President Muhammadu Buhari has described popular Catholic Priest of the Adoration Centre in Enugu, Father Ejike Mbaka as a great cleric who was not afraid to speak truth to power, even at the cost of his own life or being hated by leaders in power.
In a glowing tribute he issued in recognition of Mbaka’s 20th anniversary of priesthood, Buhari extolled what he described as the “extraordinary intrepidity” and “remarkable patriotism” of the priest.
Senior special assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, Malam Garba Shehu noted in a statement that the president said Father Mbaka did nothing wrong in contributing to the country’s politics.
According to Buhari, the desire to add “one’s voice to make one’s country better has nothing to do with politics”, and that as the “conscience of the nation”, religious leaders cannot afford to be aloof or indifferent to the miseries of the people.
Buhari described Mbaka as a remarkable example that religious leaders are the conscience of society.
It would be recalled that Mbaka was the cleric who predicted former President Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat in the months leading to the 2015 presidential election.
