Reverend Father Ejike Camillus Anthony Ebenezer Mbaka popularly known as Fr Mbaka is a Catholic cleric, gospel musician, Holy Ghost father and the founder and spiritual director of Adoration Ministries Enugu, Nigeria. He is noted for being one of the most prominent religious leaders in the south-eastern part of Nigeria.
Fr Mbaka is an outspoken Nigerian Catholic Priest, he is a priest of the Catholic Dioceses of Enugu. He founded Adoration Ministries in Enugu, Nigeria, and serves as its Spiritual Director. He is well-known for his opinions on political matters in Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole.
Fr Mbaka was born on 28th July 1957 in Amata Ituku in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State in the south eastern part of Nigeria, to the late Chief Humphrey Ogbuefi Mbaka and Mrs Felicia Mbaka. He is currently 64 years old. His family were palm wine tappers.
Fr Mbaka attended St. Vincent De Paul Secondary School Agbogugu in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State and obtained his Secondar School Certificate. After which he proceeded to Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Owerri, Imo State. After which he proceeded to St Joseph Seminary Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State, where he was trained for priesthood. On 29th July 1995, he was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the order of Melchizedek.
Fr. Mbaka used to organise Block Rosary prayers in his neighbourhood when he was a teenager. He was also among the active prayer warrior team which is now known as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal at St. Anthony’s Parish in Ituku. Fr Mbaka’s dream of becoming a catholic priest was met with fierce opposition from his pagan father. The notion of becoming a priest was rejected by his father and kinsmen. However, on the 29th of July 1995, His Lordship Bishop Michael Ugwujah Eneja ordained Fr Mbaka as a catholic priest at the Holy Ghost Cathedral in Enugu.
Fr Mbaka was sent to Holy Ghost Cathedral in Enugu as the Assistant Diocesan Administration after his ordination. Fr Mbaka used his time as an Assistant Diocesan Administration to embark on evangelistic missions beyond the cathedral. He frequently went to Capuchin and G.T.C Enugu to celebrate masses for the congregation. He then founded the Eucharistic Jesus Word Prayer Centre, which ultimately became Adoration Ministries Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN).
He has served as a Parish Priest in many Enugu Diocese parishes, including Christ the Kings Parish in GRA and Our Lady of Roses Parish in Emene. Thousands of devotees flock to Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria weekly for prayers.
In 2001, Fr Mbaka accused Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and blame him for the stampede that killed ten worshippers and an unborn child. Fr Mbaka has criticized several Nigerian political leaders like Late General Sani Abacha, Chimaroke Nnamani, Ikedi Ohakim, Rochas Okorocha, Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari, Emeka Ihedioha, Peter Obi and others.
On 31st December 2014, Fr Mbaka told a congregation that the then President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had failed to stem the tide of insecurity and corruption in the country and urged them to vote the administration out. Fr. Mbaka’s call for a change in administration is in tandem with his priestly-prophetic ministry. He then urged his congregation to vote for Muhammadu Buhari, saying he is the chosen one and the messiah that will safe Nigeria and lead the country to the promise land.
Fr. Mbaka has been consistent in directing, advising and forewarning every administration in Nigeria since he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He predicted that Hope Uzodimma will be elected Governor of Imo State before the 2020 court judgments. Following the country’s security issues, Fr Mbaka called for President Buhari’s resignation. Garba Shehu claimed in a statement in April 2021 that Fr. Mbaka visited Buhari for a contract as compensation for supporting him in the 2015 general election, but the President turned him down and that was why Fr Mbaka is now against Muhammadu Buhari.
On 28th April 2021, Fr Mbaka called on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign from his office over the worsening insecurity challenges in Nigeria. In response to Fr Mbaka’s call, the Nigerian Presidency released a statement through the senior special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu that Fr Mbaka is allegedly angry because President Muhammadu Buhari ignored his request for contracts after he asked for contracts as compensation for his support in 2015 and 2019 presidential elections.
The Ohaneze Youth Council reported Fr Mbaka missing in May 2021. Fr Mbaka was last seen on Tuesday, according to the President-General of Ohaneze Youth Council, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, who said that all effort to locate him had failed.
Aside from been a Catholic Priest and a gospel singer, Fr Mbaka is also an entrepreneur, he is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aqua Rapha Investments, a conglomerate that makes sachet water, bottled water, yoghurts, and soft drink beverages. According to the Punch Tabloids, Fr Mbaka donates over $100,000 (N60 million) every month to charity.
In June 2022, Fr Mbaka created a controversy in Nigeria when he urged his congregations not to vote for Mr Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra state and Labour Party Presidential candidate in the 2023 Presidential election calling him a stingy man. This created a lot of controversies in Nigeria as many Nigerian lashes out on the Catholic cleric. This incident drew the attention on the Catholic Bishop of Enugu, who placed his Adoration Ministration on suspension and urged catholic members not to attend his Adoration Ministry. Fr Mbaka later apologized to Mr Peter Obi for his utterances.
Fr Mbaka is currently one of the richest and most influential clergyman and catholic priest in Nigeria with an estimated net worth of $15 million dollars. He has been regarded as one of the most popular Catholic priest in Nigeria and around the world. He has also been regarded as the most controversial catholic priest in Nigeria.