GOD IS HERE: ARTHUR EZE DECLARES

On Sunday 7th of August 2016, the Adoration ministry Enugu Nigeria played host to Authur Eze, aka Authur one thousands’ or ‘Authur Ezenaukpo’, who is one of the richest African Entrepreneurs and business mogul. He is the founder and Chariman of Atlas Oranto Petroleum, which has assets in Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, and Gambia. His visit was a surprise to many who didn’t hear of it before that day.

The fair complexioned elderly but energetic Anambra born billionaire with his entourage was cited by AMEN Super News at the Adoration altar during the Sunday mass dancing happily and joyously to the hymns and praises doled out by the Adoration band group. The cherubic and Seraphic trumpets blown by the band group charged the atmosphere and the August visitor was seen nodding and dancing to every beat of the music.

At the end of the mass, Fr Mbaka welcomed and introduced him to the worshippers. During his introduction Fr Mbaka said; “The Ezeigbo is here.  There was a time when it used to be only poor people that troupe to this Adoration. One day the Holy Spirit told us that a time will come when rich people will be coming here too. That message was delivered with Isaiah 60:11 ‘that gates will open and kings will begin to come with gifts’.

“ When that prophesy came,” Fr Mbaka continued, “ I don’t know any governor let alone any president because as you know, it doesn’t usually go down well with me and the politicians because once the poor people begin to cry under their misrule I will cry out with them and people will begin to call my name here and there.  There is no other thing I do except that I fight for the poor. I can’t stay where the poor is molested.

“We thank God that a day like this our brother Authur whom many people know as ‘Authur One Thousand’ is here. Many have heard about him but have never seen him. So we thank God for him. We are handing the Microphone to him. He is the pride of the Igbo nation. He is not among all these Ohanaeze this and that that are confusing us about. He gives the Igbos a sense of belonging and a sense of direction. He is an entrepreneur that is self–fulfilled. He is not a politician. He is not here because he is a member of any party. He only came here because he decided to come to church here to worship God with us.

“When he told me “I must come today”, Fr Mbaka revealed, “I thought it was a joke. I just decided that we shall celebrate our todays’ Sunday mass as usual, if he comes, good, if he doesn’t come, no trouble.  He has seen how we celebrate our mass here. Ezeigbo, God bless you.”

“He is a very simple man, so we are handing the microphone to him. If it annoys you that we honour the rich, you will never be rich in your life. But when you join to honour the rich his wind will touch you. Ezenaukpo, we welcome you. The Adorers are asking that you are now our member. Any day you come to Enugu come here and join us.

A round of applause followed after Fr Mbaka’s introductory remarks.  Some of the worshipers were seen changing their sitting positions and straining their necks to have a better vew of the famous visitor whom they have heard about but have never seen. The band group took time to sing a song of welcome to him as member of the ministry with the trumpeters blowing the lines of this song “Authurnaibu member, naezeieibu member naezieibu member nezieezigbo member naezie” .Cacophony of voices of the worshipers who are familiar with that inductive hymn joined in the song.

When the song ended, Fr Mbaka handed over the microphone to him.  He addressed the worshippers in the following words “Our people, I greet you all. I thank Fr Mbaka. It is long I have been hearing about him and all the good things he is doing. I heard about him when he was in GRA.  People don’t know that it is God in heaven that gave him the power and he believes in it. We believe in God but we don’t know that it is God that gave him the power of the Words that he utters with his mouth. Think of his sermon today, it reminded me of the day David was carrying the Ark of God and was dancing with people. David’s wife saw him dancing naked and was unhappy forgetting that it is God that David was praising. I join you people to dance today because your music is so good. The way you worship God here is wonderful. God is here.

“We thank God who gave Fr Mbaka to us”, he continued, “All his life, he has been carrying the loads of the poor people. He is not looking for anything. He is not looking for houses, cars neither is he married; all he seeks is your well being and the betterment of the poor. May God touch all those that oppress the poor so that they will change and remember you, if they don’t remember you, God will remember us.

“There was something Fr Mbaka said about me. It was one of these trying days that I went to London. While in London, I was praying and reading the bible and dreaming. There is a way you will continue to dream and God will change you in dream like He changed me. Fr Mbaka talked about it.

Admonishing the worshipers, he said, “So when you go, have faith. There is nothing like faith. Don’t have enemies. When someone wrongs you do good to him.  Love your neighbour and have faith that there is God. We should all continue to prepare like Fr said today, because we don’t know when God will come. Share whatever you have with your neighbours be it meat or a piece of rice. Help the widows, help the poor, help the old ones. So Fr Mbaka, I thank you for this message that God gave us through you to help the poor.

Making a generous donation to the ministry he said, “I told Fr that what I want is to be giving you people food every Sunday you come here. Another thing I am pleading with Fr Mbaka is that he takes this gospel message that he preaches here to other places including my hometown at Ukpo. I thank God for the voice He gave to the singers here. I know He will bless you all with Children as well. Like I said earlier, you will be eating food every Sunday here. Fr Mbaka will organize how it will be so that you have the strength to be praising God.  God has sent me the message I should deliver to you and God has given me what to give you to eat and praise Him.

“When I was coming here”, he continued,“I never knew there is this kind of church here where people are praising God. Just turn round and see what one person is building. It is not only Father that should be building this place. He is not building it for himself but for us and our children, our posterity. All these priests we see, are they married? Do they have biological children? We are their children.  I have given father a little donation now, but I am making it to be N100, 000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira)

At his mention of that whopping sum, the shout that followed it rent the air and lingered for several minutes with the band group providing the suitable beat to drone it into the worshippers that what they heard was not in dream but in reality.

“I feel like not going today”, he continued when the hullabaloo died down, “because it pleases me the way you people are praising God here. God is here in deed, I don’t feel like going. I will come back some other time. When I come, I will join you all to be eating here and be praising God. I thank the choristers (the band group and singers).  I will give them the sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira).

Another round of hilarious commotion followed this pledge, this time the band people and the singers were at their best doing what they know best in appreciation to God for that generous donation.

Responding at the end of his address, Fr Mbaka said.  “I don’t know how we are to thank God for our brother Authur. God shall continue to bless you”. He thanked the visitor for his generosity to the ministry and assured him that all were happy with him.

Adanta Cultural dance took the stage and entertained the august visitor to the admiration of all. The cultural troupe is one of the best you can find in the town and trust what they could do under such circumstance, an opportune moment that comes once in an age. There dexterity and wonderful performance earned them the favour of the business mogul, who pledged to give them N1, 000,000 (one million) Naira.

There was a short reception of the visitor at the Fathers’ house at the end of the Mass during which Fr Mbaka gave him some cartons of Rapha oil and Adoration uniform and other ministry sacramental and prayer book.  Many who were there at the time partook in the favours that followed that reception before the visitor took his leave hours later.