Military Training And Seminary Life Similar, Only Difference Is The Physical Training- Rev. Fr. Col. Maimagani

…Says the Bond of the Catholic Priesthood, thicker than Blood.

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Acting Director/ Chaplain of the Nigerian Army Catholic Chaplaincy, Rev, Fr. Colonel Anthony Maimagani, has described Military training and Catholic seminary life as similar in nature except for the aspect of  the physical training, adding that the bond of the priesthood is thicker than family blood.

In this profile interview with Journalists in Kaduna, recently, Fr. Colonel Maimagani gave insights and perspectives on the working of his office over the years and the seeming connection wth the Catholic priesthood among other things.

Excerpts…

PRESS: Good morning Sir. Rev. Fr. (Col) Anthony Maimagani

FR: Good morning gentlemen of the press.

PRESS: This is a profile interview with Rev. Fr. Anthony Maimagani. I’m I correct Sir. Rev. Fr. (Col) Anthony Maimagani

FR: Yes, you are.

PRESS: Who is Rev. Fr. (Col) Anthony Maimagani?

FR: Rev. Fr. (Col) Anthony Maimagani was born on 14th June 1970 into the family of late Mr. Francis Maimagani and late Mrs. Victoria Francis Maimagani. He attended Army Children’s School in Keffi and his secondary school in St. Peters College, Toto Nassarawa State in 1988. He proceeded to St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary Markudi from 1989-1992. He had his one year pastoral service in Kaduna. The first phase was at Abakpa (Holy Cross parish) and the second phase at SS Peter and Paul, Kurmin Dangana. He later proceeded to Jos in 1993 for his theological studies and graduated on 9th May, 1997. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Kafanchan on 21st February, 1998. After ordination, he spent a year and six months in the diocese before his Bishop sent him on secondment into the Nigerian Army (Military). He was commissioned into the military on 4th March, 2000 into the rank of Lieutenant. That was where his promotion started. From Captain to Major and now to a Colonel.

PRESS: Fr. We know that you have grown from where you were before to the cadre where you are now. To the best of our knowledge, we know that there are some other military training outside seminary formation. Please Fr., can you avail us the opportunity to know those training that you have gone through.

FR: First before you are been commissioned, you must be a cadet officer where you undergo a military training at Nigeria Defence Academy. After graduation and even commissioning, there are other military courses that one has to pass before one can grow and it will also give the person the opportunity, to attain a particular level rank in the military.

PRESS: What are those training or courses you were able to do?

FR: Some of them are: Junior Div in JajiNacol ie College of Logistics Ojo Lagos Chaplain Management in Ojo Lagos

PRESS: Talking about the Army Chaplaincy. What is it all about ?

FR: Well, the Army Chaplaincy is just like the Priest that is in the diocese. He does everything that the priest in the diocese does. In the Chaplaincy, we celebrate masses, we celebrate the sacraments, confessions and the rest. We do the same thing, anytime anywhere.

PRESS: How many Chaplaincy do you have in Army?

FR: We have fifty eight (58) commissioned in the Chaplaincy.

PRESS: Do you have other commissioned officers that are not Catholic priests that are working in the Chaplaincy?

PRESS: Yes we have. They are ten (10) in number

PRESS: What rank?

FR: Some are Majors, Captains and Lieutenants.

PRESS: Do you mean that these are not commissioned?

FR: They are commissioned, but they are not priests.

PRESS: What has been the journey so far as an Acting Director of the Chaplaincy?

FR: Well, it is cumbersome. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. As a leader, you make decisions, atimes the decisions you make might hurt somebody. So it is not an easy thing. The truth is that you just have to be firm but a little bit flexible also to balance it. The way we face challenges in life, so it is in the work (Military Chaplaincy) with the help of God and through His grace, I am moving. I thank God in everything.

PRESS: Fr., you are a Catholic Priest, trained at the seminary. How do you combine your work, your person and position?

FR: The Catholic Priesthood is something that I will say is a mystery. Whoever that is trained to be a Catholic priest can face anything, any form of challenge. During the nine (9) years that person have been trained to face life challenges because the zeal, the willingness, that openness to serve will be a guide to that person because the military is an extension of the Catholic priesthood although we are wearing the uniform.

PRESS: Fr, your point in an earlier interview compared Catholic priesthood to being stronger than blood. Can you please put more light on that?

FR: By the virtue of laying of hands, we are than brothers born by the same parents. The early priests in the world is a testimony to that. The fraternity love, the fraternity charity makes us to be close. That is why anywhere you go, you feel at home. As far as you are a priest, every parish house is your home. That is why anywhere you are posted you feel free. Priests are universal being. You are not just ordained for your diocese, for your people alone. You can be posted anywhere to work. You must feel free based on the fact that you promise obedience to the church, the bishop and his successor. That obedience can take you anywhere and you must go. That bond is thicker than..

PRESS: Fr., you did mention that you were on secondment to the military by your Bishop. Does that mean that every commissioned Catholic priest must be on secondment to the military?

FR: Every Catholic priest in the military is on secondment in the military because after retirement the priest will go back to the diocese to continue his priestly work. So we are just on seondment to the military.

PRESS: Fr., before your secondment have you been in any of the parishes before?

FR: Yes I have. I was just an assistant parish priest at St. Francis Zonkwa. My father was a Cathecist in the military I was born and brought up in the barracks. I am still at the barracks. My father was a cathecist and I became a priest. He was a soldier and I am an officer in the Army (military).

PRESS: When the letter of the secondment came, what was your reaction and that of your parents?

Fr: For me, I accepted it whole heartedly. For my parents they also accepted it. They knew that they have given me to the church so I just have to go with open mind I was ready to serve and work anywhere that I am posted.

PRESS: Fr. this question is targeted to you as a person and by extension your subjects. We know that in the military even those that have been commissioned are regarded high in the society talkless of a commissioned officer. We know that from Lieutenant Colonel the army have graded that person as a senior officer. You are a red neck officer and you have been saddled with the responsibility that other chaplaincy that are under you. Why are you so humble and what advice do you have for others?

FR: I think or should I put it as a misplaced priority. As a Catholic priest, you are called to serve no matter the position. I think you can only achieve that with humility and simplicity. You must smell like your sheep because when you smell like your sheep you will be able to carry everybody along if you are humble, you will bring yourself to their level, then they will open up to you and that will help you to understand them better. And you will be happy. The rank should not make you a super human being. A rank to me is just an added advantage.

PRESS: Fr., let us talk about your predecessors. How many were they?

FR: They are eight (8) and I am the ninth (9) person. They are: Fr. Martins. Fr. Iyere, Monsignor Omoyo, Ngirika, Emeka, Ina, Brigadier General Iroegbu and my humble self Rev. Fr. (Col) Anthony Maimagani.

PRESS: No offer comes without performance what do you think would have counted for you as the Director of the entire Chaplaincy?

FR: Seriously, I think it is just God. We are four in number. Age wise I am the youngest and in the Army number I am the last. Honestly, I do not know, it is just God.

PRESS: What is the prospect? Like we talked about no challenges come without prospects.

FR: The prospect is that we look forward to seeing the Nigeria Army Chaplaincy being in the fore front. We hope that one day we will go beyond and above what we are now. That is our prospect.

PRESS: Fr., there is this question. To our knowledge, there is an institution under your care, a training school. Some people do not know about the Chaplaincy. Can you elaborate more about the training school, which command is it under and who heads the training school?

FR: We have Nigerian Army Chaplain training school in Ojo, Lagos. We have a commandant there, a rank of Lieutenant Colonel. We have officers and soldiers who are instructors in that school. It is there that we train our own chaplain assistant ie catechists. We run courses for soldiers and officers where they upgrade their knowledge. It is also a requirement for one to be promoted because we have a course that you will run before you will be promoted. So it is a school where we train personnel and not catechists and priests.

PRESS: There is a scenario where I came in contact with a lady who attended the school that is not a chaplain personnel. Do they offer other courses outside chaplaincy courses?

FR: In the military, I also have a chaplain personnel that went for clerical courses. So we inter change.

PRESS: Fr., working in the midst of military people, where command is the order of the day, have you experience any kind of surprise from your colleagues and others?

FR: Even if there is any surprise I will not be surprised because it is part of the training. The military training and seminary life is just similar. The only difference is the physical training. It is even as if the military copied some things from the church. No Catholic priest will feel that way because we have passed through a lot before ordination. That discipline the rehearsing, regimented life, punctuality all helps us in life.

PRESS: On the last note, talking about the order especially during the upbringing, do you see yourself being going through what you have gone through now?

FR: I came from a very humbly background. We are prayerful people infact church people. My father was a catechist so you can imagine that.

PRESS: What advice would you like to give to the upcoming priests?

FR: They should just be themselves, do their work diligently. They should accept whatever that comes their way in good faith and be happy. They should always do what is expected of them and in doing, they will have a clear conscience.