By Ngige Nwachukwu
I ceased to mourn Sen. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah after reflecting on his life and realised that even though he was a politician, he shared a lot in common with some notable saints of the church.
Was Ifeanyi our own generation of St. Anthony of Padua or Francis of Assisi? He lived like both in his immeasurable love for the poor and the downtrodden.
While the two saints died in apostolic zeal, Ubah immeasurably supported the church, even singlehandedly built a Cathedral at Nnewi. While St. Anthony died on transit, ever wishing but never able to return to his native Padua, St. Francis also died in foreign land in the midst of an unsuccessful quest to reach his cherished Assisi!
The same fate would befall Ifeanyi Ubah nearly 800 years later. Ifeanyi suddenly died in faraway London, unable to see his much-loved, Nnewi, Anambra again.
I make a case for his sainthood. The Catholic Diocese of Nnewi may decide to ruminate further into his life. Politicians can also be saints.
Louis IX is. St Louis IX was King of France and leader of the 7th and 8th Crusade where he lost his life after he had manifested fervent love for the spread of the gospel in France.
Charles I of Austria was also canonized for frontloading his Christian fate in all major political decisions.
If king Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor is Saint for protecting the church why not Ifeanyi Ubah who protected the church and the poor! At a time, misguided youths are returning to idol worship, Ifeanyi picked up the mantra of one true God Almighty, reflecting it in his prefered title of Ebubechukwuzo!