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A Papal Experience By Osita Chidoka
As the Pope John Paul II departs the material world in the midst of global outpouring of Love and affection and many a fervent prayer said for his soul as he marches to his Creator, memories of his visit to Nigeria flood back in nostalgic eruption of tenderness. I recollect the feverish preparations for the visit and the logistic nightmare I had in my first baptism of fire in government employ.
1997, barely one year after joining the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory I was appointed Secretary to the inter-ministerial committee on the Pope’s Visit to Nigeria. This was a remarkable appointment and first of its kind as such positions were usually occupied by senior civil servants in the rank of Directors. The reason for the appointment, I guess, was that I had come to notice of my bosses as always willing to take on any task over my assigned schedule as Protocol Officer in charge of Minister’s appointment scheduling (a very busy task in a country where you must see the Minister to get anything done), I ventured into speech writing, media relations and conference hosting. The visit of the Pope to Nigeria was a major event for the globally isolated Military regime then in power. I had the task to administer the bi- weekly meeting of the committee comprising of five cabinet Ministers, two Catholic Arch Bishops and about fifteen senior civil servants from various arms of government. I also had to liaise with the Apostolic Nunciature (the Holy See Embassy), the security Agencies, and the State government of the site of the Papal visit.
General Jeremiah Useni rtd was the Chairman of the Committee which had Admiral Ayinla, Health Minister, Chief tom Ikimi, Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, Information Minister, Chief Anthony Ani, Finance Minister, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, National Security Adviser, Ambassador Emenyi, State Chief of Protocol, Arch Bishop Obiefuna of Onitsha Diocese and Archbishop Onaiyekan of Abuja Diocese, were the Key members. Of course there was a plethora of Permanent Secretaries, Directors, which included Patrick Ityoghe of NTA, John Alkali of FCDA now Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Housing, Dr Chris Ngige from Ministry of Health and Directors from the State Services and National Intelligence. From the Church we had Catholic Priests which included Father Matthew Hassan Kukah, and Father Ede of Madonna University. From the Laity we had the Late General Agbazika Innih, Paschal Dozie, Mrs Katryn Hoomkwap and on a few occasion the late Dr. Pius Okigbo.
On the Vatican side we had Arch Bishop Mario Vigano, the Apostolic Pro Nuncio in Nigeria. He usually came with Fr Banagh, an avuncular American Priest. On two occasions we had visits from the Papal travel office in the Vatican that included a very interesting and light hearted Priest, Fr. Roberto Tucci now a Cardinal in the Vatican; due to age he will not be voting in the election of a new Pope. He told me had been planning Papal visits since Pope John Paul ascended the throne of Peter. During a light discussion he asked me to guess his age, I couldn’t quiet guess but I thought he would be in his sixties; surprisingly he was 76 years at that time and older than the Pope! He didn’t look it and was much stronger than the Pope; I tried sending him a congratulatory message when I heard he had become a Cardinal. He struck me as a Man you could rely on.
The visit of the Pope was a tasking and daunting assignment which had very serious implications for the government of General Abacha. First, the Pope had just gone to Cuba were a listening device was found in one of the rooms he occupied and that had reinforced the negative image of Cuba in the eyes of the World. Also the issue of the political prisoners in Nigeria was high on the World’s agenda for the Pope and a touchy issue for the Abacha administration. The government also sought to maximize the Public relations potentials of the visit as the global media will focus attention on the country for the three days the Pope will be in Nigeria. In addition to these issues was also the religious side of the Pope’s visit; the beatification of Fr. Tansi. To manage all these interests and present Nigeria to the world as stable and worthy of a Papal visit was the task before General Useni and the Papal committee.
The Vatican was very strict but accommodating in the planning meetings. They specifically made request that the Pope had good audio equipments because during his last visit to Nigeria he was amazed that his attempt to speak Nigerian languages elicited no response from the audience, on inquiry it turned out that most of the congregation did not hear him during the mass. That demand was a challenge to fulfill at the Oba airport site of the beatification. In Abuja the General Useni as FCT Minister decided to build the Papal ground as the venue for the mass and a memorial to the Pope’s visit. A popular decision amongst the Catholic members of the committee, they however were upset when he insisted it will be a Christian prayer ground and not only for the Catholic Church.
The Pope’s arrival was a memorable event for many People. Expectations were high that General Abacha will as a mark of respect to the Pope release some of the high profile prisoners like current President, General Obasanjo, General Yar Adua or the most important Prisoner Chief M. K. O. Abiola. Others expected the Pope to denounce the regime and deny them the international acceptance it hoped the visit will bestow on it. Yet many others, the faithful, looked forward to the healing and miraculous power of such a visit to a beleaguered Country like Nigeria. The visit was very significant to many and indeed brought renewed hope to Nigeria.
The excitement about the Pope’s visit cut across the denominational and religious divide, a telling pointer to the stature and exemplary role of Pope John Paul II in World affairs. The intensity of the lobby from People across the religious and denominational divide to have a Papal handshake including General Abacha’s family members only reinforced my feeling that the Pope John Paul had transformed his religious and political position into an awesome moral force capable of providing the impetus for life transforming change. The life affirming and transformational power of the Papacy was in display when Colonel Omenka, leader of the Abacha Gestapo, came to receive Papal blessing. I had a very interesting discussion with him as we were waiting for his turn to get a Papal handshake. Our discussion, which I will recount someday, had all the marks of a dialogue from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor story in Brothers Karamazov. That encounter left me in contemplation about the nature of Man and the power of moral authority in lifting the soul beyond the dross of evil in the search of its mission on earth.
Much as the Pope, against popular wishes, sought to engage regimes that were isolated, he had a strict code of engagement that ensured that he does not ride in the same Car or Plane with any Military personnel or arm bearing guard. Due to this rule I had the rare opportunity as the Secretary of the committee to ride in the ADC Plane with the Pope. During the flight back to Abuja the Pro Nuncio called me to the front row and I had a memorable introduction, photo opportunity and blessing from the Holy Father! When I received the picture of that encounter from the Vatican my joy was complete that I participated to make the Pope’s visit a success.
At this point it will be pertinent to say few words about the role of General J. T. Useni in making the papal visit a success. Until the Papal assignment that brought us together in one room I was one of those who believed he was a hedonist who only got to high office because of military adventures in power. How wrong I was. He was a good manager of Men, a good listener and a decisive leader. He was a hands–on-manager and a diplomat. He carefully diffused the tension that almost engulfed the preparations and played a critical role in making the Vatican comfortable with the visit. I thought, at that time, he will do well in politics and subsequent events like his election as the Chairman of a committee at the National Dialogue and his position as Deputy Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party only confirmed my hunch.
As World leaders and millions of people gather to pay their last respects to Pope John Paul II, the true significance of his Papacy is revealed in the outpouring of love and loving wishes from across the entire religious and political divide. This moment imposes on humanity the impulsion to pause and ponder about our goals as creatures in this wonderful creation and the legacy we hope to leave behind one day. It also points to the ultimate destination of the human soul shorn of all earthly pomp and power, we are only remembered for the light we brought to other People; for the laughter we lit in other faces; and for the burden we sought to lift from other shoulders. For Pope John Paul II I join Millions in wishing him joyful striving to paradise.
Osita Chidoka School of Public Policy, George Mason University, VA, USA |