By Uche Egba
A lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki, Professor Adibe Nwafor, has described the apostolic visit of the Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Oliver Ali Aba, JP, to his residence as a divine visitation that has rekindled hope for Nigeria and reaffirmed God's grace upon his family.
Professor Nwafor, who spoke shortly after hosting the Prelate and his entourage at his residence in Abakaliki, said the rare visit would remain a historic milestone in the history of his family.
According to him, the decision of the spiritual leader of the Methodist Church Nigeria to visit and share fellowship with his family was a demonstration of God's uncommon favour and faithfulness.
"My household and I are richly blessed by this manifestation of divine grace. We consider this visit a great privilege and a historic event that will remain evergreen in the history of our family," he said.
The university don called on his relatives, professional colleagues, friends and well-wishers to join his family in thanking God for the uncommon honour, expressing confidence that the spiritual blessings associated with the visit would positively impact their lives.
Professor Nwafor likened the experience to the biblical account of Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus but was unexpectedly honoured when Jesus chose to visit his home and dine with him.
The Prelate was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Maria Onyaidu Aba, who joined members of the delegation in sharing a meal with the Nwafor family.
The delegation also included the Archbishop of the Methodist Archdiocese of Enugu, Most Rev. Christopher Nweke Ede; the Archbishop of the Methodist Archdiocese of Abakaliki, Archbishop Chinwendu Igwe; officials from the Methodist Church Nigeria headquarters in Lagos, diocesan priests, regional leaders and women leaders of the church.
Also speaking, Dr. (Mrs.) Adibe Nwafor expressed gratitude to God for making their family worthy of hosting the spiritual head of the Methodist Church Nigeria.
She described the visit as an extraordinary privilege, noting that considering the number of prominent personalities, senior church members and government officials within the diocese, it was humanly unexpected that the Prelate would personally visit their home.
"We give God all the glory for counting our family worthy of this honour. It is an uncommon privilege and we pray that His grace will continue to abide with our household," she said.
Dr. Nwafor further expressed optimism that the prayers offered by the Prelate during the visit for Ebonyi State and Nigeria would yield positive results, especially in promoting good governance, national unity, peaceful coexistence and credible elections in the coming year.
She said the visit had strengthened the family's faith and renewed their hope for a more prosperous future for the state and the nation.
