When I made up my mind to write about Evangelist Ebuka Obi, a popular man of God, the spiritual head of the Zion Ministry, a religious organisation with headquarters in Okota, Lagos, Nigeria, so many things agitated my mind.
The first one is that, as a senior journalist who has done numerous stories, some of them bordering on painstaking investigations while working with some top national newspapers in Nigeria, I don’t need to dabble into any religious issues that could stir controversy.
But secondly, as a journalist who has been an editor in some national newspapers, I told myself that my job is to report or write on issues with a fair mind and based on facts. And leave the rest to the public to judge.
Convinced, I decided to write about Evangelist Ebuka Obi after watching one of his videos recently where he called out Igbo millionaires and billionaires to think home, and his other concerns about the Igbo person.
So, my observations about him will be based on the man Ebuka Obi, some of his actions and endeavours without delving into his religious preachings and sundry activities.
As the Editor-in-chief of the Igbo Book of Records, A Compendium of Igbo Heritage, Events, Culture and Achievers, I think it is fit and proper to feature this high profile religious personality, an evangelist of Igbo origin in the book.
The book is published annually on the platform of “Hall of Igbo Achievers Foundation”, set up by three senior journalists of Igbo extraction to champion issues that could defend, uplift the Igbo heritage, events, culture and celebrate Igbo achievers. Second edition will be out in December 2025.
I have never met Evangelist Obi in person up to the time of writing this piece. Also, I have never been to any of his religious activities or programmes. My presentation is based on the fact that I am an Igbo man who shares his concerns, and also as a journalist who writes history in a hurry. We need to get this clear.
As a matter of fact, I have watched some videos of his preachings and programmes without forming an opinion about what he says or does. But his views on the said video, made some sense to me.
Evidence shows that Evangelist Obi has a large followership both in Nigeria and abroad. From my understanding, members of his congregation are from different Christian backgrounds. Maybe none Christians too. In other words, his is a non-denominational organisation. You can even say ecumenical.
Also, I understand that this young man of God (some people may dispute this) was or is still a Roman Catholic adherent.
He was a strong member of the society that takes prayers and worship of God very seriously in the Catholic Church, The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, a powerful segment of the Church, I heard. It is under this influence that his character, talent and deep spiritual inclinations manifested, I was told.
Evangelist Obi is said to have been mentored by some Reverend Fathers who discovered early, the spiritual gifts God may have deposited in him to enable him carry out evangelism and other activities.
Perhaps, it cannot be said that he has left the Church completely after springing up from the Charismatic group and moving out to start a Ministry. On videos, we still see him praying with rosary, one of the religious materials used for prayer by Catholics.
From my observations, Evangelist Obi has thousands of followers-rich, poor, home and abroad, who are so attached to his spiritual activities to a point of total devotion and even obsession.
To this people, they are prepared to take on anyone who dared to cross the “red line” on their spiritual director, their pathfinder in terms of criticism.
To some others outside the congregation, Obi is not what he presents himself to be. Some have even called him ‘fake’ evangelist. And the antagonistic views play out vigorously on social media platforms.
Perhaps, that is why he criticised those he called Igbo bloggers who use their platforms in a way to bring some people down. I will present all he said about Igbo people in that video verbatim in this write up.
My worry, however, is that some Catholic Priests have been dragged into the unhealthy and unnecessary controversy. And this shouldn’t be.
Those for and against use Evangelist Obi’s issue to create all kind of ridiculous contents on social media just to make money. And this shouldn’t be. All this by Igbo people.
The issue of religion or spiritual matters is a personal choice borne out of conviction. People have different reasons for attending any Church, Ministry or following any person they see as man or woman of God who can solve their problems. They are so many pastors, evangelists, Rev. Fathers, amongst others in this category.
Problems confronting human beings are many especially, economic and social. A lot don’t care about the spiritual, that’s the salvation of their souls, but to see instant solutions to their social, physical, emotional, economic and other problems.
And in a country like Nigeria where economic, social, political and security problems have dominated the public space for a long time, and pressing so many people down, you can’t blame or hold down those who believe that a particular person or place will minister properly to their needs and bring them succour.
The way Evangelist Obi conducts his ministration may not appeal to some people who are onlookers but that should be between him, God and those who love him. At least he does things in the open.
One of the things that may have attracted many people to his Ministry from, my findings, is his instant financial help to those in need. Someone told me that the way Igbo families come out in the open to “wash their dirty linens just to get money from him” is his worry and a shame.
It is also said that he has solved so many spiritual, personal and family issues troubling some people for years through prayer and financial support. Someone told me two years ago that if he had gone to Ebuka Obi earlier, his late brother wouldn’t have died of the sickness that killed him. He believes strongly that Evangelist Obi would have been used by God to solve the problem. That’s the kind of thought many people have of Ebuka Obi.
Also, that he makes revelations about some problems hindering some people’s progress, prophetic pronouncements on his followers are some of the reasons lots of people flock around him, I was made to understand.
But whether those claims are real or not shouldn’t bother anyone who is not part of it. Spiritual matters should be left for God to decide those doing the right or wrong things.
There are men and women of God, real or otherwise all over Nigeria and other Christian world with large followers.
Thousands of people congregate in their worship centres or Chambers most of the time to receive spiritual engineering, spiritual rebirth, spiritual front pedalling or back pedalling depending on the intentions, dispositions and faith. So, Ebuka is just one of those.
When I heard he built an hospital in Anambra State which was opened sometime this year (2025), for people to receive medical care free, I told myself this is practical Christianity. He should be encouraged to do more just as many other men of God in Igbo land have done or are doing.
Some have established industries and educational institutions that have given people jobs and education.
Therefore to my mind, the young evangelist is a man who knows what to do with his Ministry and how to go about it. Whether he is right or wrong is not for human beings to judge. With time some people may leave, while others may join. That’s the nature of man.
As I said earlier, what actually attracted me to write this, is his concerns about the behaviour of Igbo people to their fellow Igbos. And his open challenge to wealthy Igbo people all over the world to think home.
Indeed, this is not a new concern or thought. Many organisations and individuals have raised those issues in the past but with the kind of audience that listen and follow him, he might be the one to lead the pack.
Now hear him in the video: “Go to every police station in Lagos, for every 70 cases it is Igbo and Igbo. You hardly see two cases between Yoruba and Yoruba (demonstrating with his fingers).
You hardly see two or three Housas. If they have cases they hardly go to the police. Once they say “munazua munazua” every one goes home.
But your fellow Igbo will drag you, drag you in everything. “Inaenyemunri” are you feeding me? Do you know who I am?
That’s why our region is currently grappling with development. It is a shame. You are answering millionaires and billionaires in somebody’s land. You are developing that place, when you cannot even travel to your village.
Bandits have taken over your village. You’re billionaire in Abuja, Lagos, in somebody’s land. Eze Ndigbo in Ghana, Eze Ndigbo in Ethiopia, in America, in UK and so on. But in your village bandits are in-charge.
In your village there is no road. In your village there is no light. It is a disgrace. You don’t know the meaning of being a millionaire or a billionaire. Anything you have and your people are not benefitting from it, you have not started.
Igbo states, only five, are not up to Niger State alone in landmass. Only one state is more than the whole Igbo states. What does it take you to bring some of your investments home?
When you bring your own and another person brings his own before you know it, the Igbo land will be developed. And there will be no room for banditry.
Bandits can hardly operate freely if there are houses and developments everywhere. Bandits will always operate if there is no development. They will always operate from the bush and forest.
What does it take Igbo billionaires to turn South East to Dubai? What Zion Ministry is doing today in Ngor Okpala, if 30, 50, 80, 100, 200 people, billionaires can come out and develop the South East, it will be good. What are we talking about?
Nobody will leave the South East and say he will go to look for work in Ghana. The reason of going outside to look for work is because there is no work at home.
We easily fight ourselves, ‘abi nobi so’? Go to the market and see how they are planting charms or juju to undo or even kill one another. Sending some people away from the market.
In Balogun, Trade Fair, Onitsha Main Market etc, traders use charms against each other. Using charms because your brother is doing well. Using charms for him to have “Atuere”, very shameful. Individuals that the devil has possessed.
Yoruba bloggers are making money without dragging anybody. Yorubas are even the ones that started blogging and they make big money from blogging.
But Igbo bloggers, they believe that the only way they can make money is to drag people that did nothing to them. That’s the problem of Ndigbo. Fighting themselves when they are in a cage”.
That’s his view. You may agree or not agree with him, but his thoughts about Igbo people, their behaviours, among others, are clear.
In terms of the economic position and development of Igbo land, he is right. We are very far in development index from what is out there from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and an online report sighted.
Check out the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the South East of Nigeria: Anambra State is $8 bn (Eight billion dollars), Enugu State, $7 bn (Seven billion dollars), Abia State $6 bn (Six billion dollars), Imo State $5.8bn (Five billion, eight hundred million dollars), and Ebonyi State, $3.4bn (Three billion, four hundred million dollars).
The five states of South East have a combined GDP of $30.2bn (Thirty billion, two hundred million dollars).
Now compare this with the GDP of Lagos State which is $150 bn (One hundred and fifty billion dollars) and you will agree that Evangelist Obi is justified in his lamentations.
The point is that our Igbo brothers and sisters who are billionaires and millionaires in Lagos contribute largely to the huge economic stature of Lagos.
They have many big industries in Lagos and nearby Ogun State. They are involved in real estate businesses, large scale commerce and importation, including the service sector. They pay huge taxes to state and federal government agencies which help to boost their host states and federal revenues.
This is the case in other parts of the country, some African countries and beyond where Igbos reside. This is the point Ebuka Obi is making and a challenge to our rich people who have refused to take the issue of investing part of their businesses in the South East seriously.
Talking about the way some of our Igbo people behave to their fellow Igbos and thinking home on investment matters, I don’t think he mean to generalise, far from it. Obviously he was emotional about it.
Indeed that was his own style of delivery. Let us, the Igbos, look at the message and leave out the messager for those who may think that way.
*Nwanze is the Editor-in-Chief of the annual “Igbo Book of Records” and Media Consultant based in Abuja. nwanzesam56@gmail.com
