KELVIN EGERUE (08023134970)
In humility, there is no expectation of success. Accomplishment comes naturally, unthreatened by what is said by others. This perhaps goes to confirm the thinking among some people who hold the view that humility is rare because to have it one has to want nothing; yet when one has it the person gets everything. Gentleness they say is not a lack of strength but a great power that doesn’t force or disturb.
Mr John Ikedi Morah stands out as a gentleman; very unassuming and very easy to be ignored considering that he exudes neither the aura of a king nor the beauty of a queen. But in him is the contentment which can only be liken to that of a child who always holds the belief that the mother will always care for him. Pa Morah as he is popularly called by the young and the old is true specie of the modern day apostle, one who follows the leader intuitively. And his intuition never fails him or so it has come to be proved by stories of recent events where all his vicissitudes of life and living have culminated in songs of praises and celebrations.
For 32 long years, Pa Morah remained a very popular character, participant, motivator and faith formation officer at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Owode, Ikorodu area of Lagos. By 1994 when he formed a holy alliance with St Patrick Catholic Church, the Church was a mere outstation of St Augustine’s Catholic Parish, which was made popular by the late Rev Fr Osigwe. And by the year 2000 when St Patrick’s Church was proclaimed a parish, Pa Morah was on ground as one of the foot soldiers serving under such priests as Rev Dehinde Arabi, Francis Alabi, Adigun, Ben Onyeulo, Jonathan Eburuche, Christopher Anyanwu, Peter Amadi, Henry Ekelemaria Ihenetu and lastly John Ukwa. It all came to a glorious end for Pa Morah and his sojourn in Lagos on Sunday May 10, 2026 when the Parish Priest of St Patrick’s Church Rev Fr John Ukwa SDV and the Assistant Rev Fr Baylon Uwalake SDV led the parish and its two outstations; SS Joachim, Anne formerly St Anne’s Ibeshe and St Francis of Assisi Igbo-Agbowa to a thanksgiving mass and appreciation ceremony in honour of Pa Morah. It was a sent forth of some sort for which Pa Morah richly deserves.
“The church served great purpose for me spiritually and physically. I found the family which I never had in the church. The church did not send me away; the church took care of me, my health, feeding, accommodation and happiness. For me, I would not have wanted to leave the church but I have to go because now is the right time.
“No situation is an accident. I am happy that my life is turning around for good. If there is no sin, there will be no forgiveness. God led me to St Patrick’s Church. We are instruments in the hands of God. My message will be for us to do good to one another. And to Rev Fr John Ukwa, I will describe him as an instrument in the hands of God. God sent him to deliver me and he has done well. My happiness towards him will last forever”, John Ikedi Morah who spoke in an emotional voice had observed.
For the uninitiated, Pa Morah may have as well been speaking in Latin because his comments and submissions may not have made much logical sense. But when these were driven home by the revelation that Pa Morah spoke as a man who was proclaimed dead and his burial rites subsequently conducted well over 50 years ago, then the person will very well appreciate the depth of the conversation. The Biblical Jonah was uncomfortable for the three days that he was in “exile” in the womb of a fish but John Morah have had to endure 50 long years without any form of contact with any family member, relation or friend. And none sought after him for he was presumed dead. Simply put, Pa Morah merely existed for that number of years but never lived a life; he bore his burden with equanimity; trusting in God that there could, after all be an end to all such unwholesome narrations.
Prior to 1976 when the young John Morah who was born in January of 1944 “departed” his Umuoli village of Umuoji community in Idemili area of Anambra State he lived a normal life. In fact, he accomplished much more than any of his age, school or social mates could boast of then. Brilliant and dedicated to his duties, his outstanding performance and ingenuity as a student of Automotive Engineer at Govt Trade Centre Lagos and his leadership and craftsmanship qualities when he had his two-year industrial training at UAC in Aba, in the present day Abia State secured him a premium slot as one of the best four technicians to be seconded to College of Agriculture, Umudike Umuahia.
“I became a transporter at a time. I was self sufficient in life then. I owned a Peugeot. I was not an orphan. I moved around the country with my father who was working for a contractor then. That was how I had my primary school at Ilaro CMS in Ogun State. I was changing schools following my father’s movements. I also schooled at African School, Ajegunle which was owned by one Ebubedike”, he recalled.
Then came the tricks of nature when lemons are usually thrown on persons who do not know how to make lemonade. First John Morah lost his father in 1976. It was in that process of mourning and burying his father that the inexplicable happened to him. It could have been said to be a wild wind or the unseen hands of the enermy but the much that could be said was the youthful John Ikedi Morah “walked away” from home and for 50 long years he could neither think of nor remember to go home. Pa Morah literally walked away from home in 1976 and never turned back since then. Communications were severed, links were broken, family bonds evaporated and the milk of human kindness went dried for him. Simply put, everything went blank for John Ikedi Morah. If he were to be a vapour, it would have followed that he evaporated from Umuoji of Anambra State and condensate in Lagos where he wore an entirely different structure and different identity typical of the Unknown Soldier.
The once flourishing and ebullient John Morah transformed to a lower class of citizens while living in Lagos just to keep safe and afloat. He must never be known to be alive. In fact he never existed any more. He thus engaged in menial jobs. He associated himself with sand dredgers as a maid even as he had his own fair share of the troubles of Lagos landlords. Above and ahead of all the troubles, Pa Morah dedicated his time and energy to church activities through the various societies that he belonged to. He was the formation officer for those preparing for baptism, First Holy Communion, confirmation classes among others. He was a catechist. He brought the Holy Child Association (HCA) to St Patrick’s Church. You cannot enter the church premises every evening without seeing Pa Morah with the children holding their Block Rosary prayers.
“Rev Frs and Rev Sisters don’t get married. I have no regrets. The children that I associate with and teach everyday are more of my own children. I know that I am going to miss them seriously. But then, the story is ending well for me. I am happy that I am going home and I sincerely thank all those who have made it possible including the people in my village and their leaders”, Pa Morah concluded.
With the help and coordination of Rev Fr John Ukwa, Pa Morah who was resident in the church have had to embark on an intense search of family members and relations. And when eventually some people showed up at the premises of St Patrick’s Church to “claim” him, none was willing or brave enough as to get closer to a man who was already tagged a ghost. Then an eventual embrace turned to tears of joy. The celebrations are certain to continue in Umuoji. For Pa Morah, it is the story of life transformations which cascaded from grass to grace before nose- diving to grass with an eventual rise to the pinnacle of grace hence the joy, jubilations and celebrations that engulfed Umuoji the morning that their “lost” son was found.
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