Anglican Primate, Others Pay Tribute To Anikwenma

Archbishop of Metropolitan and primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) the Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba has described the late dean of the Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Maxwell Anikwenma as a man who believed in the transformation of the society.

Ndukuba, made this known during a Night of Tribute and Service of Songs, where leaders of the Church  of Nigeria and other notable leaders gathered in Abuja on Tuesday, in honour of Most Rev. Maxwell Anikwenma who died on March 13, 2023.

The primate also described the late dean as a man that was accessible to all, who carried himself with dignity, strongly and stoutly for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ for the word of God, saying that he loved God, His word, and God’s people.

According to him, as a voice for social justice, Anikwenma believed in justice, and he did not support anything that brought oppression or subjugation of any part or anybody, or any group.

“We know him for that, and we thank God for what we can learn from him and if we can stand for what he stood for the practical impact of the gospel upon the individual, the family, and the society, I believe that our society, our nation will be better.

“We also saw in him the desire to stand for the right thing, stand for the oppressed, speaking out boldly, and against any form of oppression. And I think that this boldness is sometimes what is lacking among us as leaders, religious leaders.

“And I pray that as we celebrate his life and time, God will raise voices that will speak for those who have no voice. God, will raise men and women that are convinced by the word of God and who are also ready to suffer and will not be discriminated against for what they believe. And I believe that we have so much to learn from the life and times of the Most Reverend Maxwell,” he said.

One of his children, Uchechukwu Anikwenwa, a venerable  of the Anglican Church, described his late father as a spiritual leader that would greatly be missed by the Church and Nigeria at large, saying that there are plans by the church to immortalise the late Dean.

Anikwenma was elected the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Anambra State in 2002, and in the same year, he emerged as the dean of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), while in 2007, he was re-elected the archbishop of the Province of the Niger.