Things To Know About Cardinal Anthony Okojie As He Celebrate His 89th Birthday Today- SIXT-MEDIA LANE
Anthony Olubunmi Okogie was born in Lagos on June 16th, 1936 to Prince Michael Okogie, an Ishan father and Lucy, Adunni Okogie (Nee Afolabi), a Yoruba mother, both Catholics.
Education
He began nursery school at the age of 3 when he attended St Mary’s Private School, Lagos.
He had his primary school education at Holy Cross Cathedral School. His father was transfered to Sapele for two years and so he transfered to St Patrick’s Primary School, Sapele. They returned to Lagos in 1950 and Anthony returned to Holy Cross Cathedral School.
In 1951 he gained admission to St Gregory’s College, Lagos for hia secondary school education. His principal was Father T.J. Moran.
After three years at St Gregory’s, he decided to become a priest and was transferred to St Theresa’s Minor Seminary, Ibadan. His parish priest, Rev. Fr. John Kilbey SMA (RIP), played a significant role in helping him reach and sustain his vocation to the priesthood.
After the Minor Seminary training, he proceeded to St Peter and Paul Major Seminary, Ibadan.
Rome
One day in 1963, when he had done one and a half years of theology course, he was called by Archbishop Aggey and told that he was being sent to Rome for the completion of his course and that Felix Alaba Job, a seminarian junior to him, would be going with him.
He was surprised as he was not good in Latin. In Rome he had to begin the theology course all over again. Three years later he returned to Lagos as a deacon, for his ordination which took place at Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos on December 4th, 1966.
Ordination
At the ceremony in which he was ordained priest, his sister, Rev. Sr. Mary Peter EHJ, made her first profession.
After his ordination, he and Fr. Job returned to Rome to complete their courses and take the licentiate. Fr. Felix Job was ordained two weeks after him.
They were both entered for the doctorate programme, which was interrupted by a call from Archbishop Aggey to return home for pastoral assignments. The Nigerian Civil War was in progress.
He remembers that obedience was difficult at that time, but they both reasoned that the man who sent them to Rome had the right to recall them.
They then returned home; Fr. Felix Job was posted to Ajilete parish, while Fr. Okogie was posted to Holy Cross Cathedral as the Manager of Schools and the Director of Vocations. It should be noted that during the Civil War of Nigeria, Fr. Okogie was at the war front counselling the soldiers.
Auxiliary Bishop of Oyo Diocese
Apart from the 14 months as the Auxiliary Bishop of Oyo Diocese, he had spent all his life in the priesthood at Holy Cross Cathedral. Reflecting on his appointment to Oyo he says, “People were not happy about it. Here in Lagos they were not happy because I was leaving. Why should they transfer Fr. Okogie from Lagos? When people get to know you and your style they do not like to part with you.
On the other side the Oyo people were not happy and did not want me. They called me Kobo-Kobo and said I did not understand Yoruba. They tried to foil the transfer. Against all odds he remembers vividly he was consecrated at St. Benedict’s Cathedral, Oshogbo as the Auxiliary Bishop of Oyo Diocese on August 29th, 1971.
Back to Lagos
When Archbishop Aggey died on March 13th, 1972, there were great and long discussions about his successor. Suddenly Bishop Okogie was transferred without even receiving a letter of transfer. Rev. Fr. Anthony Ishola, his secretary, came to him one morning and asked if he had heard the 7 o’clock news, where-in it was announced that he had been transferred to Lagos. He tried to listen to the 9 o’clock news, but the reception was poor.
He went to say Mass in the Cathedral at Oshogbo. After the mass, people came and congratulated him. They said, “We will not agree, we will write to Rome”. He advised them not to, because Rome would not listen to them.
He recalled that they did not want him in the first place and that they labelled him “Kobo-Kobo”. So he packed his bags and came to Lagos as Auxiliary Bishop to the Apostolic Administrator of Lagos Archdiocese, Bishop Saliu Sanusi, now Bishop Emeritus of Ijebu-Ode Diocese.
Archbishop
After a few months in Lagos as auxiliary bishop, he was surprised to receive a letter appointing him Achbishop of Lagos from the Apostolic Delegate, later Archbishop Amelio Poggi. “It was really a big shock to me”. He was enthroned as Archbishop of Lagos on June 17th, 1973, a day after his 37th birthday.
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