Feature/OPED
Reflecting on a Catholic Priest’s 30 years Of Liberal Thoughts
By Jerome-Mario Utomi
Taken objectively, Rev. Fr. Victor Ibude, from Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria, is a Catholic Priest ordained about 30 years ago precisely in the year 1993, who in the first instance went to the seminary with no ambition of becoming a priest but only went in thanksgiving to God for aiding him score distinction in his examination as conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
He was, however, through divine arrangement and natural order of things, ordained a Priest of the Catholic Church on the aforementioned date.
Essentially, by his ordination which was administered by His Lordship, Most Rev. (Dr) Anthony Gbuji, Bishop of Issele-Uku Diocese (as he then was), Fr. Victor, like other Rev. Fathers in the catholic faith, became a Priest, a Prophet and a King, laced with the capacity to perform every spiritual, human and other responsibility associated with the position/office.
Beyond these statutory responsibilities, a peep into his 30-year existential journey in Priesthood reveals something new and different. He is not only embodied with a spiritual relationship with God, which of course is a prerequisite demand for the vocation but principally exudes a liberal thought system that positively defines his views and approach to issues.
The above unique attributes daily manifest through exceptional intellectual achievements among other documented feats. recently came to the fore during a media parley with him, as part of a programme lined up to mark his 30th Priestly ordination cum book presentation slated for Sunday, December 10, 2023, in Alisimie village, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta state.
Aside from revealing that he has authored over fifty (50) books on different topical issues, with plans underway to hit 100 books at a record time, Fr. Ibude, who was a Professor of Philosophy, used to his credit, the opportunity provided by the interview to highlight on critical human and developmental issues as well as addressing some unsettled religious doctrinal commentaries.
Beginning with insight into his choice of priesthood as against other fields of endeavours, Fr. Ibude explained that his going to the seminary was a result of an event that occurred during his West African Examination Council WAEC examination.
He said in part; when I had my first WAEC, I did not pass all my papers. Then, I went to Lagos where I showed my results to my siblings. I was enrolled to attend a lesson. While attending the lesson, I was still active in church. My elder brother, Edward reported me to my elder sisters, telling them I was too ‘churcheous’ and not focusing on my studies.
So, there was a conference over the matter and during the discussion, I told them that my result was already known to me. So, I mentioned that I would score distinctions in the forthcoming examination. My brother decided to make a bet with me that if I should score any distinction, he would give me twenty naira (N20). At the end of the day, when the result was released and I had distinctions, my brother wrote me a letter telling me that God wrote the examination for me. Then since God wrote the examination for me, I decided to go and thank him by going to the Seminary.
Asked if he believes in reincarnation, which happens to be one of the doctrines that the Catholic Church frowns at, he answered this way;, as a Catholic and a Christian, I was going with the waves that the church does not believe in reincarnation. However, I wrote my first work on reincarnation when I was in secondary school class five. The title was The Wonders of Reincarnation. Now, I learnt from my parents. My father was not a Catholic. He belonged to Cherubim and Seraphim. They taught me and my siblings how each of us was incarnate of somebody who was gone. The stories were so clear to me and that was how I started getting interested in the fact that these people were giving us facts that you can see.
So, why are we having doubts about this? Eventually, when I entered seminary, I decided to give myself into understanding of the philosophy of reincarnation. I started researching on it. Eventually, my final thesis in philosophy was on reincarnation. Then what was my conclusion?
My conclusion was that there exists reincarnation. That was where the issue is. How did I come to that conclusion knowing that the church does not believe in reincarnation? Luckily for me, because of my test, I came across the work of Saint Paul in 1st Thessalonians 5 v 23, where St. Paul talked about the tripartite nature of man.
All the while, we talked about the dual nature of man. Man is soul and body. We don’t talk about the third part of man which is the spirit. So, when I came across this version of St. Paul of man being three and not two, the whole mystery of reincarnation became so clear. Reincarnation happens in reality not because of the soul but because of the spirit.
So, as we speak, my position on it is still the same.
As for the church’s position, it is still not clear about the whole idea because the church essentially is the people in it. And the people in it are the theologians. Theologians are the people studying it. So, it is a work in progress. We’re still studying, we’re still doing our research and we’re still writing on it. He stressed.
From doctrinal commentary to evaluation of his 30years sojourn on earth as a Priest, again, he captured it this way; well, the journey has been a serious one. There was a time I had a serious challenge. At that time, some issues were provoking me. One, as a priest, I found out that the word Father was no longer a name but a demand. People make demands of you. I was not sure I could carry the load of the challenge of people’s demands. That was one.
The second one was discovering that ordination does not make you a saint automatically. I thought passion dies with ordination. That was when I decided I wanted to go to the monastery. And I went to the monastery. I was in the monastery for about a week because I was studying their spirituality. After that, I decided I was going to live a monastic life. I asked for permission but the bishop refused. That was how I didn’t go to the monastery, he concluded.
Asked about his position on the proliferation and commercialization of churches, the Man of God, declared that he has no problem with such development. Quoting John Cardinal Onaikan, when he was asked about the issue of church proliferation, he came out with the notion that it would have been worse if there were no churches. That was his position and if you look at it, these churches are still relevant. Take as an illustration; if people are left on their own without churches, they tend to be worse off. The church has succeeded in making us better.
Continuing, he added the commercialisation of churches on its part has an advantage too. We the Catholics, without this Commercialization of churches, don’t think we would have been challenged to be evangelical and charismatic. They have their relevance. Look at Europe and America where the churches are not as challenged as we are here, you could see that the churches there are dying. So, it is to our advantage.
While noting that the church is doing something but not doing enough to curb the moral decadence in society, the Catholic cleric insisted that the church in itself accommodates culture. ‘It is called inculturation. And for some time now, I’ve been doing what is called inculturation mass where i incorporate tradition into the mass. I’ve been having it in many of the parishes because the church made provision for this. It’s just that we Africans don’t seem to be open to these things. We the blacks don’t seem to appreciate what we have’.
Asked to explain why he reportedly threw up controversy in his Seminary days with his assertion that catholic priests marry, he answered, saying; Yes, I was trying to throw up a controversy. In my class 6 in the seminary, I was having difficulties with the system. Like I said, I was into music. So, my life was a social life. They were already telling me that I was too social and that it was not the life of a priest.
But I was not giving it up because that was what I liked. So, it was clear to me that those in charge were not comfortable with it. And the only thing they could do was to send me away but how they were going to send me away, I didn’t know. So, when the examination came, they asked me the question and I said it was a way of them telling me to go. I was not even afraid of going in the first place. So, that was why I did that.
Asked what kept him going as a Priest despite the challenges in the past thirty years, Fr. Victor has this to say, listen to him; Well, I would say it’s my prayer life. I have a very rigorous prayer life. I have a basic prayer system. Like every day, I spend one hour in church. It’s a practice I learnt in secondary school and I kept doing it.
On his active involvement in active charity, the Priest succulently explained as follows; well, growing up. Like in primary school, I used to follow the African Culture where your siblings and relations usually eat together. When we cook rice, it’s always a special day. Each time they come, my siblings will expect me to share my food with my age mates. It makes me uncomfortable because why will I be sharing my food? Why don’t they have their own? At that moment, I was challenged. Charity was difficult for me but from that background, I was forced to give up what is mine.
From that moment also, I started learning. I had to learn on time because it was becoming an issue. From there, I started learning how to give out to the poor. I started giving to the extent that when it was time for my first WAEC that was one of the reasons why I didn’t pass my first WAEC. The money I was given for Agric practical, as I was on my way to pay it, I met a beggar. I took the money and gave the beggar. So, that has been the background.
Asked to advise public officeholders and Nigerians as a whole, he called on all to seek the face of God.
‘For a long time now, I have something I call my NGO. The NGO aims to help solve matters that are within my reach. If I am driving along the road and I see that there is something on the road, I will stop and remove it. I have been preaching it and have also been living with it. Do something for somebody. Charity is our African philosophy. It’s just that we have lost it. And if everybody is good to the other, everybody will be comfortable. Nobody will be stealing. People are stealing because we are not appreciative of what we have’.
On his proposed University and retreat centre, Father explained that he started thinking about having a retreat centre where people can go to rest, to be on their own because Agbor doesn’t have that. So, that was how the whole thing started.
‘After that, I realized also that there is a lot of knowledge that has not been encapsulated in this part of the world. We have so much to offer. Also, we don’t have anywhere to go for a holiday here. If I’m thinking of going on holiday, I’m always thinking of leaving the vicinity. But why am I going out? It’s because I can hardly find places to go around here. So, this is the idea behind it,’ he concluded.
Empowering women is about more than justice, gender equality and human rights. It is the most effective way to improve standards of living for entire communities – especially in emerging economies.
As the world marks International Women’s Day (IWD) this month, it is an ideal time to reflect on the value of empowering women for all of society – not to mention the next generation of women.
A report by the International Labour Organisation determined that, “at a basic level, women’s employment, paid and unpaid, may be the single most important factor for keeping many households out of poverty.”
This is because – as other studies have found – women are more likely than men to invest a large proportion of their income to educate their children. Therefore, as women enter the workforce in greater numbers and earn higher salaries, more is spent on children’s education, including girls’ education. This can then lead to an ongoing cycle of better education for future generations of women.
Pan-African entertainment group MultiChoice Africa is well positioned to support this process of empowering women through training in the media and entertainment sector.
The organisation has long shown a deep commitment to promoting diversity, and its preferential procurement policies are intentionally aimed at empowering women. MultiChoice Africa invests in building a gender-balanced workforce through strategic recruitment and people development – and this has borne fruit.
Today, the group provides entertainment and consumer services to 20.9m subscribers across sub-Saharan Africa. It produced 6 502 hours of local content last year, with more than 30 local content channels across 10 markets. The group has customers across 49 markets in sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent islands through DStv and GOtv, and its linear OTT service DStv Stream.
This continent-wide penetration has been achieved with a workforce made up of 48% women employees – up from 47% in 2023 – and 43% female representation in senior management positions.
MultiChoice spent ZAR90 million on the training and development of women staff in 2024 through initiatives like its Advancing Women Mentorship Programme. This initiative offers select groups of women the chance to attend masterclasses with executives, as well as networking sessions, mentorships and expert classes to enhance their technological and management skills.
In addition, since 2012, the MultiChoice Innovation Fund has disbursed ZAR407 million in loans, grants, and business-development expenses, specifically targeting black women and youth-owned businesses in fintech, edutech, healthtech, HR tech and media. To date, 77 black-owned small businesses with at least 50% female, black ownership have benefited, creating more than 1 400 jobs.
The empowerment of women is a direct, purposeful MultiChoice business strategy, brought to life through significant empowerment programmes and budget allocations.
Progress through storytelling
However, as Africa’s most-loved storyteller, MultiChoice Africa sees its fundamental role as being to entertain, inform and empower the African communities that inspire and build the company in return.
In fulfilling this purpose, it works to also empower women through the hyperlocal content it produces for markets across the continent.
In line with the goals of International Women’s Day, MultiChoice aims to achieve full gender equality in its industry, and on the African continent. Indeed, the group is well on the way to achieving that in its workforce and in its content strategy.
The MultiChoice approach is to ensure women have a voice in the media and entertainment industry. It is working to help them acquire the skills to express themselves creatively, and to inspire audiences of millions of African girls and young women.
A powerful platform for achieving this is through the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) academies in three African capitals – Lusaka, Nairobi and Lagos. These institutions provide fully paid annual courses in the fundamentals of TV and filmmaking – everything from screenwriting to directing to sound engineering, editing and producing.
Half of the students intake are females, and their time at MTF sees them equipped to produce films of their own. Many young women filmmakers have produced highly impactful work that has premiered on MultiChoice platforms and won accolades at awards shows across the continent.
Their work is itself an expression of the IWD theme to “Accelerate Action” towards gender equality.
MultiChoice Africa platforms have achieved encouraging gender-transformation successes. The right inputs are being implemented, and they are generating the right outputs.
While more remains to be done right across society before full gender parity has been achieved, the media has shown itself to be a critical platform for shaping perceptions and encouraging change.
At MultiChoice Africa, women have found their voice. They are shaping Africa’s future. And they are doing that through the power of African storytelling.
By Linda Saunders
Generative AI has transformed how people interact with technology through prompts, and the next frontier promises an even greater impact. As organisations refine their AI strategies, we are witnessing the next chapter of work and the emergence of digital labour with agentic AI.
Since the launch of Chat GPT many business leaders focused on what they thought was the right topic – the Large Language Models ( LLMs). But these models are quickly becoming a commodity, as each one races to build the best for a specific use case.
To truly unlock value from AI, you need to focus on everything around the model such as the orchestration, the low code / no code approach to building and refining, the metadata framework and a data engine that compliments the data strategy. It’s this platform advantage that is seeing agents across the globe stand up and deliver value with real data, leveraging real integration in a few short weeks.
To unlock the action and value of generative AI requires a deeply integrated and connected platform with a one code base, but this takes significant time and money to build unless you have already been empowering your human employees on the Salesforce platform. Our platform leverages everything you have built to empower your digital workforce. Its a win-win where even for those who are not quite ready for a digital workforce – will be unlocking their ability to pivot to an agentic workforce with every flow, cloud, integration and build – Ultimately future proofing their business.
Agentic technology is a multi-trillion-dollar industry opportunity. The agentic enterprise will operate with unprecedented independence capable of responding to queries and handling complex tasks autonomously. This autonomy will optimise workflows, drive innovation, and break down barriers related to the need for continuous human intervention.
By 2028, Gartner predicts that 33% of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI, up from less than 1% in 2024, allowing 15% of day-to-day work decisions to be made autonomously.
Yet, AI agents are only as good as the data they have. They need connected data—both structured and unstructured—to understand user queries and make informed decisions. That’s where integration and APIs come in, building a solid foundation for these agents.
While 93% of IT leaders are either implementing or planning to implement AI agents within the next two years, they face significant integration challenges that hold back the full potential of these agents.
According to the latest MuleSoft Connectivity Benchmark Report, which surveyed more than 1,000 IT leaders globally, 95% struggle with data integration across systems. On average, only 29% of applications are connected, which really affects the accuracy and usefulness of AI agents.
The report found that, on average, enterprise organisations are using 897 applications, and those with AI agents are using even more—1,103 applications. 90% of IT leaders say data silos are creating business challenges.
The more applications and AI models there are, the harder it gets to integrate everything. Data silos make it even tougher, limiting agents’ access to the data they need and leading to less accurate and useful outputs.
Disconnected data also places major strain on IT resources. IT leaders are looking for ways to boost efficiency and productivity, but they expect their teams’ workload to increase in the next year. Balancing current capabilities with integrating AI agents across hundreds of unique applications while maintaining those systems, is a real challenge.
To unlock the full potential of AI agents, businesses need to align their integration and AI strategies. APIs and integration solutions can simplify and unify data infrastructure, allowing AI agents to access critical data and interact with existing systems and automations. This can significantly improve IT infrastructure, enable data sharing across teams, and integrate disparate systems.
Organisations that have successfully integrated their data and systems using APIs are reaping the rewards: increased productivity (49%), faster response to business needs (49%), and higher revenue generation (45%). On average, half of an organisation’s internal software assets and components are available for reuse, which means companies can leverage their existing investments, instead of starting from scratch.
The reliance on IT teams highlights the need for a clear automation strategy, along with robust governance and monitoring to ensure everything runs smoothly and securely.
A well-rounded automation strategy is crucial for integrating AI effectively, but many teams are still working on theirs. One key part of this strategy is making AI accessible to non-technical users, which is essential for broader adoption and creating a solid foundation for employees to build on, and this is where agents are changing the game.
Every company, team, and employee will soon have an agent. But how useful is a team of agents if they can’t interact with other systems or agents to coordinate and take action across the entire business? AI must have a smooth handoff to a human, and if that transition isn’t well-coordinated and seamless, any benefits are quickly undone
As AI, integration, automation, and API use continue to drive transformation and performance, organisations that invest in these technologies to harness unlimited digital labour are best placed to stay agile, efficient, and ultimately succeed.
Linda Saunders is the country leader and senior director solutions engineering Africa at Salesforce
By Kayode Awojobi
Democracy, by its very definition, is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It is a system built on the principles of popular participation, accountability, and governance that reflects the collective will of the electorate.
However, in Nigeria, democracy often takes on a different meaning—one in which a few powerful individuals wield enormous influence over the political process. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as godfatherism, has become an entrenched feature of the country’s political landscape.
The role of political godfathers in Nigeria is complex and often divisive. While some view them as experienced mentors who provide guidance and structure within the political system, others see them as power brokers who prioritize personal gain over the collective good.
Godfathers serve as kingmakers, using their resources and influence to propel candidates into office. Yet, once these candidates assume power, they are often expected to remain loyal to their benefactors, a reality that frequently leads to governance dictated by the interests of a select few rather than the needs of the people.
The influence of godfatherism is not an abstract concept but a lived reality that has shaped political developments in several states across Nigeria.
In Osun State, for instance, the fallout between former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola, underscored the fragile nature of godfather-protégé relationships.
Initially handpicked as a successor, Oyetola later distanced himself from Aregbesola’s influence, leading to a fierce political battle that ultimately contributed to his loss at the polls.
Similarly, in Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has had to navigate tensions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where certain political figures who played a role in his rise to power later accused him of abandoning party structures.
Perhaps one of the most well-documented cases of political godfatherism in recent years was the dramatic conflict in Edo State between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his former benefactor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole, who had championed Obaseki’s election in 2016, later fell out with him over governance and party control. This dispute culminated in Obaseki’s disqualification from seeking re-election under the All Progressives Congress (APC), forcing him to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he secured a second term in office. The episode highlighted the extent to which political godfathers expect loyalty from those they help install, often leading to bitter confrontations when protégés seek independence.
In Rivers State, a similar dynamic is playing out between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
Wike, whose influence was instrumental in Fubara’s emergence as governor, has been accused of attempting to control the new administration from behind the scenes. The power struggle has resulted in political unrest, including an attempt to impeach Fubara and the defection of several lawmakers loyal to Wike.
The situation escalated to the point where President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state House of Assembly for six months. Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas was appointed as the state’s administrator to oversee governance.
This further reinforces the argument that political godfathers, rather than serving as stabilizing forces in governance, often become sources of crisis when their influence is challenged.
To be sure, political mentorship is not inherently a negative concept. In well-functioning democracies, experienced politicians often guide emerging leaders, offering advice and leveraging their networks to ensure effective governance.
However, the Nigerian brand of godfatherism is rarely about mentorship in the true sense of the word. Instead, it is largely about control, an arrangement where those who ascend to political office must remain subservient to their benefactors. This practice undermines democracy by limiting political choices, suppressing independent leadership, and reducing accountability to the electorate.
The continued dominance of godfathers in Nigerian politics raises a critical question: should a few individuals determine the fate of millions, or should the democratic process be allowed to run its course?
Proponents of godfatherism argue that it provides stability, ensures continuity, and helps navigate the complex terrain of Nigerian politics. They contend that without the financial and structural backing of political godfathers, many candidates, especially those without deep pockets, would struggle to compete in elections. In this sense, godfatherism is viewed as a necessary evil in a system where political survival often depends on strong backing.
On the other hand, critics argue that the culture of godfatherism erodes the foundations of democracy, replacing meritocracy with patronage. When candidates owe their political success to an individual rather than the electorate, they are more likely to prioritize the interests of their benefactor over those of the people.
This reality has played out time and again, with governors and other public officials making appointments and policy decisions that serve their godfathers rather than their constituents. The result is governance that is often disconnected from the real needs of the populace.
If Nigeria’s democracy is to mature, there must be a shift from the current model of political patronage to one that prioritizes competence, transparency, and true service to the people. The electorate must become more discerning, resisting the imposition of candidates whose loyalty lies elsewhere. Political parties, too, must work toward greater internal democracy, ensuring that primaries and candidate selections are based on merit rather than the dictates of a few powerful individuals.
The experiences of other nations provide valuable lessons. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela, despite his towering influence, stepped aside to allow new leaders to emerge, ensuring that democracy remained intact beyond his tenure. In the United States, political mentorship exists, but power is not concentrated in the hands of a select few who dictate governance from behind the scenes. These examples suggest that it is possible to balance political influence with democratic principles.
Nigerian political godfathers must rethink their roles. Rather than seeing themselves as puppet masters, they should position themselves as genuine mentors, guiding younger politicians without stifling their independence. They should invest in institutions rather than individuals, ensuring that governance structures remain strong regardless of who is in power.
Ultimately, the power to end the stranglehold of godfatherism lies with the people. The electorate must recognize that their votes are their most potent tool for shaping the future of governance. If voters reject candidates imposed by godfathers and insist on accountability, the culture of political subservience will gradually diminish. Democracy thrives when the will of the people is supreme, not when a handful of individuals determine the political direction of an entire nation.
As Nigeria looks toward future elections, the conversation around godfatherism must shift. It is time to move beyond the era of political overlords dictating governance from the shadows.
The country must embrace a system where leadership is earned, not handed down; where politicians serve the people, not a select few; and where democracy is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Kayode Awojobi is a multiple award-winning broadcast journalist, social and political commentator. He writes from Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State
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