The scramble for the establishments of missionary posts by the various Christian missionary enterprises in the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century and the third decade of the same century in Ozu wore the cloak of chariot of fire. At first, it was the Church of Scotland mission (Now the Presbyterian Church) and then the Roman Catholic Church before the horde of others followed in close sequence with their names also etched in our Christian religious diary.
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MISSION (THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH)
It was the evangelization of the native people that brought about the stupendous rush for missionary space within the land. First it was the Presbyterian Church who as a result of the indefatigable effort of Rev. Robert Collins in 1911 made repeated visits to Ozu with the help of Onuoha Kalu Onuoha who was the first recognized evangelist ordained by the Church but was stationed at Elu Ohafia. Their mission interest was to open up Christian Church at Ozu but that first effort was greeted with strong resistance by the natives which made the effort to be thwarted at first. The first point of call was at the house of Chief Okorafor Onyeani at Nde-a- Oge compound. Rev. Collins who was led by Onuoha Kalu Onuoha to this village elder could not control his bewilderment when Chief Okorafor Onyeani quickly sent for his friend from the next compound of Nde-a-Awa chief Mbonu Awa Acha to come see his strange visitors. Their mission came with the package for the abolition of human sacrifice, head-hunting, rejection of their native gods and the toleration of twins and their mothers. The centrality of it all was for the native people to accept the God of heaven whose Son, Jesus Christ, they said, came to save the world from their sins. Evangelist Onuoha Kalu Onuoha was the interpreter to Rev. Collins. When Chief Mbonu Awa Acha arrived, the story had it, that he was completely astonished on the Caucasian colour of the White Reverend gentleman and quickly in that bewilderment held up his walking stick and kept hitting it on the head of the Rev. Robert Collins though with a gentle funny outrage telling his friend that “Isi-o di Nma ra otita-o”. The approach of the reception did not go down well with the white missionary and in a little rage of fear of the unthinkable got up and went away with his companion Onuoha Kalu following behind in disgust. On their way, the white missionary asked Onuoha Kalu Onuoha what the old village chief said while he was touching his head with the walking stick. Onuoha could not conceal anything but interpreted the reaction to his white Rev. Minister “he said that your head was good for eating”. On hearing this, the white man was thrown into a frenzy of rage and hesitatingly started making some unsavory statements on the man for what he did. That was how the first missionary outing in Ozu by the Church of Scotland Mission was frustrated in 1911. (This same Mbonu Awa Acha, Kalu Ufere and Egbuta Nmong, later became instrumental and supportive to the establishment of Mercy High School, Ozu Abam, by the Roman Catholic Church).
Their second attempt in 1912, survived the local oppositions because Rev. Robert Collins was able to assemble some small band of native local evangelists who helped him immensely to accelerate the spread of the Christian faith in Ozu and further afield into other Abam villages. At Ozu, much of their initial converts were the twin mothers and their children. Hence, the Church was nicknamed “Chochi Nde Ezinta” for that was the original naming identity of the twin mothers and their wards. That could be derogatory in a way but such was part of the initial challenges faced by the missionaries when they came to Ozu for the opening of the Christian Church and Schools.
When finally they settled, having gained a foot hold, the local chiefs decided to allot a land for them for the building of their worship center, this time at an evil forest that was the abode of a certain deity of theirs called “Kalu Afia”. Two things informed this decision: one for the church members to be destroyed by the deity or the presence of the deity would scare them away from the land. This still proved that the natives were still not comfortable with the new religion with its strange dogmatisms. As God may have it, none of the above presuppositions came to fruition instead the church continued to advance both in numerical strength and in glory and the locals now gave the church a new name “Chochi Kalu Afia” a name it still maintained late into the 20th century. Among the first converts in Ozu then was Awa Oku (Nnam Otikara) who later became the first indigenous elder in Ozu. Story had it that Awa Oku’s evangelistic zeal and the enthusiasm with which he held the Christian faith made the locals to consider him a threat to their peace and to this end decided to throw him into the evil forest to be devoured by the wild beasts but, like the Biblical Daniel, he survived the trauma and became more emboldened in the propagation of the gospel in the land of Ozu. It was here that the church then spread to other Ohafor communities such as Amuru, Nde Ebe, Nde Oji-Ugwo (Nde Ojiaku) and Amaeke respectively. Mention must be made here, that the first Abam man to embrace the early Christian faith was Onuoha Kalu Onuoha. In fact, he was the very soul that brought the Presbyterian Church School and the church in Ohafia precisely at Elu Ohafia in one remote corner at “Obu Nde-a- Imaga” in 1909. He is acclaimed as the forerunner of the Presbyterian faith in Ohafia before the arrival of Rev. Robert Collins in 1911. It is a fractured chronology to attribute the opening of the Presbyterian Church in Ohafia to Rev. Robert Collins because he arrived at Elu Ohafia on the 11th of November, 1911 (11/11/11) when Evangelist Onuoha Kalu Onuoha had already succeeded in opening the church and school there.
Christianity did not come into Ozu and by extension other Abam communities from the ‘Blues’ as one chronologist puts it. It reached Abam after passing through other towns, communities and villages. On the 10th of April, 1846, Scottish missionaries led by Rev. Hope Masterton Waddell arrived Calabar with the gospel. He came in the company of other missionaries such as Samuel Edgerly who then was a catechist and his wife; Andrew Chilsolm; Edward Miller (carpenter), and G.B. Waddell who was a houseboy to Hope Masterton Waddell. Their arrived witnessed the preaching of the gospel all over Calabar even unto the far flung areas of the Cross River. One of the best recorded results of the preaching of the gospel there was the abolition of human sacrifices. By 25th of October, 1888, the mission work had arrived Unwana in Afikpo area. This could be said to be the first Igbo speaking community that the light of the gospel first entered in this part. Unwana then served as a nexus into the interiors of Igbo land for the gospel propagation. In the year 1906, December 6th, Rev. & Mrs. J.K. Macgregor visited Asaga Ohafia through Unwana. In their company were Abiriba and Ohafia traders who had converted to the new faith while sojourning in Calabar. These were in the persons of men like Onuoha Kalu Onuoha, Ezikpe Onuoha, Agwu Otisi, Bassey Nsidi Eti and Mba. These were by record men that championed the opening of the Church in their home towns of Abiriba, Abam and Ohafia. When Macgregor went back to Calabar, after due consultations, Rev. Robert Collins who had already started a church work at Arochukwu was then asked to move up to Ohafia. It was here he met Evangelist Onuoha Kalu Onuoha who had already opened a Church School and had started a Church at Elu Ohafia. Rev. Collins only came in 1909 to take over from Onuoha Kalu Onuoha and to consolidate by building the “Mission House” of today at Elu Ohafia which served as the center.
THE MAN ONUOHA KALU ONUOHA
The origin of Onuoha Kalu Onuoha was initially a subject of speculation. While some associated him with Abiriba, others insisted that he was from Ozu Abam. It was one Elder Barr. Eke Obuba that gave a startling clarification on his origin in his paper titled “100 Years of Presbyterian Witness in Ohafia”. According to Eke Obuba (Barr.); Onuoha Kalu was born in Ozu Abam. And I add, from Nde Oge compound. He was apprenticed to some Abiriba businessmen who took him to Opobo, Calabar and other areas as they plied their trade and in the process Onuoha acquired Abiriba dialect and ascent. This indeed explains the confusion about his origin because those who encountered him initially mistook him for an Abiriba person because he spoke their language with dignified fluency and generally communicated with it. In his encounter with Christian missionaries either at Calabar or at Agbo Anyim or as may be speculated at Ogwu in Itu Mbonuso. He was among the coterie of Abiriba traders who were believed to have established in these trade-posts for business earlier before 1912.
When Onuoha Kalu got converted to the Christian faith, he quickly offered his services to the missionaries of the Church of Scotland Mission. It was alleged that at this point, the Missionaries were already nursing the ambition and the interest of penetrating Ohafia clan but were finding it difficult to do so due to certain mitigating factors. It was here that Onuoha Kalu who was then at Hope Waddell Training Institution, Calabar, joined one of the missionary delegations that visited Okon Ohafia in 1904 to urge the people graciously to accept the establishment of mission station in the community. This missionary visit and three more succeeding it failed. But in 1909, an opportunity stuck. Here it was recorded that a delegation of natives from Elu Ohafia visited Rev. John Rankin who was at Arochukwu. Amongst their plea was for the Church to come and establish a school in their community. Rev. Ranking agreed to this request but on the condition that the community would also allowed the church to be established as well.
After the sealing of the agreement by the Elu Ohafia delegation and Rev. Ranking, Onuoha Kalu became the first indigenous missionary Evangelist that was officially sent to Elu Ohafia by the Church of Scotland Mission for the propagation of the twin mandate: school and church whilst a substantive white missionary was to be deployed thereafter. As soon as he arrived, he first settled at “Obu Nde-a-Imaga” in Elu where he promptly established a school and a church simultaneously.
No amount of historical subversion would overshadow the efforts of this behemoth who by the dint of his missionary hard work; the Rev. Robert Collins and Rev. Alexander Mincher could found a level ground at Elu Ohafia and the neighbouring communities and clans for mission advancement. They took over from him an already existing church and school which was pioneered by his evangelistic activities. He was with the team of Rev. Robert Collins to establish the church at Asaga and no doubt in Ozu Abam in 1911 and 1912 respectively.
In 1912, when Abiriba traders who sojourned at Agbo Anyim were expelled by the natives’ reasons still unknown, as alternative place, some of them who happened to reside at Ogwu in Itu Mbonuso moved inward towards Abam in order to continue their business with Itu and Calabar. They took up the challenge of clearing the Igwu River estuaries of obstacles down to Itu. Among these Abiriba traders were those who had accepted the Christian gospel due to their contacts with Presbyterian missionaries across the River. At a place in Atan Abam which was like a Creek town, these traders who have embraced the Presbyterian Christian faith settled and from there moved inward to preach the gospel message up and down the Igwu River estuary even up to Nde-a-Ebe Abam which then served as Abiriba harbour. At the invitation of these Abiriba converts at Atan Abam, Rev. Robert Collins came to Atan through Isi-Ugwu Ohafia to open the Church then known as Abiriba Beach Church. From the Abiriba Beach Church, Christianity spread to Atan community proper, Nde-a- Oji and the rest of the present day Ovukwu villages in 1919. The Abiriba Beach Church was pioneered by two brothers, Elder Kalu Obiwe and Elder Eme Nkugba. Idima people joined in this gospel fervor through the Abiriba converts who settled at Idima Beach or “Onu Asu Idima”. The sporadic growth of the Church from the year of its inception-1911 down the line, made the Church in Ohafia, Abiriba, Abam, Igbere and Nkporo to function as one parish. This made the new converts to always trek to Elu-Ohafia for Baptism, Confirmation and participation in the Lord’s Supper. This great trek was an excruciating experience to the new church members though they embraced it with zest and inexplicable enthusiasm. But marginally, the management of the space became very herculean from Elu-Ohafia center and so it became religiously necessary to carve out another parish which became Abiriba Parish. This new parish comprised Abiriba, Abam, Igbere and Nkporo in 1930 with Abiriba as the new Parish Headquarters. Rev. Awa Ugbaga, notably the first indigenous minister from Amaekpu Ohafia became the first Minister In-charge of the Parish. He was succeeded by Rev. J.M. Nta, Rev. P.B. Onwuchekwa and Rev. Ochu Mbila down the line. In 1963, the urge for the Abam people to have their own parish severing from the then Abiriba parish became exponential. The Church obliged Abam people the request and subsequently created Abam parish with headquarter at Ozu Abam. The first Minister in-Charge was Rev. A.K. Oyeoku. Rev. D.O. Nnabugwu succeeded him followed by Rev. Igwe Olugu, Rev. Ulu Eme; Rev. K.U. Achuoha was the (Assistant). Others were Rev. Okoro Ukpa, Rev. Ofia Kalu Oluwa, and Rev. Kalu Oguelu Kalu. In 1987, the above Abam Presbytery which was carved out of the then Abiriba Presbytery was dissolved given room to the formation of three new parishes in Abam namely-Ohafor Abam parish; Ovukwu Abam parish and Ohaeke Abam Parish respectively. The creation followed the original political and geographical delineation of Abam Clan by the government and our founding fathers. For Ohafor Parish which comprised Ozu, Amuru, Nde-Ebe, Amaeke, Nde-Ojiugwo (now Nde-Ojiaku), Amaogbu, Nde Ememe and Nde- Ebeleagu Rev. John Mang Onwuka became the first Minister in-charge, followed by Rev. Okorie Onyeani, and Rev. Innocent Ama Kalu. For Ovukwu Parish which compromised Nde-Oji, Atan, Nde Okorie, Nde Okwara, Ahuma, Ezi-afor and Nde-Okereke, Rev. Oke Ibe Oke became the first Minister in-charge followed by Rev. Gabriel A. Umoke and Rev. Uma Ajike. For Ohaeke Parish which comprised Idima, Nde-Inya and Nde-Agwu, Rev. F.N. Eze became the first Minister in-charge followed by Rev. Emmanuel O. Eme and Rev. Olugu U. Olugu respectively.
Further afield was the growing agitation for grassroots evangelism and effective administration. This agitation was led by Ozu people, Nde-Ememe and Nde Ebeleagu who opted to stand out of Ohafor Parish. This gave birth to St. John’s Parish with her headquarter at Ozu 10th of December, 1995. What seemed a contagion was experienced as Nde-Ebe and Amuru coalesced to form Nde-Ebe/Amuru Parish- 5th May, 1996. Amake and Nde Ojugwo with Amaogbu quickly followed in the agitation to form ANA Parish on the 12th May, 1996. This radical evangelical shot brought the old Ohafor Parish to dissolution. This whole episode was masterminded at the reign of Rev. Innocent Ama Kalu with Rev. Ibeabuchi Agwu who was then a probationer and later the first Minister in-charge of ANA Parish. Today, the old St. John’s Parish is now Ohafor Presbytery with St. John’s as a Parish of its own followed by St. James Parish College Road, Urunji Parish Amuru and Nde Ememe/Nde Ebeleagu Parish respectively. Rev. Nwankwo Elezua Ugbo is the Presbytery Moderator with Rev. John Eze Onele as his Presbytery Clerk.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN OZU 1931
According to a very veritable source, it is by inference believed that the checkered history of the Catholic Church in Bende, Ohafia and Abam, is akin to its universal history that was characterized by obstacles and triumph at the same time. The coming of the Catholic Church in this area met a very strong opposition this time not by the natives, but by the “Protestants” (Presbyterian, Anglican and the Methodist) as the Catholic’s used to call them who had already opened up the space for missionary enterprise before the arrival of the Catholic missionaries. The Catholic Church felt that this religious opposition was borne out of the feeling that the church had come to lure their members from their fold and for this reason, took it upon them to fight to the finish to ensure that such did not happen. This was a fundamental Catholic premonition but according to the records, they were not deterred from making significant in-road into Abam, as their first push brought the Church to Idima and Ndi Inya.
Several Catholic pundits who were interested in chronicling the Church argued that the Church berthed first in Aba before it headed to Bende which was then a colonial headquarters. The view of this colonial presence and the notorious acknowledgement of Bende as a slave trading post made the Catholic Church to consider the place a good and arable ground for mission activities. To the Church then, establishment of a Church in Bende would help dissuade them from slave trading activities which the Church considered inhuman just as the Presbyterian Church on the other side of the divide also laboured to establish the Church as a way of dissuading the Cross River people from the killing of twins and the banishment of their mothers.
In 1921, the Catholic missionaries had succeeded in opening up a new Church at Bende. This Church later was known as St. Joseph Catholic Church. From St. Joseph’s Church, another outstation (named St. Michael) was established this time at Idima Abam. Idima’s contiguity to Bende paid off in this regard and thereafter Nde-a- Inya outreach was established and was named St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Further afield another outstation was created now St. Paul’s Church in Ozu Abam. The missionary propensity of the Catholic Church in Bende zone was significantly sporadic and kudos to St. Joseph’s Bende which served as the mission headquarters where the Priest the iconic Irish Rev. Fathers used as a launching pad in the evangelization of the hinter lands.
In 1970, a new parish was created by the then Late Most Rev. Bishop Gogo Newdo with the center at Ozu. This parish was created out of a mutual yearning by Abam people and the Parish Headquarters was located at Ozu notably because of its centrality and accessibility. The urge for evangelism within the space made the Bishop to respond speedily in creating the parish so that it would help in works of evangelization in the then Diocese of Umuahia. Record had it that the parish was carved out of Corpus Christi Parish, Bende, and Rev. Father Livinus Uka became the first Parish Priest who then relocated to Ozu Abam and residenced at “Igboro Akpuru-Achi” corridor where the Church had their first Parish House. The following Priests have served in the Parish after Rev. Fr. Livinus Uka; Rev. Fr. Dr. Emmanuel Osuji, Rev. Fr. Charles Kanu, Very Rev. Fr. Agapitos O. Ike, Rev. Fr. Luke Alicho, Rev. Fr. Patrick L. Chukwu, Rev. Fr. Ibedu Elias, and Very Rev. Fr. Leonard Ehiemere. Others were Rev. Fr. Donatus Uzoagwa, Rev. Fr. Vincent Otunwa, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obiche, Rev. Fr. Ignatius Ibe, Rev. Fr. Dr. Jude Ogbuano and Rev. Fr.Peter Osondu. Others in the list also include: Rev. Fr. Louis Uzo, Rev.Fr. U. Odor, Rev. Fr. John Iheanachor, Rev. Fr. Daniel Nwankwo, Rev. Fr. Michael U. Chukwu (one of the casualties of the 1988 Corpus Christi accident), Rev. Fr. Clement A. Kalu, Rev. Fr. Michael O. Kalu, Rev. Fr. Kizito Osudibia, Rev. Fr. Vitus Eke, Rev. Fr. Anthony Ukata (Late), Rev. Fr. Cyril Okereke and Rev. Fr. Raphael Nwokolo. Rev. Fr. Sylvester C. Kalu is the Parish Priest as at the time of this chronicle.
From a very authoritative record, it is believed that the Catholic Church came first at Idima in Abam and was named St. Michaels’s Catholic Church in 1925 from Ibere in Ikwuano. It was in 1931 that it entered Ozu but became St. Paul’s Catholic Church in 1932. It was Rev. Father Daniel Walsh an Irish Priest who was resident at Olokoro in Umuahia that came to Ozu to establish a mission school. This Catholic school competed favourably with the one opened long ago by the Presbyterian Church that then was known as ‘Prima’ or ‘Chochi Kalu Afia’. St Paul’s Abam which was stationed at Ozu later it became Sacred Heart Parish Abam and from there two other parishes were created St. Michael’s Idima Abam and All Saints Amaeke Abam while Ozu now retained the mother Parish “Sacred Heart”.
The above analysis represents the frontline missionary Churches that jostled for missionary spaces in Abam and Ozu in particular first, second and third decades of the 20th century. This time, it was not the resistance by the natives that was the problem of the church but the church itself. The two churches Presbyterian and the Catholic Churches were always holding each by the jugular. Both missions raised negative voices against each other and constantly did their things differently. This difference was very glaring in the establishment of schools. The Catholic Church came and saw that the Presbyterian Church had already opened school in the community for the training of the natives in the prevalent three ‘Rs’ (Reading, Arithmetic’s and Writing); quickly, the Catholic Church floated their own school to ensure that their converts did not join the so called Protestant school for such may also ensure luring their members from their fold. It was not an easy contest then as the story had it.
The period the Church would have used to align so as to conquer was marred by the unhealthy rivalry between the Church of Scotland Mission and the Catholic Church who believed they had different dogmatic orientations to impact into their converts. The division lingered until the late sixties when other Churches started making inroads into the landscape for their own missionary exploits. Today, there are several other Churches that have found its footing in Ozu. Each has made significant attempt to attracting members across the bulk of the mainline Churches that came in first in the community. As at the moment, there is the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Assemblies of God Church, The Apostolic Church, Faith Tabernacle Church, Abboso Church, the Anglican Church, Methodist Church, Winners Chapel, Redeem Christian Church and many others too numerous to mention.
OCTOBER 20, 1988
Local and international tabloid had different headings over the near holocaust that bedeviled Ozu on this date. Some said it was “Black Sunday in Ozu Abam”, others titled theirs “Tragedy visits Ozu Abam”, “Bloody Sunday in Ozu Abam” and “10 died many injured in a ghastly motor accident in Ozu Abam”.
This unthinkable incident happened while the Catholic Church across Ohafor was celebrating the 1988 Corpus Christi program which is an annual global Catholic event. On this date, Catholics in Ozu and the environs have all gathered to observe this mother of all events in the Catholic Church calendar when the unthinkable happened. The story was that as this procession were descending “Akwu-Kamalu-Hill”, the driver of a Peugeot Saloon car claimed he lost control of the vehicle and violently rammed into the procession and meted untold sorrow to the people of Ozu Abam and the neighbouring communities. In a book titled “Delivered from the power of darkness” written by one Kalu Abosi from Abiriba, he confessed in that book that he was personally instrumental to the tragedy due to demonic influences over his life as a Satanist. He claimed he was under the influence of certain witchcraft powers that made him to hypnotized the driver of the vehicle when that crowed was sighted. In their witchcraft coven more blood was required for the satanic sacrifices so he felt that was a good spot to carry out the demonic act so he charmed the driver because he was inside the vehicle. This was his confession in the book when he claimed he had been ‘born again’.
As the procession was in the glee of the moment and ensconced by the euphoria of the season singing and dancing in their colourful groups, this tragedy had taken them unawares from behind where the men especially the elders of the church filed in roll. Those who instantly lost their lives in the mayhem, included: Vincent de Paul and Rev. Father Michael Chukwu. Others were Ete Dominic Nmong, Ete Ayi Donatus, Ete Kalu Okpara, Ete William, Ete James Kalu Eziebe and Ete John Jack Agwu. The flow of blood there on that day could only be compared to that bloody massacre that took place in Ozu on the 28 of February, 1969 when a Russian-made Illyshin jet bomber scrambled by a Nigerian Air force pilot took a stink descent in Ozu on a popular market day and deliberate triggered the volley’s and hell was let loose in a civilian community that was going about their normal business life. Each of the volleys there at the market tells that thousands ceased to breathe. Such fiery darts in flaming volies flew across the length and the breadth of the market and there was no home that was not affected with a casualty toll. So Satanists in their disguise, whose ambassador was Kalu Abosi, decided to do a repeat of this tragedy to unleash endless tears in Ozu on that fateful October day, 1988.
The entire community was besmeared with an atmosphere of sorrow and anguish as bread winners suddenly lost their lives leaving behind wretched homes and destitute children. One cannot forget the trauma of seeing my uncle Kalu Okpara on that sully pull of blood after his skull was ramshackle by the forceful hit on the newly constructed coal-tarred road. I spoke with him that morning before heading to Idima Abam for a Scripture Union assignment. I came to meet his dehumanized body stained with blood of sorrow and pain in a morning he went out with high spirit to celebrate Jesus the Catholic way.
As a result of the incident, the Catholic Church decided to erect a monument (for Pilgrimage) at the center of the horror there at “Akwu-Kamalu” and the memory of the incident been reminisced every year in a post-requiem mass in memory of those that lost their lives in the tragedy.
HOLY JESUS MISSION: Every other Church operating in Ozu today may be considered foreign except the “Holy Jesus Mission” which was founded by an indigene of the land by name Evangelist Ogbuji Igwe Ogbuji. His evangelistic effort paid off in the establishment of this Church whose initial name was “Jesus Disciple Fellowship and Tract Mission (Inc)”. Then, the ministry started with the Tract Ministry which witnessed a horrendous circulation both within and outside. It could be said that this Man of God as Pentecostal Pastors then were called started his ministry at Warri in present day Delta State, and from there, deemed it fit to go to his Jerusalem which was his home town Ozu, to set the ball rolling as the Spirit led. His first crusade was held at the Ozu Abam Town Hall. This first outing brought very many people together who came and gave their lives to Christ through the preaching of this great Man of God. In fact, I was his first interpreter at the crusade to help establish this ministry. Many just like me that witnessed Ogbuji started would indeed conclude that he has made significant impact in the field as the Church which he grew and nurtured today has many branches registered across the nation and around the neighborhoods of Abam. He trained many Pastors and was able to deploy them to the field for the enhancement of the ministry. He indeed could be said to be the first indigenous General Overseer of a global ministry. Today he is a Bishop having been installed by the Council of Pentecostal Bishops in Warri, Delta State. Whilst he still resides in Warri, with the Church still making waves there, the Church at home is acclaimed as the national headquarters of the Holy Jesus Mission in Nigeria. He had succeeded in growing the number of his membership in Ozu and across the spectrum where he established his print. Part of his missionary scheme too is the establishment of a school in Ozu which by the dint of hard work and doggedness, is growing by leaps and bound.
LIST OF CLERGY PRODUCED IN OZU BY THE MAINLINE MISSIONARY CHURCHES (1912-2025)
1. Late Rev. Egbuta Onyeani-------------------Presbyterian
2. Late Rev. Frank Okoro-----------------------Presbyterian
3. Rev. Fr. Benjamin Ogbu----------------------Catholic
4. Very Rev. Monsgr. Martins Awa-------------Catholic
5. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Okoko------------------------Catholic
6. Rev. Fr. Prof. Michael Uka---------------------Catholic
7. Rev. Barr. Ikechukwu Ogboso-----------------Presbyterian
8. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Kalu Ayi------------------------Catholic
9. Rev. Fr. Barr. Donatus Asonye Okon---------Catholic
10. Rev. Fr. Joseph Okoko--------------------------Catholic
11. Rev. Fr. John Agwu------------------------------Catholic
12. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Ogbankwa---------------------Catholic
13. Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ukakwu Agwu-------------Presbyterian
14. Rt. Rev. Rev. Rev Egbe Egbuta Uyere----------Presbyterian
15. Rt. Rev. Kalu Okorafor---------------------------Presbyterian
16. Rt. Rev. Orji Uda ------------------------------- --Presbyterian
17. Rt. Rev. Edward Udo Ebuta (Late)--------------Presbyterian
18. Rev. Fr. Anthony U. Egbuta---------------------Catholic
19. Rev. Fr. Nicholas C. Okereke--------------------Catholic
20. Rev. Sr. Dr. Chilee Okoko-------------------------Catholic
21. Rev. Sr. Patricia Ogbankwa-----------------------Catholic
22. Rev. Sr. Agnes Kalu Okpara-----------------------Catholic
23. Rev. Sr. Mary Okoko Uda-------------------------Catholic
24. Rev. Egbuta Ojebe--------------------------------- Presbyterian
25. Rev. Anthony Ufere---------------------------------Presbyterian
26. Rev. Christopher Okoko----------------------------Presbyterian
27. Rev Uche Ojembe-----------------------------------Presbyterian
28. Rev. Emmanuel Ojeka------------------------------Presbyterian
29. Rev. Timothy Ojeka---------------------------------Presbyterian
30. Rev. Chukwu Nkemjika Egbe----------------------Presbyterian
31. Rev. Uche Anaga------------------------------------Presbyterian
32. Rev Nkemjika Onyeani-----------------------------Presbyterian
33. Rev. Harrison Eke Udo Egbuta--------------------Presbyterian
34. Rev. Daniel Ogbuagu--------------------------------Presbyterian
35. Rev. Jerry Kalu--------------------------------------- Presbyterian
36. Rev. Emmanuel Ukakwu Agwu--------------------Presbyterian
37. Rev. (Mrs.) Ifeoma Mba-----------------------------Presbyterian
38. Rev. (Mrs.) Gabriel Egbe----------------------------Presbyterian
39. Rev. Emmanuel Edward----------------------------Presbyterian
40. Rev. (Mrs.) Esther Egbuta----------------------------Presbyterian
41. Rev. John Ojeka---------------------------------------Presbyterian
42. Rev. Sunny Ugorji-------------------------------------Presbyterian
43. Rev. Divine Kelechi------------------------------------Presbyterian
44. Rev. Johnson Uka-------------------------------------Presbyterian
45. Rev. Ocean Michael Nkole--------------------------Presbyterian
46. Rev.(Mrs.) Peculiar Umesi----------------------------Presbyterian
47. Rev. Mgbuje Thomas Daniels-----------------------Presbyterian
48. Rev. Peace Agwu Ama-------------------------------Presbyterian
49. Rev. Arisa Ogbuagu----------------------------------Presbyterian
50. Rev. Amauchechukwu Ukachukwu Ogba----------Presbyterian
51. Rev. David Ebeleagu---------------------------------Presbyterian
The above record shows the enormous impact the missionary churches made in Ozu before the advent of the Pentecostal churches in the land. It must be noted too, that the Pentecostal churches came with fire and zest in order to conquer and occupy. They too, over a period of time produced great number of Pastors to which space cannot permit their mention now. But prominent among them is late Sr. Rev. Egbuta of the (Unity Metaphysical), Late Joseph Kalu Obasi of the Assemblies of God Church and Bishop Ogbuji Igwe Ogbuji of Holy Jesus Mission. Others are Late Ibisi Uda of the Apostolic Church, and Rev. Dr. Smart Agwu to mention just a few. Someone had rightly said: “that Ozu is the land of Pastors and that it should be rightly called; God’s Own Land”.
Of a truth, Ozu should be so seen as “God’s Own Land! The horrendous impacts of Christianity in this community heartily could be inexplicable. The Church extricated the observance of ‘Afo Market’ day on Sunday which the missionaries told us [is the Lord’s Day]. The Church taught us how to live in harmony with each other and reminded us that blood is life and should not be spilled either by violence or by any other ungodly method. The Church taught us how to love our neighbour as ourselves; the more reason why we do not thrive in violence and rejoices in bloodletting. The Church exposed us to the beauty of education and made us embrace it with zest and zing. The Church made men and women to embrace the light of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and made certain ungodly practices that were anti humanity to be abolished with unregrettable effrontery. Some people say that Jesus lives in Ozu and truly He does.