naptu2:
Most evenings, Father Anthony would stroll down to the fighting forces camp. Those residing there were absolutely prohibited from coming near the officers’ camp. Anthony would sit among st them and chat with them far into the night. At times they would sing and play games around bonfires. Sometimes he would buy them beer from his meager allowance. They loved him very much for that. Gradually he won their confidence and some nights he would get one or two of them to accompany him on walks around the streets.

From time to time Anthony would drive down to Diobu with the soldiers. They would visit orphanage camps, organize prayer sessions as well as present food items to the inmates. Some catholics amongst them also helped in arranging catechism classes for the war victims.

In no time, young Father Anthony had settled down to the harsh life of the military camp and accepted realities of the situation. His only anxious moments were whenever he had to accompany the troops to the warfront. The fact that he was well protected at the rear did not completely insulate him from danger.

Most mornings he had to report at the headquarters to the Chief of Staff – Col. Godwin Ally. One day however, Anthony ran into the GOC – the BLACK SCORPION, Brigadier Adekunle himself, who asked “What is that man doing there? Ask him to report at 18 Battalion”. Later, Anthony gathered from a military orderly that 18 Battalion was in the heart of the military offensive. The orderly warned him “Oga, don’t go, that place fire dey o!” but Anthony knew that he had to go.

Very early the following morning, about 5:00 am, Anthony joined the troops to the warfront. There he was able to observe the difference in fire power between the Federal troops and the Biafrans. While the Biafran gunshots sounded like toys to him, the Federal troops' firepower reverberated throughout the entire neighbourhood. from the sound of the guns you could know the position of the opposing troops.

Anthony's duty was to minister to all the casualties at the warfront. one strange thing that he experienced at the front and which he reported to the Chief of Staff was the case of two soldiers who were very good friends. one got fatally injured and surprisingly, all his friend did was to search his pockets, remove everything therein and take off. Anthony witnessed this on about two or three occasions and just couldn’t understand. When he reported this to Ally, he simply replied that there was nothing unusual in this. “Sir, I don’t think it is charitable”, Anthony said.

“What? You talk about charity here? If an enemy caught up with our wounded men, they would still be shot to ascertain they are dead before removing all they have on them and whatever ammunition found on them would still be used on us. You don’t discuss charity. This is war”. “Sorry sir”, Anthony said. After this, he learnt to keep his mouth shut. Understandably, all is fair in war!

On Sundays Anthony would offer Mass for the troops, at the end of which he would listen to their complaints – both personal and professional. It was generally believed among the fighting forces that he could intercede on their behalf with the authorities. This he did whenever he could.

Father Anthony also made himself available to take the soldiers confessions. At the warfront however, confession was heard at the oddest locations, and a lot of times, while in motion. Wherever the soldiers caught up with him, they just stopped and shouted “Father, Father, confession.” Before he was ready, they would recount their transgressions and speed off, not even bothering to wait for absolution. He always sent this after them.

One day he had gone to the market to pick up a few things for the camp. He came upon a pretty lady struggling with a broken down vehicle. Then as he made to get into his jeep, a soldier dashed over to him and said the lady had ordered him to surrender the vehicle.

“Which madam? Your madam?” Anthony asked, suspecting that the lady was a girlfriend of one of the top war commanders.

“No, Oga’s madam”, the soldier replied.

“If you don’t get out of my sight…” Anthony shouted like a senior officer, “I will deal with you and your madam!” The soldier retreated like a frightened rabbit. Before the soldier could get back to the lady, Anthony jumped into the jeep and ordered the driver to race off.

naptu2:
One Christmas eve, a short truce was declared and Roy Chicago and his band were brought in to entertain the troops. At the height of the entertainment, Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle took the microphone. He certainly was in one of his light moods as he addressed the troops.

“Now, this war, if all goes well, will end before January 1st!”

All the soldiers shouted “HURRAH!”

“Don’t annoy me now”, Adekunle said. “What are you shouting hurrah for?” Then he digressed and said “I can see some people are just sitting bone to bone and I don’t like that. I want you to sit ‘bone to flesh’. Anytime Brigadier Adekunle made such remarks, the drums would roll to cheer him. as if this was not enough, he decided to go on inspection to fish out any soldier sitting’bone to bone’.

For fear of running foul of the Black Scorpion’s orders, Anthony got up quietly slid beside a lady and so did everybody else. But the Black Scorpion had not finished with him. he took the microphone again and announced – “Now I want the gentleman and lady that I will call out to come and open the floor – The Roman Catholic Chaplain from Lagos”. Anthony almost fainted, but Brigadier Adekunle, sensing his great discomfort, quickly summoned about six couples to join him and this provided Anthony the opportunity to sneak out and go into hiding. Soon, the merry making was over and it was back to business.

At about 4:00am that morning, the bugle sounded, signaling the end of the truce. Anthony walked up to the Chief of Staff and reminded him that he had just eight days left in the camp. Col. Ally threatened that he wasn’t going back, but instead will be commissioned into the army as an officer. Anthony didn’t argue.

In his free moments, Anthony would visit Commander Alfred Diette Spif, the then Governor of Rivers State. The governor, being a catholic, found a lot of solace in his religious discussions with Father Anthony. Governor Dietter Spiff was not known to be too friendly with Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle.

Eventually, his last day at the warfront arrived and he submitted his discharge papers. After the usual formalities, he was released and driven straight to the airstrip. That very day, Brigadier Adekunle was also on his way to Lagos for consultations. On arrival at the airstrip, true to character, he ordered everybody out of the aircraft, including even the military governor of the state - Diette Spiff. He announced that he intended to fly to Lagos alone in the aircraft.

On sighting Governor Spiff, Adekunle walked to him and in apparent ridicule blurted out: "So you want to travel with me, Governor? Governor my foot! You know without me here you're as good as dead". After thoroughly enjoying himself, he allowed everybody on the aircraft.

Just before the aircraft took off, Brigadier Adekunle asked: "Where is the Roman Catholic Chaplain? You must sit with me here". So Anthony sat beside the Black Scorpion.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked. Anthony replied "soft drink".

They served Adekunle beer and meat and he joked, "Before I drink my beer, I want Father to make it holy. After all, Jesus turned water into wine. If you cannot do this, it means you are fake". Sensing the mockery in his voice, Anthony refused to bless the beer and Brigadier Adekunle, noticing Anthony's reluctance, said "Well, if you don't bless it, it is blessed".

naptu2:
On their arrival in Lagos, Governor Diette Spiff drove Anthony back to the Holy Cross Catholic Mission. At last he was back to peace and sanity. The warfront experience remains ever fresh in Father Anthony's memory.

All considered, Anthony felt that the experiences at the warfront were very valuable. It re-equipped him both emotionally and psychologically and memories of wounded and dead soldiers always brought back flashes of the graveyard experience his father put him through during childhood. Both events had the effect of preparing him for the unknown life ahead of him.

Back in Lagos, Anthony noticed that his attitude to life had changed tremendously. For one, he observed that his voice had assumed a much higher pitch. He now shouted. The short military life had obviously rubbed off on him. He now enjoyed shouting orders. His immediate boss, Father Moran, who was then the administrator of the Holy Cross Cathedral, had to remind him often times that he had left the warfront and that he didn't have to shout that much anymore. What was more, he even walked differently from his pre-military service period. Now he marched rather than walk. Even his table manners became less formal. But with time, Anthony had to return to his priestly "civillian days".

naptu2:
Culled from "Archbishop Olubunmi Okogie: Devil or Saint" by Sir Steve Omojafor (STB & Associates, 1992).

In a twist of fate, Anthony Cardinal Okogie became Monsignor (Col) Pedro Martins' boss.

CyrusVI:
It is well, Muslims dey always do extra-extra on top everything
Na only dem go dey fight say make Arabic dey on top Naira notes

XXXsearch:

Return f" your mo{th}er is a w.{h}ore"

UncommonLogic:

Aba baby factory product of a 1000 sperm deposited into a worthless olosho mother. I'm sure that you don't know who your father is since your miserable low life worthless olosho mother was impregnated at the Aba baby factory by village drunkards.
Lowest scum of mother Earth. STFU and go fvck yourself. IPOB pig 🐖.

UncommonLogic:

Aba baby factory product of a 1000 sperm deposited into a worthless olosho mother. I'm sure that you don't know who your father is since your miserable low life worthless olosho mother was impregnated at the Aba baby factory by village drunkards.
Lowest scum of mother Earth. STFU and go fvck yourself. IPOB pig 🐖.

UncommonLogic:
Nigerian Christians especially those IPOB terrorist cannibal monkeys are the worst hypocrites. They will be OK with anything that promotes their way of life while crying and wailing about others.
Pandora pathological liar Obi is the true face of that hypocrisy.
Yes Daddy religious fanatical fools.

nedu666:
To make matters worse, on June 11, 25 people were killed, on June 12, 50 people plus one police was killed, no outrage, no condemnation. Truly lgbo are the most important

MightySparrow:
Take Quran out of the earth, that moment, heaven will come to earth.

naptu2:
Anthony Cardinal Okogie as a Nigerian Army chaplain at the war front during the Civil War

AndroBlaze:
[/b]
Thank you Naptu2 for these rivetting excerpts.

Goodvibes007:

Oh well. The motto of the Nigerian Army is Victory is from God Alone.

The Christian wing below. Na traditional wing remain 👇

naptu2:
The Nigerian Armed Forces offers chaplaincy services to its officers, men and women. The job of the chaplain is to minister to the spiritual needs of the soldiers.

Examples of famous chaplains are Reverend Monsignor Colonel Ayodele Pedro-Martins and Anthony Cardinal Okogie, who served as a chaplain during the Civil War.

The chaplaincy services in the Nigerian Armed Forces are divided into the Islamic, Roman Catholic and Protestant chaplaincy services. There are schools that train the pastors, priests and imams that serve as chaplains in the armed forces

Stevosty:
Are you saying those men on uniform are not trained combat ready soldiers but religion and their job is to offer chaplaincy services to the combat soldiers?

UncommonLogic:
Nigerian Christians especially those IPOB terrorist cannibal monkeys are the worst hypocrites. They will be OK with anything that promotes their way of life while crying and wailing about others.
Pandora pathological liar Obi is the true face of that hypocrisy.
Yes Daddy religious fanatical fools.

Baronthecelebri:
Let's divide the country

nedu666:
So 5 soldiers and 1 airman were killed in the north. No audacity, no threat of revenge. So those soldiers family will not get visit from governors, no scholarship for their children, no reward money to find their killers. So those soldiers kpai just like dat

CyrusVI:
It is well, Muslims dey always do extra-extra on top everything
Na only dem go dey fight say make Arabic dey on top Naira notes