By Job Osazuwa
After 50 years of transiting to the world beyond, the legacies of the first indigenous archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Most Rev. John Kwao Amuzu Aggey, have continued to echo within and outside the Catholic community.
He was the founder of the then St. Michael’s School, now Archbishop Aggey Memorial Secondary School, Mushin, and one of the founders of St. Anthony’s Grammar School, Surulere, and St. Agnes Grammar School in Ikeja, Lagos.
Recently, members of the Catholic faith converged on Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos Island, to unveil activities for the celebration a man described by many as selfless, generous and a lover of the poor, as well as having a penchant to serve in abandoned places.
It was gathered that the late archbishop impacted lives and passionately preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in urban and rural communities. He also established schools, which endeared him to many people in Lagos and beyond.
The director of communications, Lagos Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Father Anthony Godonu, who represented the archbishop of Lagos, His Grace, Alfred Adewale Martins, at the event, said Aggey’s faith lives on with the church, particularly the role he played in standardising the Catholic Church in Lagos.
He said he must have been an enigmatic archbishop during his time, considering all he achieved. He stated that many people who came in contact with him have been recollecting his indefatigable actions. He added that Aggey had set a precedent of fearlessly propagating the gospel that is worthy of emulation; and, despite many decades since his death, his presence was still being felt among the people.
The chairperson of the Archbishop Aggey 50th Memorial Anniversary Committee, Mrs. Abimbola Isiyemi Haastrup, stated that, since the archbishop departed, the Catholic Church has grown in leaps and bounds as a result of the sacrificial labour of the priests and religious who planted and watered the seed of Lagos Archdiocese.
“The fact that this briefing is taking place at the iconic Holy Cross Cathedral, where Archbishop Aggey’s voice resounded unforgettably several decades ago is not just symbolic, but also a return to visit our spiritual father because his remains are interred right here in the cathedral.
“The occasion affords us an opportunity to review his contributions to the lives of God’s people within the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos and beyond. In our digital era, when the world seems to have run amok, perhaps a return to the sedate ways of old and a retelling of the stories of great men who trod this earth before us can help us chart a way forward.
“Aggey was born of Togolese parents in Anecho on March 5, 1908, in Togo. He was brought to Lagos, where there was a thriving Togolese community, at a very young age. He heard the call to priestly vocation and responded positively. He served in many parishes in Lagos and Ijebu areas.
“On August 4, 1957, he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Lagos to assist the then Archbishop Leo Hale Tailor. He succeeded Tailor as archbishop in 1965. Aggey served as a priest for about 28 years and a bishop for 14 impactful years,” she said.
Haastrup disclosed that there would be a posthumous birthday for him on March 5, a thanksgiving mass on March 13 and visitations to schools in the last quarter of the year.
For his legacies to continue to affect more lives positively, the Archbishop J.K.A. Aggey Foundation has been established, which is expected to focus on free education and affordable health care delivery for the vulnerable.
Secretary of the foundation, Mr. Adedeji Adekunle Philip, said the non-governmental organisation would be looking forward to reassessing and revitalizing schools and other projects that Aggey left behind.
“Part of our plans is to build a hospital in his name and to roll out other programmes that will take care of the needy in the society, including supporting the youths to be more useful.
“People in the diaspora will be contributing their own quota to the foundation so that more people from Togo and Nigeria can benefit,” Philip said.
