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Gowon, Archbishop Okoh, Onaiyekan, eulogise ex-CAN President, Mbang

Former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, the President Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh and the Bishop Emeritus, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan have eulogised the late former CAN President, Prelate Sunday Mbang.

Late Prelate Mbang who hails from Akwa Ibom State died at 86. Before his death, he served as the Prelate of the Methodist Church in Nigeria; he was also the former President of the entire Methodist Faithful/Church in the world.

Speaking during the evening of a special service of tribute and songs, the CAN President, Archbishop Okoh said Mbang will be remembered as the former President of CAN who led the association for two successful tenures.

“As a very young leader, we were following them as I was the Vice President of the Organization of the African Instituted Churches, each time we come to the National Executive Committee meeting of CAN, we will see the way these leaders will move together, and we desired to be like them.

“We remember our father as one of those who worked very hard to see to the completion of CAN’s main auditorium. He was a man of prayer and he believed in God and he believed in the efficacy of prayer,” the CAN President said.

“The late Prelate was a very strong voice in Nigeria, and his voice was not only strong but loud and consistent, which rang out from the church, speaking against injustice and leading the people of Christ on the path of righteousness

“He was fearless, he was courageous, he was bold as he stood and spoke to power and the authorities in this our nation, even during the military era, he was fearless.

“Even when he was doing that, we never saw him moving around with security men, he believed in his God as the one who will protect him always. For those of us who have quite a lot to learn from him, we will miss him,” he added.

On his part, John Cardinal Onaiyekan who was the Vice President of CAN under Mbang said the death of a great man is not a loss, but an end of a journey, and an end of an assignment.

“Prelate Mbang spent his whole life serving God, serving the church and doing his best and he left very good steps behind. Prelate Mbang was a man of peace, a man of reconciliation, a man of unity across religious lines; we need more of such people. ”

Ini Mbang, son of the late Prelate said his father was a God-fearing and fearless man, a strict and loving father and a teacher.

“He is very playful, he loves riding a bicycle, playing scrabble, but especially he loves his bible, every day of his life he read about eight chapters of the bible”, he said.

He said there were plans by the family to build a museum and a library in Akwa Ibom State in order to immortalise the late Prelate.

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