Opinion
By Valentine Obienyem
IT was around 6:30 p.m. this evening, when I called Dr Celestine Ostende Oguegbu to ask if it would still be convenient for us to visit Msgr Jeremiah Ikegbusi. He contacted Fr Emmanuel Udu, the Rector of the Old Priests’ Home, who graciously gave approval for our visit.
As we approached the gate, we met Monsignor already waiting for us. He looked like a father anticipating the return of children who had spent many years in a distant land – his face lit with the quiet joy of one who knows they are finally home. From the gate, we walked together to his room.
As he went inside to bring out kolanut for us, Ostende glanced admiringly at Monsignor’s bookshelf, filled with tomes. Turning to me, he remarked calmly, “Val, these books are a classical example of Okeke’s booths after retiring from the army.” He added that the only difficulty for a casual reader would be that many of them might be written in German, a language in which Monsignor completed his postgraduate studies, and a country -Germany – in which he also carried out a significant part of his priestly apostolate.
Nearly fifty years a priest, Monsignor had once been our Rector in 1983 at St Dominic Savio Seminary, Akpu. It is only the initiated who would recall the “Amanse” episode that left most of us terrified at the time. One of the readings linked to that experience was the story of Ananias and Sapphira. I shall not “taa nmanwu” here.
Because of his distinctive and profound understanding of child psychology, he was later posted to St John Bosco Seminary, Isuaniocha, shortly after his return from Germany. He also served at various times as Spiritual Director in both seminaries.
He is a teacher of teachers – what Latin fittingly calls “magister magistrorum.” I still remember him as our first Latin teacher, when he strode into class with the conscious grandeur of expert knowledge of Latin and wrote on the board: “Lingua Latina.” Thus began our journey from mensa to Bello Gallico.
Today, many of his former students now form a significant part of the Awka and Ekwulobia Presbyteries. One of the quiet joys of a teacher lies in witnessing the lives of those once entrusted to his care, watching them grow into the very fabric of the institutions they now serve. This, indeed, is the stage Monsignor now finds himself in – a serene harvest of a lifetime of formation, where memory meets fulfilment, and a teacher quietly beholds the enduring fruits of his labour. He was delighted to hear that OSTENDE is now the PRO of Oko Polytechnics.
As we sat with our old teacher, I was reminded of Emperor Aurangzeb’s stern response when his former tutor once sought his patronage. The emperor rebuked him bitterly, saying:
“Was it not your duty to instruct me in the history of my ancestors, to make me familiar with the origin of this empire, its progress, and the causes of its greatness? You should have taught me the revolutions of kingdoms, and the rise and fall of empires. You should have taught me the reading of solid history, to observe their rise, progress, decay; and whence, how, and by what accidents and errors those great changes and revolutions of empires and kingdoms have happened.”
Aurangzeb ultimately refused to assist his tutor. His harsh response stands as a reminder that the way students treat their teachers in later life often reflects the quality of formation they received in their formative years. It is here that we speak of correction in love, where discipline, manual labour, and rebuke are understood as necessary instruments of proper formation.
For us, these periodic visits to our old teachers are a profound expression of gratitude. They affirm that these mentors remain an integral part of our journey. They testify that we cherish the time spent under their guidance, and remain deeply grateful for their painstaking efforts in shaping us into men.
A good teacher stands as a custodian of human progress, invested not only in the academic excellence of his students, but also in their moral and spiritual formation. A true educator refines the soul as much as the intellect, guiding his wards with insight into their character and potential. In the end, the true measure of his greatness is reflected in the lifelong gratitude of his students, who, having been lifted into higher realms of wisdom and culture, return in later years to honour the mentor who anchored their success. This is what we did today, and the most important part of it has always been the photograph, which one of the seminarians on apostolic work was glad to take us today is attached.
In this sense, a truly noble teacher, like our own Monsignor leaves behind a legacy far more enduring and vital to humanity’s progress than the fleeting influence of politicians, generals, or kings.
A.I
June 3, 2026
Tags: Dr Celestine Ostende Oguegbu Fr Emmanuel Udu Msgr Jeremiah Ikegbusi. Valentine Obienyem