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Brief History
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The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba, Nigeria was established on the 14th of January, 1953 with the name – THE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF BLESSED MULUMBA. It was founded upon the principles of Catholic Action and modeled after the sacred Order of Catholic Knighthood.
The Order was one of the products of the negative British colonial practices of the 1940’s and early 1950’s. At the end of the Second World War, there was a large number of returnee – soldiers and educated African elites who could not be employed or given opportunity to participate in the government and administration of the country. These therefore became hostile to the whites including those in the Christian churches. The Catholic Church was particularly affected by this wave of antagonism because it did not enjoy special privileges accorded the Anglican churches by the British Colonial administrators, who were predominantly Protestants. They readily identified with the protestant church and favored Protestants with employments.
Moreover, protestant clergy, professionals and social elites were at liberty to join the Freemasons, Rosicrucian’s, Ogbonis and such secrete societies, cults and groups set up for material benefits, social security and political and professional advancement of its members.
Catholic were strictly forbidden to join these secrete societies because the societies worked surreptitiously, usually from within the Christian church but, nevertheless, even more tenuously, against the worship of the one true God and strict observance of His commandments. Through compromising Christian doctrines with worldly and often intellectual standards, and by propagating false doctrines and opinions, they practically reduced Christianity to a matter of convenience. Instead they worshipped money, power and influence. Those who were not members of their organization were openly and unethically and even viciously discriminated against in every aspect of societal and national life. They bitterly attacked the Catholic Church for refusing to water down the word of God as contained in the Bible and doctrines and traditions coming down from the Apostles.
The inability of the Catholic laity to join these secret societies put them at a very distinct disadvantage. They therefore maintained a timid silence and stayed away from this fight because they were handicapped by their lack of enough knowledge of the Catholic Faith to defend it publicly.
It was in these circumstances that the foundation of the Order of the Blessed Mulumba was conceived by Late Rev. Father Abbot Abraham Anselm Ojefua – A monk from Illah, in the Midwestern Nigeria. To him the Nigerian Catholic Church needed a society of Catholic Elites that would counter-balance the effect of the secret societies, especially the Lodges. He confronted the secret societies in articles in the Catholic Herald and Catholic life. He later wrote two pamphlets “Plain Talk on Communism” and Calling all Catholics” to attract the attention of Catholics to the dangers of the secret societies.
He was encouraged by Bishop Joseph Whelan of Owerri who sent the constitution of the Knights of St. Columbus of America to him. Rev. Fr. Anslem Ojefua began to gather the Catholic elites in Owerri and Onitsha and succeeded in recruiting the first 23 members. He secured the approval of Arch Bishop Heerey and Bishop Kelly of Benin for his plans as well as that of the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria. Upon his return from Ireland where he went to understudy the organization of the knighthood there, he was fully prepared to launch the Order.
On the 14th of June, 1953 the first 23 foundation members were initiated in Owerri after the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament led by Bishop Whelan at the Holy Ghost College Chapel.
Onitsha and Owerri became the foundation Subordinate Councils of the Order
In their initial constitution, the aims of the order were briefly:-
1. The counteract harm done by many secret societies to the church and arrest the influx of the Christian enlightened members to those harmful secret groups totally opposed to the Catholic faith and moral.
2. To bring the Catholics together in fraternal association for the good and progress of the church, for the welfare of the country and well-being of Nigeria generally and of its members in particular.
The constitution of the Order has been reviewed a number of times since inception and emphasis
has shifted to fostering more perfect Christian life among members, making the Order African-
Wide and encouragement of inter-religious dialogue etc.
The Order has grown in strength over the years from the humble 2 Sub-councils in 1953 to 6
sub-Councils in 1960 when Fr. Ojefua handed-over to Chief Robert O. Olisa as 2nd Supreme
Knight. Under Olisa, the number doubled to 12. Chief Sir Denis Da Silva increased the sub-
council to 18 and the Ladies of St. Mulumba came on Board. The Mulumba Assurance
Company was incorporated in 1985. Under Supreme Knight George C. Akabogu, the KSM
became a member of International Alliance of Catholic Knights {IACK} and Bro Akabogu was
elected its President from 1982 – 1990. In 1988, KSM also became a member of the
International Council of Catholic Men {UNUM OMNES}.
The number of sub-councils rose to 55. This growth in membership and sub-council continued
during the tenure of Brother Abebe and the incumbent Bro. Ezemenari when the membership
now stands at over 7000 and sub-councils to 114 in 2004. A Council of the Order was
inaugurated in Uganda in 2004 and there are plans to extend to the Cameroon’s and Benin
Republic as well in the nearest future.
With these developments, and the trust to expand the Order to other African countries, the Order (KSM) will truly take the posture of Truly African Organization.
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