“A first-rate scholar”: Tributes Pour in for Pioneer President of the Dominican Institute in Nigeria

Members of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) who are mainly theologians have paid tribute to Fr. Iheanyi, describing the Nigerian-born Dominican Priest as “a first-rate scholar.”

The late Catholic Priest will also be remembered by PACTPAN as one of the entity’s “founding fathers”. In the message shared with ACI Africa on July 25, PACTPAN also describes Fr. Iheanyi as “a courageous prophet.”

“Fr. Iheanyi, was a first-rate scholar and courageous prophet who deeply touched the lives of many,” PACTPAN says in the tribute, and adds, “As a mentor, motivator, and friend, his loss is profoundly felt by thousands of students, priests, fellow Dominicans, religious members, and laity.”

“This sudden loss is not only a shock but also a tremendous loss to Africa, the Church, and the world. May his soul rest in eternal peace, and may you find solace in the cherished memories you shared with him,” says the team of Catholic Theologians.

Fr. Iheanyi will be remembered by many as a “blunt” political scholar, who stood for the truth and “didn't care about being popular,” Fr. Mekas told ACI Africa.

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Fr. Iheanyi was a controversial Priest, his confrere further said, adding that the late Priest’s critique of the role of the Church in Nigeria’s 1999 elections ended his role as Director of the Department of Church and State of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN). 

“Fr. Iheanyi was a blunt priest and he criticized without fear. I remember that the Catholic Church was very active in monitoring Nigeria’s 1999 elections which were very flawed. Fr. Iheanyi wrote a book ‘Crossing The Rubicon’ in which he bluntly pointed out the role of the Church in the flawed elections. The Bishops were not happy about the book and Fr. Iheanyi had to leave the Secretariat,” Fr. Mekas narrated to ACI Africa on July 25.

Fr. Iheanyi helped establish the Dominican Institute in 1994 and served as the institute’s founding president for six years before accepting a role at CSN, the administrative headquarters of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)

After leaving the Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat surrounded by controversy, he went to Canada for a while and returned to Nigeria to teach at the Spiritan University Nneochi (SUN) in the country’s Catholic Diocese of Enugu. It was while teaching at the Spiritan University that he developed health complications and died on July 24.

As president of the Dominican Institute, Fr. Iheanyi laid the institute’s foundation and gave it visibility, making it popular among Religious Orders in Nigeria.

Established in the Dominicans’ Province of St. Joseph the Worker in Ibadan, the Institute has distinguished itself in offering Philosophy and Theology not only to young men training to become Priests, but also to women Religious, Catholic Laity and people of other faiths.

“We have Muslims coming to study here. There was a time that we even had a Muslim students’ president,” Fr. Mekas tells ACI Africa, adding that it was Fr. Iheanyi’s idea that the Dominican Institute tends to women, and generally the Laity, who he argued equally needed knowledge in Philosophy and Theology.

“Because of Fr. Iheanyi’s vision and hard work, many Religious communities have relocated to Ibadan to get an opportunity to pursue courses at the Dominican Institute,” he said, adding that the institutions is working with 11 different Religious Congregations and has a current enrolment of 120 Philosophy students and over 80 Theology students. 

The Dominican Institute, which was accredited as a university in 2016 also runs a school for pastoral and religious education for the Laity “to change the idea that Theology is only meant for young men studying to become Priests,” Fr. Mekas told ACI Africa on July 25.

In his tribute to Fr. Iheanyi, Fr. Mekas mourned his confrere, who he said “loved the Dominican way of life”.

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“Fr. Iheanyi was my teacher and mentor,” Fr. Mekas said, adding that he was a pioneer student at the Dominican Institute. 

“He was a great administrator. I find it hard to believe that Fr. Iheanyi is gone since we saw each other recently and he was very vibrant. His death makes me reflect on the brevity of life. We should focus only on what is essential and not waste any time on what doesn't matter,” the Dominican Priest said July 25.

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.