An inspirational story of a legendary Anglican Priest. 1919-1962

There lived a man called Hezekiah Okoro Nweje, he was an Anglican priest from South-East Nigeria, Onisha Anambra state. He was born in 1919 and died in June 1962. He was nicknamed “Holy Nweje” because of his very humble, extreme, righteous, easy-going and humanitarian lifestyle. He was tenaciously devoted to the things of God, whatever he had or received as gifts from the church, he shared amongst the poor and the less privileged. He doesn’t hoard them at the expense of the needy. In his philosophy, he believed that wealth was sharing what you have without hoarding it. At a time, he was nominated for the position of the Anglican Bishop on the Niger, he declined and nominated someone he felt was more qualified.

Rev Hezekiah Okoro Nweje was seen as an upright, spotless, and a righteous man. It was all those outstanding qualities he posed while alive that brought about the name “Holy Nweje”, depicting how holy one can be. He believed one’s anger should not see the next moment. In may 1956, two villages in that community were tussling for a piece of land, Rev Nweje was called as a witness, he told the Judge that none of the towns owned the land, na “Ani bu ani Chukwu” meaning the land, and thereof are of the lord. That ended the land tussle. He was always on the side of peace. Around April 1956, in Broadway time local thieves invaded his house in that community and stole tubers of yam and fowl, he ran after them and told them to come and take more, those days jungle justice was the remedy for stealing in that community, but he cited hunger as the reason for their conventional behavior. What a man!

Growing up in that community, and in the entire igbo land, Eastern part of Nigeria, if seen or perceived as an upright person, you would be called or nicknamed holy Nwaeje. It tells how good or describes how good someone is.

He died in 1956, Nweje land in Onisha Metropolis Eastern part of Nigeria is a street named to immortalize him.

Message: we must learn to be kind to people around us and to also teach our children dog. And to make a positive impact in our community.

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Author : Ogochukwu Umeadi Nnatuanya Degree : Bachelors Major : Legal studies Country : Nigeria Language : English View Author Profile Visit Atlantic International University