By Passman Akpos
ABUJA — Technical Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, has described his recent experience at the book launch of Rev. Fr. Kenneth Ogonna Agwu as a moment worth “more than gold and riches,” saying the occasion reinforced the power of relationships, service and genuine humanity.
Ikuli, who shared the experience in a reflective account, said his relationship with Fr. Agwu began more than six years ago when the Catholic priest was posted to his parish in Abuja as Assistant Parish Priest.
According to him, the relationship grew stronger because of the priest’s particular love for children and his commitment to their welfare.
However, Ikuli recalled that the most painful moment that brought them even closer was the death of a young Block Rosary Crusade member in a community around his estate in the Federal Capital Territory.
As a patron of the Block Rosary Crusade and the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON), Ikuli said he immediately went to the community after receiving news of the child’s death.
He said Fr. Agwu was already at the scene, preparing for the burial arrangements.
Ikuli recalled being told that the deceased child, aged between 10 and 12, had gone to school hungry because there was no food at home.
The child, he said, was also wearing slippers because his family could not afford proper shoes.
According to the account, a teacher allegedly seized the child’s slippers and flogged him. The boy reportedly became ill after returning home and was taken to a nearby clinic, where he was allegedly given an injection on an empty stomach before suffering a reaction that resulted in his death.
The incident, Ikuli said, left both men devastated.
«“When we got the whole story, Fr. Kenneth walked to a corner and started crying. I couldn’t hold back my own tears. We both cried uncontrollably.”»
Ikuli said it was the first time he had seen a Catholic priest cry publicly.
The tragedy also forced him to reflect on his own childhood and the hardship his family experienced while growing up.
He said the experience reminded him of the devastating effects of poverty and made him ask why some children still struggle for basic necessities while others have more than enough.
Moved by the incident, Ikuli said he narrated the story to his wife when he returned home and subsequently asked her to work with the Block Rosary Crusade coordinator and the management of the affected primary school to identify children from extremely poor families who needed assistance.
A list of more than 30 children was eventually produced.
Although the number initially appeared overwhelming, Ikuli said he decided to support the children, noting that the cost of meeting their basic educational needs was not beyond what he ordinarily spends on one of his children in a semester.
He stressed that he and his family had continued such interventions quietly over the years without seeking publicity.
‘Money Cannot Buy Relationship’
Ikuli said his relationship with Fr. Agwu later opened the door to another remarkable experience.
He disclosed that he had known for years that the priest was writing books and understood the enormous effort required to complete such projects.
According to him, weeks before the event, Fr. Agwu called and asked him to serve as chairman of the occasion for his book launch.
Ikuli said he was surprised by the request because Fr. Agwu, as Editor-in-Chief of the Good Shepherd Newspaper, the main weekly publication of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, had relationships with prominent personalities who could easily have been chosen to chair the event.
He initially tried to avoid the responsibility, comparing his hesitation to Moses’ reluctance when he was called by God.
But Fr. Agwu persisted, and Ikuli eventually accepted.
He said he committed the event to prayers and proceeded to Merit House on Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama District, Abuja, for the ceremony.
Three Catholic Bishops Grace Occasion
Ikuli described the gathering as historic, revealing that the event attracted some of the most prominent Catholic leaders in Abuja.
He said His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, arrived before the commencement of the event.
He was later joined by Most Rev. Dr. Anselm Umoren MSP, Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja Archdiocese.
The event was further elevated by the arrival of His Eminence, John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaiyekan CON, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja.
Ikuli said Cardinal Onaiyekan had returned to Nigeria shortly before the event following visits to the United States and Kenya specifically enough to honour the occasion with his presence.
For Ikuli, being entrusted with the responsibility of chairing an event attended by three distinguished Catholic bishops was an experience beyond material wealth.
«“What I got yesterday was more than gold and other material riches put together,” he said.»
He added that Bishop Anselm Umoren, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was particularly pleased that a young man from the Niger Delta could successfully handle such a demanding responsibility.
Ikuli said the event was not only successful but also brought him what he described as “unquantifiable Episcopal blessings” that he never anticipated.
Message To Young Nigerians
Reflecting on the entire experience, Ikuli urged young people to understand the importance of building genuine relationships rather than pursuing money and material wealth alone.
He argued that authentic relationships built through kindness, service, loyalty and humanity can open doors that money cannot buy.
«“Young people should learn about the importance of relationship from this very story. It is pertinent to bear in mind at all times that money cannot buy relationship,” he stated.»
For Ikuli, the journey from a heartbreaking encounter involving a hungry child to being entrusted with the chairmanship of an event attended by three senior Catholic bishops represents more than a personal achievement.
It is, he said, a reminder that acts of kindness, genuine relationships and service to humanity can produce blessings and opportunities that cannot be measured in monetary terms.
He gave God the glory for the experience and thanked his wife, whom he affectionately described as “The Only Lady (TOL)” and Deputy Governor of the Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli Dynasty, for attending the event and adding colour to the occasion.
“In all, we give God all the glory,” Ikuli concluded.
