CIWA, Port Harcourt, Nigeria | April 27, 2026| Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Amos

The Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, stood still in history and rose in gratitude as it formally received one of its most illustrious sons and former Rectors, Msgr. Prof. Peter Damian Akpunonu, in a grand reception marking his diamond jubilee in the priesthood. The event, long anticipated, was not merely ceremonial but profoundly symbolic, bringing together memory, identity, and institutional conscience in one luminous moment.

From the early hours of the day, the roads leading into the oil city bore witness to a steady pilgrimage of minds and hearts converging in CIWA. The Bishop of Aba Diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Augustine Echema, led a distinguished delegation, joined by the Apostolic Administrator of Port Harcourt Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Patrick Eluke. From Obehie Campus in Abia State came a strong and vibrant presence, staff and students travelling in their numbers to honour a man whose imprint on their intellectual and spiritual formation remains indelible.

The celebration began with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at  Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, CIWA. Presided over by Bishop Echema, with Msgr. Prof. Akponaunu as Chief Celebrant in line with the Ceremonial of Bishops, the liturgy bore the marks of solemnity and grace. The choir from Obehie Campus rendered sacred music with angelic discipline, while Sr. Joy Ejikeme, SJS, proclaimed the First  reading, the seasoned Responsorial Psalm was rendered by Sr. Umahi Catherine Blessing, SJS . In his homily, Bishop Augustine Echema expressed gratitude to CIWA community for recognising, after decades, a priest who now stands at the rare confluence of 60 years of priesthood and over eight decades of life.

From the altar to the arena of celebration, the transition was marked by colour and culture. An Igbo cultural troupe  escorted the celebrant in rhythmic splendour to the Institute’s multipurpose hall, where the second phase of the event unfolded with remarkable vitality.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Okpara, Knight of the Church, drew the gathering into a reflective remembrance of Akonanu’s years in CIWA, recounting both the triumphs and the trials, particularly the institutional struggles that eventually birthed Obehie Campus.

The Acting Rector, Rev. Prof. Luke Ijezie, rose with filial warmth and intellectual clarity, situating his address within the personal history he shares with the celebrant, his former Rector at Bigard Memorial Seminary:

⁠Rector of Rectors and Formator of Formators, the name ‘PD’ (Peter Damian) worked wonders. In my seminary days, I thought you were superhuman in your ability to always make provision. Later I realized you are profoundly human: but one who understands that wealth is not always inherited; it is created.

He further underscored Akpunonu’s decisive contributions to CIWA’s institutional evolution, notably his role in securing its pontifical status and initiating early movements toward full university recognition as far back as 1995.

The musical interlude that followed, featuring renditions from W.J. Kirkpatrick’s How Excellent! to Jude Nnam’s Olisa, elevated the atmosphere into one of reflective joy.

On behalf of the Institute, the Registrar, Very Rev. Fr. Wilson Akhigbe, delivered a tribute that will endure as a textual monument of gratitude:

⁠It is, above all, a testimony: a testimony to the steadfastness of God; a testimony to the resolute rigour of a man who rejected mediocrity and embraced magnificence; a testimony to disciplined devotion and daring dedication; a testimony to patient perseverance and priestly purity; a testimony to luminous leadership and lasting legacy; a testimony to courageous conviction and consecrated consistency; a testimony to scholarly strength and spiritual stature; a testimony to faithful formation and fruitful fatherhood; a testimony to noble nurture and principled nobility of purpose; a testimony to enduring excellence and exemplary execution.

⁠As you look around today, see more than buildings. See lives formed… Your return is not ceremonial; it is existential. It is joy fulfilled and memory made visible.

If one were to ask who Prof. Peter Damian Akpunonu is to CIWA, the answer would transcend titles. He is not merely a former Rector; he is one of the architects of its intellectual and structural identity. Serving as Rector from 1989 to 1997, he arrived at a critical juncture and deployed formidable administrative acumen, scholarly depth, and international networks to stabilize and advance the Institute.  His wider ecclesial stature reinforces this identity. An internationally respected biblical scholar and theologian, he trained generations of priests across Nigeria and beyond, served as Rector of Bigard Memorial Seminary where he left transformative marks, and contributed to global theological discourse as a member of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission and later the Vatican’s International Theological Commission.  His priestly journey itself began with distinction, ordained in 1966 at a remarkably young age through special dispensation, and quickly rising to become one of Africa’s most influential formators of clergy.  To speak of CIWA’s history without him is to speak in fragments.

It was therefore fitting that this reception was organized not as a casual visit, but as a formal institutional honour marking his 60th anniversary in the priesthood, a celebration of vocation, vision, and verifiable impact.

In his response, as reported by Sr. Appolonia Budzee, Prof. Akpunonu spoke with characteristic candour, weaving gratitude with critique, memory with mandate:

⁠Do not be mournful, for the joy of the Lord is our strength. I return to CIWA with gratitude. Today recalls 1991… I did not imagine I would be celebrating sixty years.

⁠CIWA has a checkered history… yet there is hope. The Ratzinger Foundation will open CIWA to the world. This is an opportunity.

⁠A Church that does not think does not deserve to be called Church… Merely copying from others is not a great way of existence.

His words, piercing yet pastoral, did not merely echo through the hall; they settled into the conscience of an institution still in the making.

This reception marks the first time CIWA has formally welcomed back one of its former Rectors in such a structured and celebratory manner. Whether this moment becomes tradition or remains an exceptional tribute, it has already achieved something more enduring: it has reconnected CIWA to its roots, its rigour, and its responsibility.

In the final analysis, this was not simply a return. It was a reckoning, a remembrance, and perhaps, a renewal.

Fr.  Dr .Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Uromi and a Lecturer at CIWA, Port Harcourt, Nigeria