

institutions in the country. The situation was worsened by

the taking over of all public schools, which had been under

the care of missions by the Federal Governments just after

the war. Since then, educational system in Nigeria continued

to lose its vigour and focus. The polytechnics and

universities in the country turned to den of vices. The

citadels of learning in Nigeria became known for of rampant

killings, maiming of both students and lecturers, incessant

strike actions by the lecturers, violence, examination

malpractices, extortion and sexual harassment. There was a

general moral decadence in those academic environments.

That was not all, many secret and diabolic sects and

nocturnal cultic organization infested Nigerian tertiary

institutions like the biblical Egyptian plagues.

All these affected our youths negatively as they blinded

them from the values of education. Some degenerated into

armed robbers, school drop outs, and commercial sex

workers and as people without sense of direction. Parents of

the youths of our society cried for better schools which will

stand the test of time in academic and moral excellence. It

was at this juncture that Rev. Fr. Prof. E.M.P. Edeh stepped

in.


Rev. Fr. Prof E.M.P. Edeh made a critical analysis of the

above mentioned academic aberrations and then concluded

that virtues and peace do not flourish in a society where

proper education of the youths is neglected. He stepped in

not only as a mediator but, in its strict sense, a crusader to

wage war against the ugly situation in our institutions. He

succeeded by providing appropriate alternatives that

properly arrested the prevailing societal moral decadence by

establishing many different categories of schools from the

kindergarten to the university level in order that youths who

will be advocates of peace to the world are produced.

Founding of Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools

In 1986, shortly after the establishment of the Pilgrimage

Centre, Elele, an idea for the need for proper educational

institution to help the pupils of the area flew into the mind of

Rev. Fr. Edeh. He later nurtured this idea to fruition and

through personal hard work and ingenuity, and without any

financial assistance from any quarter; he established his first

academic institution – Our Saviour Girls Secondary School,

Elele. After two years of its inception, the Government of

River State enlisted it as one of the eleven private schools to

be closed down by the government. The school was then

later relocated to Aba in Imo State following a consensus ad

idem between the father founder, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Edeh

and the then military Governor of Imo State, Governor

Amadi Ikweche in 1990. The school therefore became the

first Catholic school founded by a missionary since after the

Nigerian Biafra civil war. When it however became

importunate to have a decent nursery, primary and

secondary school in the Pilgrimage Centre, the school was

re-restablished at Elele in 1998.

Some of Rev. Fr. Edeh's Nursery and Primary schools and

their years of establishments are as follows:


1. Elizableth Nursery and Primary School, Akpugo

established in 1997.

2. Our Saviour International Nursery and Primary

School, Elele, established in 1998.

3. Madonna Nursery and Primary School Abuja

established in the year 1998.

4. Caritas Nursery and Primary School, Ibadan,

established in the year 2007.

Some of Rev. Fr. Edeh's Secondary Schools and their years

of establishments are as follows:

1. Our Saviour Girls Secondary School, Aba, established

in 1990

2. OSISATECH (Our Saviour Institute of Science

Agriculture and Technology) Boys Secondary Schools,

Enugu, established in 1992

3. OSISATECH Girls Secondary School, Enugu,

established in 1992

4. Elizabeth Secondary School Akpugo, established in

1997

5. Madonna Secondary School, Garki, Area 3 Abuja,

established in 2003.

Founding of Tertiary Institutions

Rev. Fr. Edeh continuously continued to 'crack' his brain

while thinking about the welfare of the youths in our society,

the future leaders. He believes that if the youths are given

sound education, the society will be better and if that

happens there will be peace in the world. His thoughts led

him beyond the secondary education. He had the fear that if

the children should after acquiring good education from his

schools, and then be admitted into government owned higher


institutions, which are already virally infected with diseases

of cultism, examination malpractices, riots and strike

actions, they will have their consciences contaminated and

by then, all his efforts to provide sound academic

atmosphere for them from their kindergarten to secondary

level will be in futility. He then decided to take the bull by

the horn by making a formal request for the establishment of

a University.

However, Rev. Fr. Edeh has been a crusader against secret

cultism and other social vices in our tertiary Institutions.

This fight was speaking volume, and making waves in the

society. As a result, the then Military Head of State of the

Federation, General Ibrahim Babangida in a meeting with all

State Governors decided to hand onto his care some

important public schools to manage. After, Government

Robert Akonobi, the then Military Government of Anambra

State met with Rev. Fr. Edeh as an emissary of the Head of

State of Nigeria and with the news of taking over some

schools like St Theresa's College Nsukka, Holy Ghost

College Owerri and College of Immaculate Conception,

Enugu. He had a meeting with the Nigerian Union of

Teachers (NUT). At the end of their discussion, Rev. Fr.

Edeh discovered that situation in our educational system is

worse than he had imagined. He discovered that most of the

teachers themselves were corrupt and exhibit lackadaisical

attitudes towards their duties. His final decision was

therefore to reject the offer from the government and insist

on the establishment of his own school; he insisted on

getting the Government approve for him, the establishment

of his own schools from kindergarten through secondary

(which he had started) to the University level. This request

was later granted.


Rev. Fr. Edeh through the advice of the Ministry of

Education went into the establishment of a college of

education and a polytechnic as, according to the Ministry,

going straight into the establishment of a University may hit

a rock along the line. One of the reasons for this was that, by

then, there was no state owned University in the country, all

the universities were under the auspices of the Federal

Government. He had a full support of Governor Akonobi

and through his position, the father founder had his way.

OSISATECH College of Education and polytechnic was

officially commissioned in November 1989 under edit No

18 of Anambra State Government.

After the inception of the Institutions, to include the

Institutions in the JAMBPOLY became a hard nut to crack.

The argument was that the school was approved by the state

government under State Edit and secondly, that it is a non-

governmental institution while the POLYJAMB is for

National Polytechnics. Then as God may have it, the then

Minister for Education Prof. Fafunwa threw his weight over

the confusion and pulled it down arguing that any individual

should be encouraged who is ready and willing to open and

run tertiary institution viz-a-viz the present deplorable

condition of our educational system. That was how

OSISATECH polytechnic and OSISATECH College of

Education, Enugu were sustained. They were both approved

to run as a full polytechnic and a full college of education by

government of Nigeria. The polytechnic and college of

Education had been graduating students for more than

twenty years who also are gainfully employed with their

certificates anywhere in the world.

Founding of Universities

The struggle to reach the highest peak of establishment of

educational institutions continued in Rev. Fr. Edeh and the


desire to achieve this glowed in him like an unquenchable

candle light. He made this known to the then governor of

Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo when he (the

governor) and his cabinet members went to Fr Edeh's office

in OSISATECH polytechnic Enugu on a courtesy call to

appreciate his gesture in establishing two private tertiary

institutions in the country and for distinguishing himself

among other elites in the society. The purpose of their visit

also was to thank him for making Enugu State proud for the

fact that his two institutions, OSISATECH Polytechnic and

OSISATECH College of Education were the only functional

institutions throughout the whole country during a one year

strike embarked by other Institutions, in Nigeria.

So, on request for the establishment of a private University

from the governor, the governor did not hesitate but

promised to share the idea with his cabinet members and

House of Assembly for an approval. But before this could be

done, the Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, having been

impressed by successes of OSISATECH institutions which

were ringing bells in all the nooks and crannies invited Rev.

Fr. Edeh and discussed with him for the opening of the

University within his archdiocesan territory.

The process was more intense and more rigorous than that of

the establishment of the two OSISATECH institutions.

When Madonna University was finally approved by

Anambra State Government, another chapter of problem was

turned over. In 1993, Madonna University was

commissioned for the commencement of academic activities

with only eight hundred student, just one week after its final

approval by Anambra state Government. Surprisingly,

during one morning public announcement, with the reason

that the right and powers to grant approval to a University


and its establishment is only vested on the Federal

Government and not to the state.

Rev. Fr. Edeh was however disappointed but not

discouraged. He actually passed through a kiln in his frantic

efforts to convince the Federal Government for the approval

of a private University.

This struggle took him seven good years between 1993 and

1999 spanning through three successive administrations.

Through the intervention of the Holy Spirit, he was able to

convince General Ibrahim Babangida who, in 1994 directed

Hon. Justice Clement Akpangbo and his co-justices to enact

a Federal Law enabling the establishment of private

Universities in Nigeria.

This law which was made under Edit No 29 empowered the

Nigerian University Commission to go into the

implementation details. So, in 1995 a report was made in

one of the publications of National Universities

Commission, Abuja that it was only Madonna University,

among other 47 applicants for the establishment of private

universities that had struggled in meeting all the

requirements of the commission.

This Edit was not however signed into law before the exit of

General Ibrabim Babangoda and General Sani Abacha, who

accepted to sign, died eventually without accomplishing it.

Then General Sani Abacha's successor, Gen. Abdulsalami

Abubakar later signed the approval for the establishment of

private universities in Nigeria into law.

Having passed through all odds including a frustrating delay

to give a final approval of this University by NUC, Madonna

University was one of the three Universities [Igbinedion,


Babcock and Madonna Universities] the Federal

Government finally licensed on April 20, 1999. The Federal

Ministry of Education, in a colourful ceremony organized

the reception of the certificate of establishment and approval

to operate as a full fledged University by the three

Universities. Finally, Madonna University after undergoing

the rigorous processes of its establishment officially

commenced as a full-fledged private university on 22nd

May, 1999.

The Prestigious Madonna University

This university came as a quixotic response to the yearnings

of the society for the establishment of educational

institutions that will serve as remedies to those already

existing institutions which had been infested with virus of

corrupt. The response is one of Rev. Fr. Edeh's numerous

calculated successful efforts in alleviating the sufferings of

people through special care for the sick, the handicapped,

and the youths.

The conducive learning atmosphere, the credible and

uninterrupted programme of study, the sound moral and

academic environment, all these and more account for the

reason why the university is popular; consequently, results

in its tensile population growth to an exploding threshold.

This population explosion made it necessary for the creation

of more campuses of the university. Hitherto, the University

can boast of three campuses, one at Okija in Anambra State,

another at Elele in River State and the other at Akpugo in

Enugu State.

The university also currently has twelve faculties which

span through all the academic fields of study. From its

inception till date, the it has graduated more than fourteen


thousand students from different academic fields, most of

whom are currently working in different parts of the world.

Madonna University admits students not only from Nigeria

but also from all over the world and many of those students

have made Madonna university proud by writing her name

on an acme of gold though quality and excellent

representation both Nationally and internationally. Madonna

University have won many UNESCO awards in both essay

writing, law, accountancy and so on courtesy of one of the

student Mr. John Obiechina in an essay writing competition

organized by UNESCO for African University

undergraduates in the year 2004. Through Mr. Mfom

Mobong, one of the students, Madonna University also took

the first position in another intelligent essay competition

organized by UNESCO in OSLO, Norway for world

university undergraduates.

Caritas University

Like Madonna University, Caritas University is also one of

the fruits of the mission of practical and effective charity. It

is founded by Rev. Fr. Edeh in the year 2004 and established

in Amorji Nike in Enugu State with the objective among

other thing, to assist the abjectively poor in the society to

acquire education. The university have also graduated many

students in different academic fields most of whom are now

gainfully employed.

The primary aims of Rev Fr. Prof Edeh for establishing the

educational institutions are to promote sound education,

functional educational system, promote his mission of

practical and effective charity, development and

rehabilitation of not well-to-do persons so as to inject


abundant peace into the hearts of the troubled youths and

into our contemporary world.

Award of Scholarships

Rev. Fr. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh made available in his

educational institutions scholarship programmes for the

abjectly poor, the abandoned and the handicapped students.

The scholarship programme commenced in 1989 at

OSISATECH Polytechnic and college of education, Enugu

and is still maintained till date. The programme is

particularly for the handicapped and the physically

challenged such as the deaf and dumb, the blind and the

crippled.

These categories of students in the school are offered free

tuition and accommodation and special arrangements made

for special lecturers especially for the deaf and the dumb. In

the same vein Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh also created scholarship

programme at Madonna and Caritas Universities for indigent

students by granting to the beneficiaries free tuition or work

and study programme.

Situation of Peace and Harmony in Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel

Edeh's Schools

During my empirical research on the person of very Rev Fr.

Prof Emmanuel Edeh, some of the respondents whose

opinions were sought using questionnaires replied below

about the situation of peace and harmony in Rev. Fr. Edeh's

Schools.

Nwatu R: The situation of peace and harmony in Fr. Edeh's

schools are:

i. There has not been any students' riot or demonstration

ii. Students graduate on record time


iii. Discipline and obedience are the norm and code in Fr.

Edeh's schools.

Eze H.O: There is an outstanding peace and harmony in Fr.

Edeh's schools because there are no records of cultism there.

There is continuous monitoring of both students and

lecturers activities. There is high rate of discipline. These

give rise to peaceful academic environment of enviable

standard.

Okore E. U (KSM): Orderliness is next to Godliness.

Where there is order, there is peace. Orderliness and peace

come through discipline of mind and body. The result is

peace and harmony. All these are customary in Rev. Fr.

Edeh's schools.

Ogbodo A.U: The true situation of peace and harmony in

Rev. Fr. Edeh's schools are devoid of examination

malpractice and other social vices. The students are nurtured

both academically and morally. These make the

environment peaceful.

Umeano, R.N: In Rev. Fr. Edeh's schools, his teachings

have made deep impressions on his students that they make

academic excellence their main focus. Corruption,

immorality, crime, cultism and so on, which have been the

order of the day in many of our county's Institutions, cannot

be seen in Fr. Edeh's schools. This makes the environment

peaceful.

Manuel R. Ramos: The kind of peace in Rev. Fr. Edeh's

schools cannot be found in any other school. This peace and

harmony is brought about by high degree of adherence to the

rules and regulations of the schools and most importantly,


the students are involved in various religious organizations

and in church activities which keep them busy.

Godwin, M.F: The true situation of peace in Rev. Fr. Edeh's

schools is that the schools have never recorded any event of

gunshot or killing or maiming of either a students in the

name of cultic activities. Students and lecturers are their

brothers keepers.

Nwanne V.N: The moral standard of the students is

comparatively high and that gives no room for vices but

peace.

Iloh A.U: Rev. Fr. Edeh is an epitome of discipline, so a

mere mention of his name in any of his concerns, schools

inclusive, instills a kind of moral fear in the students and

therefore make the environment peaceful.

From the above responses, it is an established fact that there

is peace and harmony in Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh's schools. The

only academic environments which are devoid of such

canker worms like cultism, examination malpractice,

incessant strike actions, and riots, killing and destruction of

properties, sexual harassments, extortion and sorting,

epileptic administration of academic programmes and so on

are only those of Rev. Fr. Edeh's. There is a high level of

discipline among the students and lecturers alike, as well as

mutual and cordial relationship among them. This made all

Rev. Fr. Edeh's academic schools beam with blessedness,

peace and harmony. Taking for instance, Rev. Fr. Edeh's

Madonna University is popularly referred to as the

“prestigious Madonna University”.

Contribution to the Dev. of Religious Congregations

Chapter Six

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF

RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONS

OUTLINE:

- A sign of possibility for the continuity of Rev Fr.

Edeh's programmes for humanity [people's opinion]

- Congregation of Sisters of Jesus the Saviour

- Congregation of Fathers of Jesus the Saviour

- Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour [Male]

- Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour [Female]

THE CONTINUITY IN EDEH'S

PROGRAMMES FOR HUMANITY

Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh has made numerous investments (to the

glory of God) and has been at the upper echelon of

management of those establishments. The issue is whether

there are in those establishments of Rev. Fr. Edeh, signs or

possibilities for continuation of his programmes for

humanity. Therefore before we go further, let us look at the

following contributions made by the respondents whose

opinions were sampled with questionnaires during my

empirical research.

Dr. Okwudili M.I. (KSJ) believes that Edeh's idea to

establish, the Congregations of religious men and women

are evidences of perpetuation of his programme for

humanity.

Iloh A. U. states that there is possibility for continuation of

his (Edeh's) programmes. She gave a reason that in each of


the establishments, Fr. Prof. Edeh trains people for

leadership, management and administration of the

establishments from his Religious Congregations.

Ramos, a Philippine, strongly believes in the possibility of

continuity of the programmes for humanity in the various

academic institutions of Fr. Edeh. He observed that the

members of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour and the

members of Fathers of Jesus the Saviour are being sent for

studies in his Universities and Overseas to acquire

knowledge in the running of the various institutions he

established.

Okore, E.U. anchors his reasons for believing that there are

possibilities of continuity in Rev. Fr. Edeh's establishments

on the fact that he embarked on the most important form of

investment which is the investment on human capital. He

identified multiple effects of this type of investment as

enduring from generation to generation for the benefit of

humanity and the Nigerian society in general.

Eze, H. O. states his own reason for believing in the

possibility continuity that Edeh employs men and women of

high professional qualification who are experienced and

committed to duty and are of high moral standard.

Eze, Kenneth holds that Fr. Edeh's establishments have

every possibility of continuity as his establishments are in

the repository of a group that has wholly devoted their lives

to the service of God and humanity.

Dr. Eneh J.O. explains that the sign of possibility for the

continuity is due to the fact that some of the workers have

benefited from the management training programmes and

are quite willing to continue the programmes for humanity.

He revealed that some of them who were sent overseas for


studies returned to continue their works which are geared

towards alleviating the suffering of the poor. He identified,

as an example some Rev. Sisters who were sent to overseas

for medical studies and who have returned to Elele as

qualified medical practitioners and are now deeply involved

in promoting the continuity of Edeh's programme for

humanity.

Ogbonna, V.E. supports the continuity with two reasons. In

the first place, he states that Edeh's works are divinely

inspired and so God's works are endless. Secondly, that he

has founded Religious Congregations trained to manage his

Institutions.

In summary therefore, many of the respondents attributed

the establishment of various Congregations of Religious

men and women to Fr. Edeh's plan for the continuity of his

programmes for humanity. For when he gets well on in age,

and his strength begins to fail him, they will be around to

manage his Institutions.

It is believed without equivocation that Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh is a planner of an unequalled comparism. A

good planner makes a good plan and a good plan precedes

good implementation, and good results. In management,

planning is the greatest instrument for a successful project.

If one fails to plan, he plans to fail.

While Fr. Edeh planned and executed his projects, he also

thought of how to sustain the existence of those

establishments. That is the reason why Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh, just like mother Theresa of Calcutta,

founded Religious Congregations made up of men and

women who are being nurtured in order to perpetuate his

existential and practical implementation of African


philosophy in real life situations through his mission of

practical and effective charity. The founding of these

religious men and women is important for ensuring the

continuous existence of Rev. Fr Edeh's programmes of the

Pilgrimage Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Educational

and Health Institutions and other various establishments for

the emancipation of mankind from the slavery and shackles

of poverty and suffering. They are charged with the

responsibility of maintaining the status quo of those

establishments in keeping with the original spirit with which

the establishments are founded.

The Religious Congregations include:

a. Sisters of Jesus the Saviour (SJS)

b. The Fathers of Jesus the Saviour (FJS)

c. The Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour (Male)

d. The Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour (Female)

The Sisters of Jesus the Saviour

This Congregation is founded by Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh in the

year 1985. It is the first among other Religious

Congregations founded by him. Its foundation stone was laid

by most Rev. E. Fitzgibbon, the then Bishop of Port

Harcourt Diocese. The Reverend Sisters that belong to this

Congregation live and work in many communities, in

different dioceses in the country, but have their headquarters

at Elele, Port Harcourt Diocese. They also work in different

parts of the world such as Soufriere in the Caribbean Island,

Miami, New York, Detroit, England and also in Germany

and Philippines.

It is important to state that they are generally charged with

the responsibility of holistic care of the sick and the people

of God who are suffering spiritually, mentally, physically,

psychologically, and academically. They are also given the


responsibility of re-vitalization the Catholic Education of the

helpless youths of the society.

The Fathers of Jesus the Saviour

This is the second Religious Congregation founded by the

“Father Founder”; Rev Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh in the year

1991 for the uplifment of faith and spirituality in the

Catholic Church. The Congregation was canonically

inaugurated by late Most Rev. Dr. Albert Obiefuna, the

archbishop emeritus of Onitsha archdiocese. The first

Priestly Ordination of the Fathers of Jesus the Saviour took

place in 2002 and many more have taken place since then.

Their main activities include helping in the deepening of the

faith of Christian, and Reconciliation of families and

communities in conflicts. Like their counterparts the Sisters

of Jesus the Saviour; they are also committed to highlighting

the devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, spiritual and

corporal works of mercy; and education of the youth.

The Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour (Male)

Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

founded this Congregation. This was established to make the

running of the Pilgrimage Centre smooth and viable,

spiritually. The Contemplatives kicked off in December,

1991 and have progressed rapidly with several temporal

professions and final professions of their members.

As the Holy Spirit directed, Rev Fr Prof Edeh then saw the

need for a foundation of a group of people who will take

upon themselves all the activities of the Pilgrimage Centre in

deep spiritual contemplation and in perpetual adoration of

Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The members of these

Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour dedicate their lives

entirely to prayers and contemplation. Apart from this, the

Contemplatives in their enclosure, care for the sick and the


suffering people of God through their ascetic works, prayers

and contemplation; with special dedication to Jesus in the

Blessed Sacrament. They sustain themselves through charity

which occasionally comes from well wishers but to a large

extent, through farming and cultivation of different varieties

of crops, the running of modern poultry farms and

production of pure vegetable oil and palm oil.

This Religious Congregation has touched the heart of God

through the special spiritual, prayerful and contemplative

life which will greatly advance the rich of peace in our

modern world.

The Contemplatives of Jesus of Saviour (Female)

The was also founded by Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh in the year

2008 at Amorji Nike in Enugu State. Like their male

(Contemplative) counterparts, they live a saintly life of

solitude in a secluded place and commit their lives to

prayers especially to the sick and the suffering and for the

success of Rev. Fr Edeh's mission of practical and effective

charity, that brings peace to the word. From the above, we

can see that Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh has made adequate

arrangement for the continuity of his programmes of peace

to the world. He founded these Religious Congregations and

made provisions for the proper training of their members in

different walks of life, and then employed them in his

numerous diversified establishments. More so, he gradually

puts them at the helm of affairs for proper administration of

these establishments.

Various Analysis of Edehistic Philosophy

Chapter Seven

VARIOUS ANALYSIS OF EDEHISTIC PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy critically reviews the way of life of people in

their daily multifarious experiences. A critical inquiry into

the rationale behind every aspect of man`s life, is also one of

the major concerns of philosophy. Any profound

philosophical inquiry ignites more inquiries, provokes more

thoughts, and so forth. When thought is provoked, reactions

follow. The reactions vary in contents and dimensions.

Following this trend of thought, one is to be presented here

with the appraisal of people of the philosophy of Very Rev.

Fr. Prof. Emmanuel M.P. Edeh. The African philosophy

articulated by Fr Edeh has ignited discussions among

intellectuals of various specialties and different quarters,

especially, the African philosophers.

The Faculty of Philosophy and the Department of Research

of the Madonna University published the fruits of one of the

researches that they conducted on the African Philosophy

articulated by Fr Edeh and the import of its contents.

The excerpts below, which will help to throw more light on

the practical import of Edeh`s philosophy, are the appraisals

of this philosophy under the theme “Aspects of Edeh`s

Philosophy:

Rev. Fr. Emeka Ezenwajiaku, a Saviourite Priest and

lecturer in the Institute of Bioethics, Madonna University, in

the introduction to the above work pointed out that,


The authenticity of African man's life and existence is

determined, therefore, by the degree of his relationship with

the ultimate cause, the source of his life and existence.

Important for an African, too, is his relationship with his

fellow men and the understanding of the world around him.

This God-man-world conceptual scheme of relationship

featured prominently in Edeh's reflection on being as the

guiding principle of man's action. Man as good that is and

the summit of creation resembles God his creator and

partakes in his supreme goodness. The names Chiamaka,

Chidimma, Chibumma (God is good) are common among

the Igbo-Africans as confirmation of their belief and

expressions of the goodness of God.

At this juncture, it is worthy to mention that regarding the

notion of man as the optimal good that is in the hierarchy of

creation, Edeh swiftly clarifies that man is “not to be

understood as “good in se” because no one is “good in se”

except God.” (cf. Towards an Igbo Metaphysics, p.100). In

Edeh's thought, man's resemblance of his Maker has

consequential effect. Thus, since God cares and provides for

man and did not abandon him to the fate of the universe,

man must face this challenging duty of caring for his fellow

man too in the spirit of brotherhood, having originated from

the same good God. This is the root of the African spirit of

brotherliness that Edeh unearthed; the conviction that man is

ontologically good and deserves care and respect. He thus,

postulates:

“If we accept man as the good that is, we must establish

realities that depict man as such, realities that are

metaphysically focused towards uplifting man from his low

state that tends to make man sub-human, that is, the state

that categorizes him as the sick, the suffering, the abjectly

poor, the handicapped, the deaf, the dumb, the blind, the


abandoned, the crippled, the helpless, the uneducated, etc.

(cf. Peace to the Modern World, p.5)

This duty of caring for one another manifests itself to a great

extent in the communal existence of the Africans. Of course,

the core reflection of Edeh's philosophy of being is that of

man's authentic realization of himself as God's prime

creature that possesses the highest possible good within the

created realm. At the root of the African man's life is the

spirit of brotherliness through which he remains conscious

of his existence in the community with others (the “we”-

existence). As a communitarian being, he remains conscious

of the fact that his freedom is not meant to infringe on

another's so as not to bias the peaceful living of the members

of his community. One can comfortably establish that the

“we”-existence which the African metaphysics proliferates

takes a triangular shape having at its vertexes the individual,

the community and the creator.

With this, the giant African philosopher touches the main

interrogatives with regard to human existence that address

significantly the existential realities of man's life especially

in this contemporary time, believing that life must be lived

worthily by free beings in fruitful and serene environments.

The vitality and communal life of the Africans holds in high

esteem, respect for life as it recognizes the sacredness of

life.

Sr. Dr. Purissima Egbekpalu, a member of the Congregation

of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour and a Senior Lecturer;

talking on “Edeh`s Philosophy of Being: A Practical

Approach” observed:

“In this context, we are mainly concerned with the being of

man. The existential question: Who is man? derived its


explanation from Edeh's notion of being which in turn

emanated from the Igbo-African concept of man, whose

understanding is rooted in the lived experience of the people

and their notion of man as mmadu (mma-di), which means,

the good that is, or the beauty of life. It is interesting to note

that Edeh's notion of being is not just the actuality of a being

occurring in a specific place under specific condition but

existing veritably in conformity to the truth of reality and in

continuance of life. This can be referred to as 'authentic

existence'. In this regard, Edeh manifests and implements a

lived experience of an African philosophy that leads to true

and authentic existence. Viewing man from a very optimistic

standpoint as a very unique creature of God, it could be

rightly said that he replaces the Western existentialists'

pessimistic notion of man with the African optimistic beauty

of life mma-di, (the good that is). Man's actualization of his

ontological nature as the good that is, is therefore, possible

in the light of reasoning and realization that he is of a divine

origin and should act accordingly.”

Considering another equally aspect of Fr Edeh`s thought,

another Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Dr. Eruka, C.

Raphael, examined “Edeh`s Understanding of Proverbs”

stressing that,

“According to Edeh, proverbs are “brief popular epigrams”;

some kind of short sayings that are pregnant with meaning.

Proverbs are sparks of wise sayings that have their

permanent place in Igbo conventional discourse. It is one

linguistic treasure in which traditional wisdom is implicit. It

has been recognized as the most important and significant

aspect of Igbo thought dimension or development process.

Because philosophy is a serious undertaking, the Igbo regard

the mastery and management of proverbs as a serious task.

Edeh is very clear on this. For him, “proverbs are used by


male elders.” Edeh would rather balance the equation by

maintaining that folklores – moonlight didactic tales,

children's stories, poems etc are mainly for women and

children. The implication of the preserve of proverbs for

male elders is straightforward: male elders are mainly the

custodians of community wisdom. They are the ones who,

because of their familiarity with the body of community

values, are capable of synthesizing new information out of

existing ones and actually raising the human understanding

of his environment to new frontiers. The elders, by virtue of

their roles as traditional community organization agents:

builders of structures of governance, moulders of men and

charters of the course of progress, are by that very fact the

light-bearers of traditional civilization efforts. Thus, they are

the philosophers in the midst and at the service of the

people. They are the progenitors of ideas, custodians of

community consciousness, the collective mental wealth; and

the cautious application of all these for the common good.

Edeh is emphatic: There can be no important discussion or

public speech in which the elders participate that is not

replete with proverbs”

Akpa, Ejike of the Faculty of Philosophy, considering the

aspect of reconciliation, justice and peace in Edeh`s

philosophy under the title, “Justification of Punishment in

the light of Edeh`s Philosophy of Being” posited that,

“African philosophy as articulated by Edeh through his

articulation of Igbo metaphysics firmly establishes that man

is good, having been created by God who is goodness in

totality. The ontological goodness of man notwithstanding,

he participates in evil by allowing himself to be influenced

and manipulated by evil and wicked spirits. The evil deeds

of man result in suffering, conflicts, quarrels and wars

amongst men. Edeh was as poised to redressing the anomaly


by trying to eliminate the factors that necessitate suffering,

conflicts, quarrels and wars. He was resolved to bringing

succor to the suffering and peace to families and people who

have one conflict or the other. In Peace to the Modern

World, he wrote that what he calls his mission of practical

and effective charity is “bringing peace to the world through

bringing peace to the individuals, the sick and the

suffering….” (p.25). Hence, peace, for him, is not mere

absence of war, because there may be a situation of absence

of war, yet no peace. If a man is sick, hungry, or disabled, he

will not know peace notwithstanding the fact that there is no

war. A community that is ravaged by famine or pestilence

will not know peace even though it is not at war with any

other community. For Edeh, “peace that lasts is the presence

of the factors and forces that eliminate and even prevent

conflict, minimize tensions”. Edeh's type of peace is ushered

into the society through special and effective charity which

makes available justice, honesty, education, morality, health,

development and respect for the dignity of the human

person. How does punishment contribute towards this kind

of peace?”

Edeh recognizes that African philosophy is not a mere

objective, abstract science but a practical science, a lived

philosophy such that whatever is conceptualized

metaphysically is translated into action. In view of that, he

established organs that would enhance the restoration of

peace to troubled individuals and communities; relief, hope

and succor to the suffering and despondent as well as justice

to the downtrodden and oppressed. One of the organs is 'The

Centre for Peace and Reconciliation'. The centre is where

families, communities and individuals who are in conflict

come and reconcile their differences and live peacefully

with one another. Edeh recognizes that in the Igbo world,

communalism instead of individualism is upheld very


strongly. Similarly, the care for one another is a virtue that is

practiced by nearly everybody within the society. The

principles of “igwe bu ike” (multitude is strength); and

“onye ayana nwanne ya”-let no one leave his brother behind

(be your brother's keeper) are strongly entrenched in the

Igbo society and their applications manifest in the Igbo

communal life. For these reasons, the Igbos ought not to

have conflict with one another; but conflicts still exist. Edeh

is aware of this and established the centre to reconcile

warring brothers, families and communities. Presumably, the

centre will be emphasizing forgiveness which undoubtedly

is a paramount requirement in the quest for peace and

reconciliation.

Finally, the arbiter or enforcer has authority to impose the

'punishment' in the sense that the conflicting parties repose

confidence in the arbiter to justly and impartially adjudicate

for them. In other words, both parties recognize and accept

the authority of the arbiter. Through the Centre for Peace

and Reconciliation which is rooted in core Igbo values and

principles of oneness, love and care for one another,

goodness of man and mutual relationship with each other are

restored. Edeh has settled more disputes than most

customary and high courts in Africa thereby restoring lasting

peace to “individuals, families, clans, kindred's and towns.”

The erudite scholar, philosopher, social scientist, logician

and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. C.B. Nze,

reviewed the “Igbo Idea of Life and Death in Fr Edeh`s

Work: An Added Perspective”. He started with questions

like:


What is life? What is good life? What is the purpose of life?

What is good death? How can death be good; what is good

about death?

Replying to these questions, he postulated that,

“Good life does not mean exclusively life of sumptuousness,

debauchery or prodigality; it is a life full of the care of one's

neighbours, life of communal mindedness; life that accepts

man, in the words of Edeh, as “good that is” Additionally, it

is a life of moral rectitude free from any attempt to sabotage

the economy of one's community or that of one's individual

brothers, sisters and friends. It is life that finds solace that

discovers and values human essence as “created by God and

ontologically good and deserving of care and respect”. It is

life that places value in belonging to and sharing with the

entire community.

By good death, the dead man's loss as a living member of

the family community is not only slight but is adequately

compensated for, by the addition of a beneficent spirit force

in the spirit land (ani mmuo).

It is the aspiration of an Igbo-man to die well and be born to

“… a world where the human beings who have left this

material world remain until they are able to be

reincarnated.” To achieve this feat is to die well and it

reduces the painful sting of death; it is to survive, to exist.

Dying well does proud to oneself, one's family and ones

relations, dead and alive. It is full of hope – hope of

resurrection, reunion and reincarnation. “Here, the principle

of Aristotle's corruption and generation has more sense and

application for it follows that coming-to-be of anything, if it

is absolutely necessary.”


Oparah A. Thaddeus of the Faculty of Philosophy tackled

the question of “Complementarity in Edeh`s Metaphysics”,

underscoring that,

“We want to think that complementarity will be fundamental

to our understanding of human wholeness and how we relate

to each other and the world. Using certain ideas as contained

in E.M.P. Edeh's, Towards an Igbo Metaphysics, we aim at

demonstrating that complementarity could be a big boost to

the Igbo societal relational understanding and brotherhood,

effectively punctured by post-colonial and post-civil war

events/experience and the need for survival. Edeh built a

bridge using the idea of communication, tradition, language,

culture and religion as veritable paradigms in the Igbo

existential prowess. Our argument is that the idea of

complementarity could be an effective challenge/ check to

the Igbo's individualism that seems to uproot the Igbo man

from his base. We are holding this, believing in the Igbo

philosophy of igwe bu ike. Therefore, we are reading Edeh's

Towards an Igbo Metaphysics to rediscover a lost existential

'treasure' of oneness, unity and brotherhood.

The Idea of Complementarity in Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics

The discourse on complementarity in Edeh's Towards an

Igbo Metaphysics is contained in Edeh's assessment of Igbo

language, culture, community, tradition and the socio-

religious milieu (p.2). Take the instance of language; Edeh

conceptualizes Igbo language to be an act of the community,

like every other language, used in communication and doing

many other communal activities. But, unlike any other

human community, he credits the Igbo community

specifically with building a formidable linkage through

social interaction and communication. Hence he asserts:


“Among the Igbos, the ties of blood and community are very

strong. Social communication and interaction are on a

personal level, usually face to face. In local communities,

the spoken word is used as a means of establishing harmony

and friendly relations between parties. A sense of

integration, community solidarity and sympathetic

relatedness are thus established, strengthened and fostered

(cf. Towards an Igbo Metaphysics, p.46).

For Edeh, this could be evident in the length of time spent in

greetings between fellows either in homes, market places,

roadside or in village squares. The import of such exchange

is not felt by strangers as it only impacts on the Igbo to

whom they “form part of the emotional and social matrix

uniting more serious forms of relationships.” (P.46).

Edeh, following Obiechina, underscored this, through what

he called the “kola hospitality” of the Igbos as captured

through proverbial interlocutions because “there can be no

important discussion or public speech in which the elders

participate that is not replete with proverbs”. (P.47).

Many scholars in different fora have discussed in various

manners the African philosophy articulated by Fr Edeh. The

above have just been a sampling of some of these.

Social Aspects of Edehistic Philosophy

Chapter Eight

SOCIAL ASPECTS OF EDEHISTIC

PHILOSOPHY

Man is a social animal. He is always in a community, from

conception, gestation to parturition; from infancy to

adolescence and to adulthood till death. Any philosophy,

which does not reckon with this fact, is a dead philosophy.

Edeh`s philosophy corroborates this fact and that was why it

started and ended with it. It is a homocentric conception of

the universe and this latter is, however, theocentric.

To appreciate therefore, the import of Edeh`s philosophy to

the development of the society, an International Convention

was organized by the Madonna University, Elele campus on

the 25th day of November, 2010. The summarized fruits of

this Convention, which will go further to assess the views of

various philosophers on the philosophy of Edeh, will help

one to appreciate the person, thought and activities of Fr

Edeh.

We will start here with the words in the Preface to the work

that was eruditely presented by the Vice Chancellor of the

Caritas University, Enugu (a university founded by Fr

Edeh), Prof Lawrence Onukwube, as follows:

“African Philosophy has become a kind of intellectual

elephant meat from where various and variegated academic

pieces of meat can be obtained and devoured. We notice this

sterling quality in Igbo Metaphysics. It is known for its

extra-ordinary versatility. It has connections to law, politics,

linguistics, mathematics, communication, economics and


effective charity. During the Madonna University

International Convention mentioned above many scholars

and lovers of African philosophy gathered to wrack brains

and rob minds on the relations of Igbo Metaphysics to

human society. We thank Almighty God for sustaining us

and crowning all those who in one way or the other

contributed to the success of the convention.

In a very special way we are grateful to Very Rev. Fr. Prof.

Emmanuel M. P. Edeh the author of the work Towards an

Igbo Metaphysics, which served as the rallying point and pot

for the intellectual banquet. Of course the ground-breaking

work has remained a milestone in the history of philosophy

in Africa in particular and in the world in general. Father

Founder we are glad for you and your path breaking efforts

in African philosophy.”

Following the above is the Introduction to the work made by

its editor/Deputy Vice Chancellor of Caritas University,

Assoc. Prof. Remy Onyewuenyi, CSSp. As follows:

“In just the same connection when many comments about

philosophy and Africa were flying around and crying for

attention an icon arose from the African philosophical

chessboard to propose a paradigm which has formed a

pathway to real and examined life which is well worth

living. When Edeh came up with his Igbo Metaphysics some

twenty-six years ago, little did the world know that he

stumbled upon a pot of solution to the many errors ravaging

our country, our continent and our world. From the point of

view of God as Chineke and Osebuluwa, Edeh discovers

that God is the maker and sustainer of the world always and

everywhere. His metaphysics is a theological piece which of

necessity has a practical dimension. It is on account of the

relevance of the work across the globe that citizens of


various countries of the world have called on him to come

over like the Macedonian call made to Paul, and help them

with his ground-breaking philosophy. During his intellectual

tours around the countries of the world like Germany, Italy,

USA, Benin Republic, and so on, the potential versatility of

the work became even more evident.”

Fr. Francis Nwakile of the Saviourite Theologate, Enugu,

who talked about, “Language and Linguistics in the

Philosophy of Emmanuel Edeh”, has this to say:

“Amidst these categories of what philosophy is, what then

could be the objective of philosophy? Is it to interpret reality

or to be engaged in a futile battle or to embark on

inconclusive enquiries? One is free to take his or her

position. However, this work adapts the view that the core

objective of philosophy is to “understand understanding,”

that is, to interpret reality. In one's strife to understand

understanding or in the views of Hegel and Spencer to

interpret reality, language, inevitably, is a necessary tool for

as a flexible instrument, it is dynamic and/or creative in

nature, and thus, able to match the open-endedness of human

experiences, perceptions and actions. This dynamic and/or

creative nature of language makes it a reliable medium for

exploring, recording and developing man's knowledge of the

(physical) world and of his own nature. Prof. Edeh in his

book Towards an Igbo Metaphysics brings this core role or

objective of language to a limelight by identifying and

articulating African Philosophy from his analysis of Igbo

language and culture.

Through his analysis and interpretation of Igbo thought

content – language and culture, Prof. Edeh brought to the

academic forefront the African understanding of being

(reality) as Ife-di and man as mmadi (the good that is) the

being through which we can know the “Supreme Good”


itself who is God Chi-ukwu, the God who is creating (Chi-

na-eke), and who is carrying, caring for, and sustaining the

world, (Ose-bulu-uwa).

His knowledge of Igbo language and culture helped him to

be able to explore Igbo thought content, abstract and

systematize African view of reality thereby explaining to the

world how Africans view and understand “being” (reality)

through the vehicle of Igbo language.

The import of Prof. Edeh's articulation of African

Philosophy may not be fully appreciated if one fails to

understand the necessary connection between the search for

knowledge (epistemology) and the interpretation of reality

known also as metaphysics. Hence this work will attempt to

show the relationship between epistemology and

metaphysics before exploring Edeh's abstraction of African

Philosophy from Igbo thought content.

As it is axiomatic that to know implies a knowing subject, so

also it is self-evident that to know is to exist. This implies

that, the presence of a metaphysical being is a must, an

indispensable necessity in the process of knowing an

epistemological process. This work is a critical exposition of

Edeh's philosophy of action and doing which stems from his

claim that African philosophy is a lived philosophy

expressed in the people's rituals, language and other cultural

manifestation.

Hence, Nze strongly contends that knowledge is acquired

when there is a complete or exhaustive enumeration by

name of the simple components of the complex. Thus, Prof.

Edeh exhaustively in a simplified form gave African

Philosophy which he extracted and abstracted from Igbo

thought content, language and culture.”


Thinking and acting on “Edeh`s Philosophy of Action and

Doing” Kingsley Oru of the Spiritan School of Philosophy

Isienu Nsukka, noted that:

“This work is a critical exposition of Edeh's philosophy of

action and doing which stems from his claim that African

philosophy is a lived philosophy expressed in the people's

rituals, language and other cultural manifestation. According

to Edeh, African philosophy moves from theory to action; it

does not end with mere theoretical speculation which only

serves the purpose of intellectual exercise. Immersing

himself in this African thought pattern, Fr. Edeh developed

his philosophy which is expressed in his total commitment

in bringing relief to the suffering people of the world. Hence

this work, in a nutshell, buttresses the fact that Edeh's

philosophy is a unity of thought and action….

Fr. Edeh is a 21st century thinker who thinks in activity; he

translates his active contemplation into contemplative

action. This is made obvious in that while other African

thinkers were describing African philosophy, Fr. Edeh went

into doing it which is why he is the first to articulate African

philosophy in his master piece Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics. Fr. Edeh holds that man is “good that is.” This

implies that man is ontologically good owing to the fact that

he is a creation of a Supreme Being who is 'Good in se.' Man

therefore is left with a single option of caring and preserving

human life.

Edeh's philosophy of action and doing is a concrete

realisation of African philosophy. He holds that African

philosophy articulated in his Towards an Igbo Metaphysics

is a lived philosophy which must be expressed in practical

terms. Fr. Edeh delved into the Igbo concept of Being with

much reference to man. The understanding of being from the


point of view of Igbos is conceived from two perspectives:

'Onye' hypothesis and 'Ife' hypothesis. The concept of 'Onye'

in Igbo ontology designates either spiritual being or human

being. In other words, it does not include inanimate and

immaterial entities. In his search for a more embracing

hypothesis, Edeh came up with 'Ife' hypothesis. 'Ife'

primarily means 'thing', material or immaterial, animate or

inanimate. For him, Ife hypothesis refers to a happening, an

event, an occurrence.

Sequel to the above, it is obvious that Igbo notion of being

as 'ife' is all embracing; It cuts across animate and material

objects to inanimate and immaterial entities. Igbo notion of

being as 'ife' also designates particulars because when

affixed to any adjective or verb it designates a particular

thing. However, it is important to note that Igbo

understanding of being as ife does not qualify as an adequate

translation of what being is. Ife does not emphasize the

possibility of existence and exclusion of non-existence. To

solve this puzzle, Edeh employed the Igbo verb 'to be' 'idi.'

'Idi' is used as a suffix to show that a thing exists; for

instance, Chukwud', God who exists. Thus, the most

comprehensive translation of being in Igbo language is 'Ife-

di' because it covers both the material and the immaterial

entities with the exclusion of non-existents.

Discussing further, Fr. Edeh observed that Igbo people

derive a clearer notion of being from the awareness of self.

It is obvious that a clearer understanding of being begins

with awareness of 'what is' which can be easily grasped by

the awareness of self. This follows from the fact that a man

cannot deny the awareness of his own self. This is akin to

Descartes 'ego cogito.' One may doubt the existence of every

other thing but he cannot doubt the fact that he is a doubter


thus, a doubting thing. With this, Fr. Edeh came to the

threshold of Igbo notion of man.

Thus far, we have seen that man is ontologically good and

deserves nothing but care and respect. If Edeh's philosophy

of action and doing, and his concept of man are imbibed, the

peace which has eluded the world for centuries would be

realized. We have to acknowledge the fact that despite the

atrocities in the world, man has an innate goodness in him

which stems from his creator. If adopted, no one will feel

comfortable to pull the trigger on his fellow man. No one

will pay deaf ear to his suffering fellow. I assume therefore,

that Edeh's philosophy which he is living out will lead man

to the promise land of world peace.”

The Mathematicality of Igbo Metaphysics was the theme

tackled by Fr. Oliver Udaya of the Madonna University

Chaplaincy, Elele Campus, Rivers State. He underscored

that:

“Every record-breaking and thought-provoking piece of

work such as Igbo Metaphysics usually links up so many

aspects of learning and creates sideways to its thought

pattern. Emmanuel M. P. Edeh's philosophy as articulated in

Igbo Metaphysics has strong connection among other

disciplines to mathematics. The philosophy goes from the

visible (created man) to the invisible (Creator God), from

pure (theoretical) to applied (practical) exercise and is

universally acceptable on account of its clarity of content

and process. And this is exactly how mathematics operates

at least contemporaneously. Guided by this realization

Oliver makes bold not only just to declare but as well to

painstakingly demonstrate the mathematicality of Igbo

Metaphysics along the lines of three principles that the duo

share in common….


When one critically examines Emmanuel M. P. Edeh's

philosophy as contained in his ground-breaking 1985 work,

Towards an Igbo Metaphysics, one can observe some clear

connection between it and the world of Mathematics. On

one hand, Mathematics moves from the known to the

unknown and Igbo Metaphysics operates in that same mode

too. On the other hand Mathematics has assumed a practical

dimension as a complement to the ancient pure mathematics

and Igbo Metaphysics too has as its key character a

combination of theory and practice popularly referred to as

EPTAISM (Edeh's Philosophy of Thought and Action).

Mathematical principles, prospects and shapes are mostly

universal ones. A circle in Nigeria for instance remains a

circle everywhere you go in the whole universe. In the same

manner, if two and two is equal to four on the South pole the

answer remains the same when one moves to the North pole.

This brand of universality or universal application can be

attributed to the philosophy of Emmanuel M. P. Edeh. The

principle of human being as mma di can be sustained

anywhere in the universe for no place on earth has refused to

rejoice in the event of the birth of any new human being.

The universal practice in which people put on a joyful mood

at the birth of a new human being points to the validity of

the claim that a human being is a “good that is.” … Hence

the idea of goodness (idi mma or mma di) cannot be limited

to man (in just one place or geographical location in the

universe). Therefore mma di ness of the madu (human

being) as created by God is as universal as any of the

universal mathematical principles always and everywhere….

Emmanuel M. P. Edeh's philosophy is a composite

philosophy meaning by that it is an African discipline which

combines theory and practice. It is also a holistic philosophy

whereby people reason from the level of the visible things in


this world unto the level of the unseen realities in the

invisible world. In a similar vein mathematics traditionally

begins with the known before proceeding to the unknown

aspect. Through the use of abstraction and logical reasoning,

mathematics evolved from counting, calculation,

measurement, and the systematic study of the shapes and

motions of physical objects. This relates to Edeh's

conceptual movement from man, a visible reality, to God,

the invisible reality).”

Alexander Umenze of the Spiritan International School of

Theology Attakwu, Enugu worked on the topic, “.The

Philosophy of Emmanuel Edeh and Law”. In it he holds that:

“The undeniable fact that man is a social being, 'a being

with' underlines the assertion that man must of necessity live

in a community. To this end, many scholars have advocated

and presented arguments how the society came to be. It is an

indubitable fact that no organized society exists without law,

and equally there is no law without a society, since the

purpose of law is to guide and regulate people's conducts

and actions within the society. In other words, if people do

not come together in mutual agreement to form a society,

there will be no society in the first instance, and if there is

no society then there can be no law, since law does not exist

on its own alone and for its own sake. Hence the maxims:

Ubi societe ibi jus, ubi jus ibi remedium, ubi remedium ibi

justitia- (where there is a society there is law, where there is

law there is remedy, and where there is remedy there is

justice). It is this justice that informs the purpose of the

society. Thus, this paper attempts to present Edeh's

philosophy and its relation to law, owing to the fact that law

is meant to guide and check man's excesses….

From the foregoing, one notices that the philosophy and

theology of Emmanuel Edeh which is typified in his book


'Towards an Igbo Metaphysics' highlights the Igbo notion of

being; which serves as a framework for understanding the

place of man in creation and the essence of the law in the

society. From the Igbo notion of being (which is derived

from man) as Mma di the good that is, Edeh arrived at the

provenance mma di, which has its base on the creator….

Moreover, since this underlines the fact that man is naturally

good created by the Almighty; it then follows that every

human person should care for his fellow man, just as God

provides and cares for his creatures. In this sense, the love

that is shown to man by the creator must be the bane of

every activity among men.

Furthermore, the recognition of the good that is in every

man, paves way for man to be charitable to his fellow men;

it also helps to inform peace among humanity. As such, man

is called to recognize the rights of other men, thereby

enabling them to foster peace and love in the world.

Consequently, this peace cannot be totally achieved without

the law to serve as a constant reminder to man that he has

the utmost obligation to care for his fellow man. In the

words of Edmund Agbo (2010:204) “the philosophy of

theory and practice espoused by Edeh pays off here. The

Centre for Reconciliation, Peace and Justice established by

Edeh in the year 1985 at the Pilgrimage Centre of

Eucharistic Adoration and Special Marian Devotion, Elele

bears eloquent testimony to this fact…the theories

developed in Towards an Igbo Metaphysics were translated

into action in the Peace to the Modern World. The Peace and

Reconciliation unit, expression of his practical and effective

charity were established as 'a way forward through the

concrete living of the existential dictates of the African

Philosophy of Being”.


Thus, as the law helps man to recognize his true self, man

must of necessity seek to foster peace and harmony in the

society since we are made in the image of God, who is the

source and origin of all goodness.”

The Philosophy of Emmanuel Edeh and Politics was the area

discussed by Martins Uche of the Spiritan International

School of Theology Attakwu, Enugu. He asserted that:

“From time immemorial, man has been found to have

evolved, among many other things, the entity known as

'Society'. This human society has been variously studied by

scholars from different disciplines including philosophy.

However, there is an evident lack of efficiency and stability

in the workings of the human society. This calls for a

reflection on the working of man's (political) community

from the standpoint of philosophy such as that of Edeh.

Edeh's philosophy as articulated in Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics encapsulates politically rich thought-patterns

which can successfully be integrated into the running of

present-day politics in order to achieve the desired

efficiency in Politics. This paper exposes a possible

integration of Edeh's philosophical principles into politics so

as to make for a better, efficient and healthy political

community.

By way of summarizing this discourse, one is readily

presented with the socio-cultural and political system of the

Igbo which formed the background towards the

understanding of Edeh's philosophy. Then there is the

presentation of Edeh's philosophical anthropology and

phenomenology of being. With an examination of politics

and some political philosophers, we looked at a possible

integration of Edeh's philosophy into world politics. The

philosophy of Edeh is hinged strongly on the anthropology

which underlies the Igbo name for man, mmadu. According


to Edeh, mma (the good) should be the basis for all human

considerations. Thus considered, man is an end in himself,

and as such, on no account should man be treated as a

means. This is the sum of Edeh's metaphysical

anthropology.”

Charles Onuh of the Spiritan School of Philosophy Isienu,

Nsukka, was the one that examined “Edeh`s Philosophy and

Communication”, and these are his words:

“This paper is an investigation aimed at exposing the

imperativeness of Edeh's philosophy to communication.

Edeh's philosophical thesis sees man as that being in the

universe that is good. His goodness stems from the fact that

he is a being created by the Supreme Good. The paper,

operating from certain assumptions of Pan-African thought

as contained in Edeh's articulation: Towards an Igbo

Metaphysics, clarifies first, the concept of philosophy and

communication and secondly, makes an exposition of Edeh's

philosophy and how such philosophy shapes, builds and

rebuilds, or if you like grounds communication….

The relationship between Edeh's Philosophy and

Communication can perhaps be better explored and

appreciated by investigating what goes to, or the constitution

of human communication. Communication, viewed from

verbal and nonverbal behaviour is conventional mode of

interaction and conversation in any human society. As such,

it is a human phenomenon. Man is a being in

communication. The vehicle of communication is a people's

language in form of word symbols (proverbs, folktales),

artefacts, and signs. As a vehicle of communication, a

people's language carries or conveys nothing but their

cultural heritage and beliefs. In a people's culture and beliefs

is their thought-content, their philosophy.


Man is the only being that philosophizes. His philosophical

enterprise is born out of, or made possible by his endowment

with reason. In his philosophical enterprise, man is ever in

search of meaning and purpose of life and existence, an

indubitable knowledge. In the same vein, man is the only

being that has a communication system. As such, we have

found that the act of philosophizing and communication are

intrinsic in man and play a fundamental role in the

actualization of man. However, not all philosophy and

communication systems foster harmony and thus, enhance

man's actualization.”

Michael Melladu of the Spiritan International School of

Theology Attakwu, Enugu reviewed “Edeh`s Philosophy

and Economics” and the following are the summary of his

findings:

“African philosophy as articulated by Edeh in Igbo

Metaphysics is very distinctive in the sense that its notion of

being is drawn from the Igbo concept of man as madu

(etymologically MMADI) (the good that is). With this

notion of man as the good that is because of his participation

in the being of his creator, man is dignified.

If man is “good that is” vices like poverty, hunger,

maximization of profit and minimization of human dignity,

which are the order in our present day will stop, Edeh`s

philosophy of economics, re-echoes the need to maximize

the dignity of man and minimize outrageous profits. This

will be made possible through the re-instatement of the spirit

of community, solidarity and subsidiarity.”

Fr Pius Abuchi, of the Saviourite House of Formation,

Ugwuoba, made “A Critical Evaluation of Edeh`s

Philosophy of charity”, as follows:


“Fr. Edeh was motivated in this mission of practical and

effective charity by the fundamental and the distinctive

feature of African philosophy. According to Fr. Edeh,

Africans derive their notion of being from their definition of

man as the “Good that is''. Hence he maintains that “from

this exposition of the meaning of the word man (madu), we

discover that in man, the Igbo is able to discern the notion of

good that is. Thus, man is seen, in the African context as a

sacred and dignified being who is constantly cared for and is

supported by Osebuluwa. Edeh establishes goodness as the

Ontological value of man because of his beholdenness of

God who is the Ultimate Good.

He further argues that if Chukwu created man to be good,

then, every effort should be made to restore the fallen man

to his rightful position of holistic goodness. It is from this

view that African philosophy of being reaches its climax.

Consequently, one can boldly and validly argue that the

spirit of African philosophy is that of caring and communal

living. Hence Edeh argues that “the members of my village

community are traditionally united by bounds of common

belonging. Every member is fully welcome and recognized''

Edeh interprets this spirit of togetherness and communal

living which demands a holistic concern for the 'other' as a

mission of practical and effective charity….

From the foregoing, it is clear that in the life of Fr. Edeh,

there is a perfect blend of his spiritual or religious mission

with his intellectual orientation which contains existential

values. He contends in his articulation of African

philosophy, as typified in Igbo metaphysics, that

“philosophy of this kind offers other peoples an ideal of

human existence, specifically, an ideal of human dignity

based upon the belief that all human beings deserve respect''.


Consequently charity is a mission of restoring man to this

his ontological goodness.

It is also clear that practical and effective Charity of Fr.

Edeh stems from the demand that Igbo African philosophy

makes on all human beings to care for all persons as good

creatures of God who blazed the trail by first of all caring

for those he created. It is from the notion of man as mma-di,

“good that is,” that Fr Edeh realized the need to be

charitable to human beings in all ramifications especially the

poor and the less-privileged in the human society. He is

really a true son of Francis Libermann, the founder of his

Religious Congregation, who, on his death bed said to his

children (the Spiritans) “Charity for all, Charity before all,

Charity above all.” The same call for charity was made to

him by his mother at her death bed when she gave all that

she had to her son, Fr Edeh as a charity element to the

abjectly poor in the society. With that amount, an

International Charity Award was instituted which to this day

has been a source of inspiration to all in the call for charity.

The editor`s General Conclusion of the above Convention

summaries all about the social aspects of Edeh`s philosophy,

as follows:

“In the eight chapters of this work critical attempts have

been made to explicate the philosophy of Emmanuel Edeh as

it relates to the various areas of life in the society.

Philosophy and society are very much related in such a

manner that the goodness or otherwise of any society

depends largely on the philosophical principle guiding that

society. Based on this vision, researchers have demonstrated

that Edeh's philosophy can be applied in the society for

some meaningful improvement.


Francis Nwakile maintains in the very first chapter that

Language is central to all philosophical enquiries since it is

the vehicle through which ideas are transported from one

pole to the other. Through his analysis of the Igbo language

Edeh arrived at his philosophy of man as mma-di and which

in turn calls for thought and action. In the second chapter

Kingsley Oruh discusses the import of the philosophy of

action and doing which stems from his conviction that

African philosophy is a lived philosophy expressed in the

people's rituals, language and other cultural manifestation.

The third chapter is a critical look at the mathematicality of

the metaphysics espoused by Edeh. Oliver Udaya

painstakingly discovers the triple relations between

mathematics and the metaphysics thus; (1), Edeh's

philosophy goes from the visible world of man to the

invisible world of God and mathematics does same moving

from the known to the unknown variables, (2), Edeh's

philosophy gravitates from theory down to the practical

dimension and contemporary mathematics has also taken

that standpoint, and (3), Edeh's philosophy has a universal

acceptability on account of the clarity of concepts and

conceptions just as the mathematical principles which

remain valid universally. Alexander Umenze handles the

connection of Edeh's philosophy to law in the society in

chapter four. It is an indubitable fact that no human society

exists without law which serves as the guide to actions and

regulator of human activities. Therefore, Edeh's philosophy

corroborates the need for just laws that will take care of

peaceful existence.”

Martins Uche holds that Igbo Metaphysics is relevant in the

area of politics since in the day to day workings of the

human society man is condemned to relationality despite the

differences therein among the members of the society. In


lieu of this, Igbo metaphysics comes in to generate the

sterling principles upon which the politics will be played in

a safe and salvific manner. In chapter six Charles Onuh

investigates the imperativeness of Edeh's philosophy to

communication. Operating from Igbo-African background

as articulated in Edeh's metaphysics. Onuh maintains that

such thinking builds and rebuilds communication to the

betterment of the society. Along the same line of improving

the life style of people in the society Michael Melladu in

chapter seven explores how Edeh through his philosophy of

thought and action arrived at an economic system that

enthrones the dignity of man as God's creatures over and

above any profit making. Finally, Pius Abuchi evaluates the

philosophical principle undergirding Edeh's metaphysics

which naturally lead to the practice of concrete and effective

charity to all human beings wherever they are found.

Promotion of World Peace

Chapter Nine

PROMOTION OF WORLD PEACE

OUTLINE:

- Through articulation of African philosophy of being

- Through Conflict Management and Effective

Reconciliation [establishment of centre for Peace,

Justice and Reconciliation]

- Retrieval of Charms and Fetish Objects.

- Peace promotion viz-a-viz Religious Tolerance.

PROMOTION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO WORLD

PEACE THROUGH AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY OF

BEING

Rev. Fr. Edeh articulated African philosophy through Igbo

Metaphysics. His intention is to solve the perennial

problems of world peace through his philosophy of being

(ife-di) as typified in Igbo Metaphysics. From his African

Philosophy, man is seen as “mmadi” (the “good that is”) a

theory that is based on the belief that all beings created by

God are ontologically good and deserving some respect.

When Rev. Fr. Edeh presented his work on African

philosophy to the world Forum meeting in Washington in

the United States of America, many professors from all over

the world undoubtedly believed that Africans [through Rev.

Fr. Edeh] have come up with a lasting solution to the

problem of world peace. With this understanding they

realized that it is irrational to spend huge amounts of money

in order to manufacture weapons of massive destruction of

lives. Moreover if the amount of wealth and energy

expended in procurement of arms in an attempt to destroy

man, should be channeled into the promotion and generation

of the means of improving man's life, then peace would


certainly reign in hearts of millions of people in the world.

This will then solve the problem of world peace and make

people put heads together in the fight against war, hunger,

starvation, poverty and sicknesses.

If Edeh's philosophy could be maintained, the idea of

developing, procuring or preserving nuclear power, for

offense or defense in order to destroy man “the good that

is”, who deserves to be treated with a great deal of respect

will be a thing of the past. If the notion of man as “good that

is” is put into practice, then man will start to treat his fellow

man as himself considering the fact that all men are

creatures of God, who is the source of all goodness.

It is the practical implementation of this philosophy, which

he himself articulated that gave rise to Rev. Fr. Edeh's

mission of practical and effective charity, which involves a

holistic and meticulous care of the sick, the suffering, the

handicapped, the lowly and so on. A gesture which has

recently brought peace to some parts of the world.

Conflict Management and Reconciliation: Establishment of

Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation

In order to put into practice the objectives of the Mission of

Practical and Effective Charity which was ignited by his

ardent desire to plant the seed of peace in the modern world,

Rev Fr. Edeh established a centre for Peace, Justice and

Reconciliation in Elele. This centre is an offshoot of the

Catholic Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit. The principal

aim is to bring peace to the world through irrevocable

resolutions of conflicts arising from the aggressions of the

Nigerian civil war. There were hunger and starvation,

cannibalism, people coveting their neighbours or brothers

properties (especially landed properties), criminality,

immorality, Court cases, use of charms and fetish objects,


man inhumanity to man. All these snatched away peace

from the minds of men and introduced conflicts and

confusion into the world. The society was in a chaotic

pandemonium and people ran about, frantically, in search of

peace, all to no avail.

Considering the above situation, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Edeh

established a centre which is entrusted with the

responsibility of reconciling people with one another as a

lasting solution for peace. Centre for the Justice and

Reconciliation advanced the reign of peace in the world

through effective resolution of conflicts and administration

of covenants to the former parties in dispute. The centre also

served as a solace for many people who were entangled in

the powers of satanic forces after being initiated into and

also having obtained power and wealth from occultic

groups.

According to investigation carried out by the researcher, the

reconciliation works of the Pilgrimage Centre is carried out

by committees divided into:

a. The Spiritual Director

b. Special Cases Committee

c. Land and Applied Matter Committee

d. Marriage and Family Committee

e. Business and Related Cases Committee

f. General Cases Committee

It is important to state here that all human, social and

economic problems are referred as appropriate to one or

another of these committees. It is only the most complex and

dedicate cases, which cannot be handled by any of the lower

committees that are referred to the Spiritual Director's Office

with Rev. Fr. Edeh himself personally presiding. The

researcher's investigation also reveals that the sum of the


number of conflicts resolved amicably in the Pilgrimage

Centre from 1984 to 2006 stands at 12,000,000, from 2007

to 2011 stand at 2,2000,000. Therefore total is 14,000,000

and above.

THE EFFICACY OF REV. FR. EDEH'S

RECONCILIATION METHODOLOGY

According to the researcher's empirical study on this issue,

the opinion many people from different walks of life were

sampled using questionnaire about the efficacy of Rev Fr.

Edeh's type of conflict management and reconciliation; the

merits of this type of reconciliation method the other means

of conflict resolution. Many of them who have in one way or

the other, benefited from, witnessed or experienced Fr.

Edeh's method of reconciliation made the following

comments:

According to Okwudili, M.I (KSJ), Rev. Fr. Edeh's

reconciliation works are very efficacious. Its major merit

over other methods of conflict resolution is that it leads to

lasting peace among the parties.

Prof. Eboh, S.O. CSSp said that Fr. Edeh has been doing the

work of reconciliation for some decades now. He recalled

the years between 1985 and 1990 (when he was a parish

priest in a neighbouring Parish to Our Lady of Lourdes

Parish, Elele), during which he was sending warring parties

to the Pilgrimage Centre at Elele to be reconciled. He

attributed conflict resolution and reconciliation to the

mentality of Africans especially the Igbos who disliked the

adjudicative method of winner- takes-all, but believed in

resolving their conflicts and at the same time continue to

live in peace with their brothers and sisters.


He observed that the merits of Edeh's type of reconciliation

lie in the fact that the parties are disposed to tell the truth.

This is made possible after the process of oath taking. It is

only groups or individual who cannot resolve their

differences within themselves and who consider the court

not suitable for such case that approach Edeh for

reconciliation.

Okere, E.U. (KSM) confirms that Rev Fr. Edeh's

reconciliation strategy is very efficacious due to the fact that

it has brought peace to the modern world. He went further to

argue that any form of reconciliation that is not geared

towards the generation of love, peace, selflessness and the

zeal to serve and empower others, is faulty. Because Fr.

Edeh's kind of reconciliation embodies all those qualities, if

it has an edge over other kinds of reconciliation processes.

Engr. (Mrs.) Odilinye, N.R. concurs to the effectiveness of

Edeh's reconciliation process by stating that Elele has driven

millions of conflicts away from individuals, groups, and

homes, permanently; thereby releasing them from the fetters

of acrimony.

According to Mbosi, J.O., Fr. Edeh's reconciliation strategy

is tangible and very efficacious. His reason being that it has

divine backing which sustains it and makes it work. It also

gives it a great advantage over other conflict resolution

strategies.

Umeano, N.R. submits that the issue of efficacy of Rev. Fr.

Edeh's type of reconciliation is not built on a matter of

argument because the evidence is glaring that people come

from far and wide to settle their disputes at Fr. Edeh's Peace,

Justice and Reconciliation Centre, Elele. It is characterized

by love and dialogue.


Nwanne, V.N supports that Fr. Edeh's reconciliation work is

very efficacious because any judgment delivered by the

panel has no appeal. The people believed it to be given and

sealed in the presence of God.

Eze K. confirms that high efficacy and effectiveness of Fr.

Edeh's type of reconciliation with the fact that he has never

been or heard about any family, group or communities

reconciled by Rev Fr. Edeh that later went into conflict

again makes it highly effective.

From the above we can understand that the answers and

reasons are coherent; and the bottom line of the issue is that

the generality of people attest to the fact that Rev. Fr Edeh's

Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation is a place where

justice and fair play are allowed to take their natural course

in conflict resolution. This kind of reconciliation had been

described as being highly efficacious because of the

methodology employed in the process of the resolution of

cases.

The efficacy of the methodology hinges on the fact that, it is

more of a round table method of bringing conflicting

partners together and providing solutions to their problems.

It employs a strategy that allows both parties to open up,

bearing in mind that God is the Supreme Arbiter over the

case. This strategy offers each party an opportunity to

express himself or herself with reference to the remote

causes of their disputes, having at the back of their minds

that God cannot be deceived. That is why numerous people

who come to settle their disputes through Rev. Fr. Edeh's

Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation drop whatever

lie they have and bare their minds, revealing some hidden

truths in their lives in order to allow peace to reign.


The efficacy of this type of reconciliation cannot be

undermined considering its transparency in making peace

reign supreme in the hearts of people in the society.

According to Onyewuenyi, R.N., reconciliation for Fr. Edeh

entails integration of the parties' objectives that none of the

parties has to compromise or sacrifice any other's interests.

The aim is to achieve that point of agreement, which is non-

hierarchical. It is a non coercive solution that resolves the

underlying causes of the conflict; thereby achieving a

legitimate relationship and restoring the original state of

peace.

This means that Rev. Fr. Edeh's type of reconciliation

eliminates totally, all those latent residual elements of the

conflict which may later regenerate the same conflict, and

then at the end, create an atmosphere that will seem as if the

conflict never happened.

RENOUNCING OF CHARMS AND FETISH OBJECTS

Fr. Edeh has also succeeded in bringing peace to the world

by showing that the power of God supersedes that of Satan.

He achieved this by enthroning the power of God and

dethroning that of Satan through establishing a museum of

charms and fetish objects. These were brought to him by

people who denounced the influence of Satan, its works and

deceits in their lives, from all over Africa, Asia, India and

some parts of Europe since 1984. He rendered these charms

powerless through the sprinkling of Holy water on them.

Many people who previously resorted to the diviners were

made to understand the powerlessness of their charms and

fetish objects compared with the power of God. They now

constantly visit the Catholic Prayer Ministry where they

devotedly pray to the Almighty God for the remission of

their sins and solutions to their problems.


EDEH'S PEACE PROMOTION IN THE FACE OF

RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

It is a glaring fact that Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh has gone far

and achieved so much in the promotion of world peace. His

Academic, Health, Religious and Socio-Economic

establishments give eloquent testimonies to this fact.

However, the issue here is, whether this peace promotion is

extended to the area of religious tolerance.

Many people have aired their views with regard to Edeh's

version of Peace and religious tolerance

Prof Umeh C.C in his assessment states that Edeh's peace

promotion is seen in his institutions. He explained that

students in his institutions come from various religious

homes such as Christian, Islamic and African Traditional

Religious homes. The joy of it all is that, the students live in

peace and worship according to their various beliefs

respectively.

Ezenwajiaku .E. states that, although, Rev. Fr. Edeh's

schools are Catholic schools, they are not limited to

Catholics alone. He made an observation that other people

of other faiths are admitted there and are allowed to practice

their faiths. He made a reference to a Docu-Drama on Igbo

Metaphysics by Nollywood presented in the year 2010;

saying that watching the drama could help one understand

the degree of religious tolerance in the schools.

Prof Eboh, S.O expressed his shock when he went to the

Pilgrimage Center, Elele and observed that all sort of people

from various religious denominations were coming to the

center for prayers. He observed that there were Catholics,

Protestants. Muslims and African traditional “religionists”.

He describes as infectious, the kind of cordial relationship


manifested by those people of different religious

backgrounds which made him resolve to be frequenting the

monthly Eucharistic Adoration.

In summary, judging from the response, one can conclude

that one of the qualities of Rev. Fr. Edeh is that he is all

embracing and non discriminatory in nature. His arms of

fellowship in the implementation of his mission of practical

and effective charity through Umogbenye ward, scholarship

programmes, medical cares for the poor, rehabilitation, and

empowerment are also extended to people of various ethnic

backgrounds irrespective of race or religion.

Madonna University has also given honours and

recognitions to different people of different ethnic and

religious groups among whom was the former Head of State

of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida; who

received Madonna University Honorary Doctorate Degree in

2010.

In a retrospective reflection, Madonna University on 29th

November 2004, conferred Honourary Doctorate Degree

Awards on the following people:

1. Hon Masaranga Ring Umpa – The Philippine

Ambassador to Nigeria.

2. Alhaji Ibrahim Mantu – Former Deputy Senate

President of Federal Republic of Nigeria

From the above evidences, Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh's

world peace promotion is holistic, efficacious and without

bias.

Founding of Madonna International Charity Peace Award

Chapter Ten

FOUNDING OF MADONNA INTERNATIONAL

CHARITY PEACE AWARD

The Madonna international Charity Peace Award (MICPA)

was founded by very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh. The

award institution was inaugurated on 19th November 2006

during Madonna International Convention held in Madonna

University Campus, Elele. The inauguration of this

institution is one of unflinching efforts to encourage the

perpetuation of Mama Omeogo charity through practical and

effective charity which have brought peace to millions of

suffering people of God all over the world. So, the

inauguration of MICPA has a motivational undertone for the

charitable people not to relent but to do more. The Peace

Award International Institution has a decision making body

with Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh as the head. They decided and

appoint or nominate awardees and their terms of reference

among other things include:

1. To determine the criteria for choosing those who are

qualified for the award

2. To determine the level of one's achievements in the

area of practical and effective charity especially at the

grassroots level.

3. To determine the monetary valuation of each awards

to the awardees.

It took the decision making body three good years of brain

storming to come up with effective, efficient and a well

articulated criteria for the award presentation. The

presentation of the first formal charity peace award was

done on 9th January, 2009 at Elele Campus of Madonna


University during the first Theological Convention jointly

organized in preparation of the second African Synod of

Bishops. But one may wisely ask “how did it all started?”

To attempt the question, let us look at the background to the

Charity Peace Award.

BACKGROUND OF THE AWARD

Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh's love for charity is something

he inherited from his mother, Mama Elizabeth Omeogo

Edeh Ani Onovo, a very humble and pious woman who

spent her entire life in doing charity work especially to the

widows, the abjectly poor, the sick and the orphans within

and around her community, Akpugo. She was not in any

way materially healthy, but shared the little proceeds from

her petty trading on palm oil and palm kernel. During

festivals, such as Christmas, New year and Easter, she was

used to giving widows, orphans and the abjectly poor some

measures of grain foods such as rice, beans, and other food

items like yams, palm oil and other items like clothings. In

addition to this, she did prepare delicious food on those

festive days and invite them together with the children and

other people and entertain them lavishly with foods.

This her magnanimity and generosity of hearts was not

limited to Akpugo (her immediate community) and its

neighbourhoods only, but followed her everywhere she

went. She had from time to time also invited the Sisters of

Jesus the Saviour, a female Religious Congregation founded

by her son, to her house on Christmas days and Easter days

and entertained them by serving them food and drinks by

herself.

History revealed that Mama Omeogo continued to perform

her charity works even until at her point of death. Story has

it that when she was admitted in Evolution Hospital Trans


Ekulu, Enugu, she was on her hospital bed and heard the

voice of a woman in labour wailing and lamenting due to

pains of labour. She was touched to the heart and turning her

head slowly towards the Rev. Sister attending to her,

instructed that the last amount of money in her bag be given

to the woman in labour so that with the money she can buy

some necessary things required for the care of her baby after

delivery. She regularly visited her son, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel

Edeh at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Elele where he was

posted as the Parish Priest. She had continued to visit him

regularly until her death in February, 1996 and whenever

she did, she would, give to the son some food items and

some little amount of money she saved from her farm works

and petty trading to save for her future use.

Then money required by the central bank of Nigeria for

either a community or individual or group to establish a

community Bank is N240,000 only. So Rev. Fr. Edeh seized

the opportunity to establish Umuogo community Bank

which situates at No 83 Aba Owerri Road, Aba on 15th

December, 1992, with the money from Mama Omeogo's

savings. The bank was the first to establish in Nigeria after

that of Ibeto community Bank.

However, the story of the establishment of the bank cannot

be complete without recognizing the good gestures of one of

Rev. Fr. Edeh's friends living in Lagos then, by name Chief

Emmanuel Oje. Oje happily gave monetary assistance when

there was need to ensure that the establishment of the Bank

was successful. Many other community banks sprang up

following the example of Edeh's initiative. Today, there are

over 600 community banks in the country. In 1995, the

federal government of Nigeria conducted a research to find

out the best, well – managed community bank in Nigeria.


Umuogo community bank emerged the first and received an

Award as the best managed community bank in Nigeria.

SOURCES OF FUND FOR AWARD

Categorically, source of the capital base of Madonna

International Charity Peace Award is from the saving of the

mother of Rev. Fr. Edeh (Mama Elizabeth Omeogo Edeh

Ani Onovo).

In the first place the tithes from the continuously generated

dividends from the establishments made with Mama

Omeogo's saved N 360,000 by her son Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh, which includes Umuogo community Aba,

and its off-shoot the Mayfresh Savings and Loans Ltd, are

dedicated to Madonna International Charity Peace Award,

especially the tithes from the profits of Mayfresh saving and

loans Ltd.

It should be noted that the Madonna International Charity

Peace Award, due to the nature of its origin is not under any

government or non-governmental organization of any kind.

It is far from an award given to either a victor after a

political war. Rather, it is the materialization of Rv.Fr.

Edeh's mission of practical and effective charity for the

fruiting of peace in the hearts of millions of people of God

whose lives are full of sufferings.

MAJOR AIMS OF THE AWARD

The Madonna International Charity Peace Award is founded

for some salient reasons aimed at perpetuating works of

charity in the world.

It is in the habit of Madonna International Charity Peace

Award to discover people who have distinguished

themselves exclusively in their environs and beyond in the

work of Charity. When such people are fished out, Madonna


International Charity Peace award optimally appreciate and

encourage them through appreciable awards, to deepen their

generosity in the work of charity for humanity.

The award recipients are not limited to any particular

people, country or continent it extends to charitable

individuals from all over the world.

The Award is also to sensitize and conscientize people on

the need to do charity to others.

Principally, the Award is aimed at bringing peace to the

hearts of millions of people in the world.

AWARDS GIVEN SO FAR

Since its inception, Madonna International Charity Peace

Award has given out of four awards to deserving persons in

two consecutive concessions.

On 9th January, 2009, the MICPAS' first charity peace

award took place at Madonna University campus Elele

during the first theological convention in preparation for the

Second African Synod of Bishops jointly organized by the

Pilgrimage Center and Madonna University at Elele Campus

of the University. The recipients are:

1. Mrs. Chris Mary Maduka, the director Omeogo

Charity Home Makurdi in Benue State who is deeply

committed to gathering and looking after children

abandoned in Makurdi Barracks by soldiers. She received an

award of fifteen thousand Dollars ($15,000),

2. Most Rev. Rene Maria Ehouzou, the Bishop of Port-

Novo, Benin Republic who cares for the destitute and

Homeless in Benin Republic. He also received a sum of

fifteen thousand Dollars ($15,000).


The second Madonna international charity peace Award was

presented on the 9th of April 2010 during the silver jubilee

celebration of the pilgrimage center. The recipients are:

1. Archbishop Kelvin Felix who received the sum of

sixty thousand Dollars ($60,000) for the care of the suffering

children and people of Haiti following the devastating

incident of earthquake in the Island in 2010.

2. Archbishop Fernando Cappalla who received the sum

of forty thousand Dollars ($40,000) for the care of suffering

children of Vietnam and some parts of the Philippines.

Chapter Eleven

CHRONOLOGY OF AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

RECEIVED BY REV. FR. PROF. EMMANUEL EDEH

In order to avoid distractions from the real motives of his

activities, Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh has always avoided

attracting unnecessary attention. That is why he had abinitio

shunned the idea of snapping pictures or media publication

of his works. All he is doing is for the sake of peace to

humanity and for the glory of God. Be that as it may, no one

can ever cover the moonlight with his palms. People of the

world are watching and making assessments of all the works

and achievements of Rev. Fr. Prof Edeh and how they are

meeting the felt needs of people.

Rev. Fr. Prof, Edeh allowed the publicity of his works, and

achievements and also acceptance of awards and

recognitions for the reason of encouraging other people in

the society to emulate his examples. He has through his

work of charity received local and international awards and

recognitions, some of which involve the following:


a. On 16th May, 2001. the International Biography

Center, Cambridge, England, honoured Rev. Fr. Edeh with

“outstanding people of the 21st century Award” in

recognition of his outstanding contribution to Religion,

Education and care for the handicapped.

b. On February, 2003, International Biography Center,

Cambridge, England also selected him for his outstanding

contributions to the Church, Education and the suffering as

an “outstanding person of the 21st century” (1st edition

2003, pp 4-5, 173-174).

c. On may 20th 2003, the same International Biography

Center, Cambridge, England, honoured him with

“outstanding people of the 21st century” in recognition of

his outstanding contribution to the development of the

Church, Education and the suffering.

d. On June 7th, 2004, the Governing Board of editors of

American Biographical Institute: recognized him as one of

the “Genius Elite” for his remarkable achievements in the

field of Religion, Education and care for the suffering. This

award and recognition was documented in the “Leading

Intellectuals of the World (3rd Edition published in 2004).

e. On March 2005, Onitsha and District Society of

ICAN, honoured very Rev. Fr Prof Emmanuel Edeh (the

father founder, Madonna University, Okija, the first private

University in Nigeria) with “Excellent Merit Award” in

recognition of his commitment to improving the standard of

education in Nigeria.

f. On 24th September, 2006, “Proclamation of Rev. Fr

Prof Emmanuel Edeh's Day” of the city of North Miami

Beach, Florida. The very words of the mayor of the city of

North Miami Beach are:“...I, Raymond .F. Maria, Mayor of


the city of North Miami Beach, Florida, do hereby proclaim

September 24TH 2006 as VERY REV. FR. PROF

EMMANUEL EDEH DAY, and know that my colleagues,

administration and residents join me in recognizing him for

translating his incredible thirst for knowledge and

understanding, indomitable spirit and abiding love for

humanity into meaningful action.”

g. On the 24th September, 2006, “Proclamation of Rev.

Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh Day” by the city of Miami

Gardens, Florida. The very words of the mayor of the city of

Miami Gardens are:

“…Be it resolved, that I, Shirlly Gibson, Mayor

of the city of Miami Gardens Florida, on behalf of the city

council and the residents, do hereby proclaim Sunday,

September 24th, 2006, as: “REVEREND FR. EMMANUEL

EDEH DAY” in the city of Miami Gardens, Florida. We

further urge all citizens to join with us as we recognize Rev.

Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh on this momentous occasion.

h. On November 30th, 2008, His Holiness, Pope

Benedict XVI through the Apostolic Nunciature in Nigeria

at Corpus et Sangius Christi Cathedral Port Harcourt, Rivers

State conferred a papal Honour – “pro Ecclesia et Pontifice”

on Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh, C.S.SP for his

outstanding contributions in the service of God and

humanity.

i. On December, 18th, 2008, the Committee of Face of

Nollywood Award conferred the recognition of

“Face of Nollywood Giants of Peace in the

Modern World on Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel

Edeh for his contributions to development and

peace in the modern world.


j. On the same December 18th, 2008, His Excellency,

President, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua GCFR, President and

Commander in-chief of Armed forces, Federal Republic of

Nigeria conferred the honour /Award, Officer of the Order

of the Federal Republic “(OFR)” on Very Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh for his contributions to the development

and progress of the country in many fields of human

endeavors.

k. In March, 2009, Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh

was proudly recognized as an “Ambassador for Peace”

Federation Interreligious and International Federation for

World Peace.

l. On October 23rd, 2009, the African Film Festival and

Academy Awards London (ZAFAA AWARDS) awarded

Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Matthew Paul Edeh the

“ZAFAA PATRONS AWARD as a result of his

contributions to peace in Africa.

m. February 28th, 2010, Teachers without Borders

proudly recognized as Worthy in Characters and Career and

Commissioned Fr. Prof E.M.P Edeh as “Millennium

Development Ambassador.

n. September, 11th,2010, the Nigerian Union of

Journalists, Enugu State council conferred the honour of

“Pillar of Education in Nigeria” on Very Rev. Fr. Prof

Emmanuel Edeh (Founder of OSISATECH Polytechnic and

college of Education, Madonna and Caritas Universities and

other educational Institutions) for his contributions to the

development of Education in Nigeria (Onyewuenyi 2010).


Some people who were interviewed about their position on

these honours and recognitions bestowed on Fr. Prof Edeh

made the following assertions:

Obute F.E stated that Rev. Fr. Edeh's honours and

recognitions are worth-while. He affirms that as a genuine

priest of God, he could not have lobbied for those honours

nor allowed anybody to lobby for him. As a matter of fact,

he stated that he deserves more honours and recognitions.

He re-iterated that those honours will serve as a motivation

to our youths who would like to emulate him and work hard

for the development of our society.

Onwuka C.C in his own contribution agreed that Rev. Fr.

Edeh merited the many awards and recognitions accorded

him. He stated that it was as a result of his hard work. He

also suggested that if more awards are given him, he will do

more because when you appreciate ones kindness, he will do

more.

Umeano R.N attributed the numerous honours and

recognitions given to Rev. Fr. Edeh to his fairness, hard

work, perseverance. She is of the opinion that more awards

be given to him because of his love, interest and charity to

humanity. She also advice the youths to take him as a role

model.

Egwuatu E. confirms that he needed even more awards than

the one he has been given because he has positively touched

the lives of so many people.

Dutu Joseph attributed those honours and achievements

bestowed on Rev. Fr. Edeh to his goodness to mankind and

his achievements. He argued that those honours should not


be likened to the lobbying of any of his friends or well-

wishers. He advised that more honours be given to him so as

to show the world that good works deserve good rewards.

Umeh, C.C stated that Fr. Prof Edeh deserves more

universal honours with reason that will help to engineer the

youths that he is bringing up to aim at the highest as he has

done and continues to do.

Barr Ugwu, K.I explained that recognitions and honours that

Prof Edeh was given are meritorious. He stated that those

recognitions tell what he does. He went further to stated that

Prof Edeh's generosity and good will should make a second

Bible to enable the whole world read and know that God

uses him to touch the less privileged in the society. He

asserts that Fr. Edeh cannot step so low to allow his friends

or well-whishers to lobby on his behalf for the awards.

In summary, virtues cannot live out of the teeth of

emulation. Whatever one does that is good is worthy of

emulation and commendation. Fr. Prof Edeh's achievement

and works of charity are like a lamp lit on the top of a hill.

Naturally no one can cover the moonlight with his palms.

His establishments are like moonlight.

Left for Fr. Prof Edeh alone, he does not cherish such

publicity. He believes rewards, honours and recognitions

belong to God. That was why from the on-set of his

apostolic work, he detested publicity including taking his

pictures. It took him much time to be convinced that

publishing his works and according him recognition will

encourage the youths and other Godly people in the society

to emulate him and help in the perpetuation of practical and

effective charity to mankind. The national and international

organizations that bestowed those awards and honours him


had before hand made elaborate studies and evaluations of

his work before choosing to decorate his cap with such eagle

feathers.

CONCLUSION

Very Rev. Fr. Prof Emmanuel Edeh's work and

achievements are summarized in his mission of practical

works and effective charity developed from his personal

prayers for the transmogrification of the lives of the sick, the

suffering, the handicapped, the abjectly poor, the abandoned

and troubled youths of the society. The contributions which

this mission has made to this effect cannot be over

emphasized.

For one to be able to achieve or attain the level of successes

in touching positively, the lives of the bitterly denied in the

society as Fr. Prof. Edeh has done, he has to posse some

special and unique qualities. Numerous people who have in

one way or the other encountered Fr. Prof Edeh through his

mission of practical and effective charity confessed that he is

peace, loving, compassionate, charitable, consistent and

persistent, painstaking and intelligent, innovative, and also a

disciplinarian.

He actually ramified into different socio-economic aspects

of human endeavors during the practical implementations of

his mission of effective charity. This effective charity is

rooted in his African Philosophy that man is the greatest

among God's work of creation, because he is created in

God's image and likeness as a “good that is” or “mmadi”.

His kind of charity work, exemplifies the practical

manifestation of God's care for humanity through man. He

has through his charity works brought peace; healing and

succor to the minds of people especially the sick, the poor


and the suffering. He achieved all these through the Catholic

Prayer Ministry of the Holy Spirit and its offshoot, the

Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration and Special

Marian Devotion, Elele. People from all over the world now

swam there to find solutions to their spiritual problems.

The faith of the people of God has also been strengthened

through the establishment of a museum of charms and fetish

objects. Renounced charms and fetish objects surrendered

by people are made impotent by sprinkling of Holy Water

by Fr. Prof. Edeh. Afterwards they are kept in the museum

for people to see the supremacy of the power of God over

that of Satan.

In educational sector, he is a guru. Fr. Prof. Edeh has also

contributed greatly to the educational sector through the

establishment of many schools spanning from kindergarten

to the university level. His Madonna University is one of the

best in Africa, a corruption free institution.

His conflict management strategy is practically wonderful.

Through his Center for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation,

peace has returned to the hearts of men and to the society.

Fr. Prof Edeh's true and effective reconciliation centre

charges no fee. People now live in peace with each other.

Just as Plato and Aristotle articulated Western Philosophy

through Greek Metaphysics, Edeh articulated African

philosophy through the articulation of Igbo metaphysics.

The first of its kind in the history of thought. That's why he

is popularly called the “Father of the African philosophy”. If

“The world could practically implement the dictates of the

African philosophy of being, the chances of engaging in

wars with each other will be drastically reduced to the

advantage of the world peace.


Fr. Prof Edeh has also made tremendous achievements in the

care for the poor through his Umuogbenye Center,

Motherless Babies Home, rehabilitation center for the

troubled youths, medical care for the aged Bishops and

priests, scholarship to the handicapped and indigent students

to mention but a few.

As a motivational strategy, he established a peace charity

award institution – the Madonna International Charity Peace

Award which he employed as a means of recognizing the

efforts of other people who are emulating him in the area of

practical and holistic care for the needy – the sick, the

suffering, the abandoned, the handicapped, etc.

All those establishments are effectively functional and in

order to maintain the continuity of those programmes for

humanity, he established some congregations of religious

men and women who from time to time are sent for further

studies both in the country and overseas for the purpose of

management and administration of the establishments.

The world is watching; little wonder he has been adorned

with many national and international awards as could be

seen in the previous chapters.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart, Greenwich, Conn:.

Fawcett Publication 1959

Achebe, Chinua. No Longer at Ease, Greenwich, Conn:

Fawcett Publication 1969.

Agbo, E. U (ed.) (2010) Madonna ISREPAT International

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Aquinas, St. Thomas. Introduction to St. Thomas Aquinas,

Translated and edited by Anton C. Pegis, “Modern

Library.” New York: Random House, 1965.

Aristotle, Basic Works. Edited by Richard Mckeon. New

York: Random House, 1941.

Edeh, E.M.P. (1985), Towards an Igbo Metaphysics,

Chicago: Loyola University Press.

Edeh, E.M.P. (2006), Peace to the Modern World, United

Kingdom: Minuteman Press.

Edeh, E.M.P. (2009) Igbo Metaphysics: The First

Articulation of African Philosophy of Being, Enugu:


Egbujie, Innocent I. “The Hermeneutics of the African

Traditional Culture.” Ph.D Dissertation, Boston

College, 1976.

Ezeanya, S.N. “God, Spirit and the Spiritual world.” In

Biblical Revelation and African Beliefs. London:

Lutherworth Press, 1969.

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Philosophy: Descartes to Kant. New York: Random

House, 1963.

Idowu E. Bolgi. Olodumare: (God in Y oruba Belief).

Lagos: Federal Ministry of Information, 1963.

July, Robert W.A. History of the African People. 3rd ed.

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York: Doubleday Press.

Nwala U. T. (1985), Igbo Philosophy, Lagos: Literamed

Publication.

Obiego, Cosmas. “Igbo Idea of Life and Death in Relation to

Christian God”, Ph.D Dissertation, Pontifica Urban

University de Propaganda Fide, Rome. (1971).

Okpaloka, P. "The Supreme Being in Igbo Religion",

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Shaw, Thrustan C. Igbo-Ukwu: An Account of

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Evaston, III. Northwestern University Press, 1970.

Talbot, Percy A. Peoples of Southern Nigeria. 2 vols.

London: Frank Cass, 1969.

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speaking Peoples of Nigeria. 6 vols. London:

Harrison, 1914.

Uchendu, Victor C. The Igbo of South East Nigeria. New

York: Bolth Rinehart and Winston, 1965. "Case

Studies in Cultural Anthropology".

A Short Profile of Rev.fr. Prof. e.m.p. Edeh

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