Olayiwola Matthew
A former Catholic priest of 17 years, Dr Echezona Obiagbaosogu, said he has resigned from his position as a priest to embrace African traditional religion.
Obiagbaosogu, who teaches African Traditional Religion at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in Anambra State, said he was fascinated by the traditional African spirituality and the art of rainmaking.
After defending his PhD Dissertation titled “Rainmaking and Control in Igbo African Medicine,” on Wednesday, he said Africa possesses enormous resources and value which have been eroded by colonial powers.
He disclosed that he spent several months studying under a renowned native doctor, learning the intricacies of the craft, adding that he conducted research intending to recover the lost African values.
He said, “I have come to realise that my true calling is to serve my people through the ancient traditions of our ancestors. I was a Catholic priest for 17 years before resigning to embrace the traditional African religion. The topic of my research is ‘Rainmaking and control in Igbo African medicine: A case study of Isieke in Ihiala Local Government Area, Anambra State’.
“I partly lived with my maternal grandfather, who was a traditionalist, while my father was a Christian before he passed away. Though he was a Christian, he still believed in traditional materials. He was an agriculturist with trees around the compound and always brought in new ones, some of which he said were medicinal.
“So, I learned from him to appreciate nature. My background is also significant. I was once a Catholic priest—Rev. Father. I began this research as a priest five years ago and then left the priesthood, so now I am married.
“Everything about this research stems from my curiosity about nature and God. The research reflects my curiosity about spirituality and the nature of God. As a priest, I had the opportunity to work in health sectors, and I understand what health is all about.”
He explained further, “I conducted this research with the intention of recovering our lost African values. There was one of my father’s friends, and when I was in the seminary, I founded a school called the Society for African Culture.
“During that period, we invited my father’s friend to demonstrate that rainmaking was possible. He came and made it rain. This experience led me to investigate it in an academic way.
“My research in rainmaking and control is rooted in finding the truth and understanding how native doctors contribute to preserving African values. I discovered that it is indeed a reality and done by dibia (native doctors). I am not turning my back on God, but rather, I am embracing the divine in a more meaningful and authentic way.”
Obiagbaosogu also shared his thoughts on the relationship between magic, religion, and science, adding that, “Civilisation began with magic, moved to religion, and today we are talking about nanoscience and other fields.
“The white man was able to explore these magical laws, codify them, and call them science. So, science is essentially what was once magic.
“We can also access these magical laws, which we call African magic or religion. It is not the African magic of Nollywood. The African magic of Nollywood is one of the tools used to destroy our culture and values.
“African magic is actually African science, which remains unexplored. We must begin to modify, codify, and document it for posterity.”
When asked about his decision to leave the priesthood, Obiagbaosogu said, “Life is a process. Things happen, and people begin to look left and right.
“One important thing is for the person to know themselves. If you understand yourself and remain open to reality, you will begin to make decisions for your life.”
He declined to discuss the specifics of his resignation, saying it was a matter of personal conviction.