By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Following his increasing fascination with traditional African spirituality and rain making art, a former Catholic priest, Dr. Echezona Augustine Obiagbaosogu, has resigned from his position to pursue a new calling as a native doctor with specialty in rain making.

Obiagbaosoogu, a teacher of African Traditional Religion (ATR) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State had allegedly spent several months studying under a renowned native doctor and also learning intricacies of the craft.

The Catholic priest who has served the Catholic Church for 17 years said, ?I am not turning my back on God, but rather, I am embracing the divine in a more meaningful and authentic way.?

?I have come to realize that my true calling is to serve my people through the ancient traditions of our ancestors.?

Baring his mind on the relationship between magic, religion, and science, the priest said noted,

?Civilizations began with magic, moved to religion, and today we are talking about nanoscience and other fields.

?The white man was able to explore these magical laws, codify them, and call them science. So, science is essentially what was once magic.

?We can also access these magical laws, which we call African magic or religion. It is not the African magic of Nollywood.

?The African magic of Nollywood is one of the tools used to destroy our culture and values.

?African magic is actually African science, which remains unexplored. We must begin to modify, codify, and document it for posterity.

He further explained why he abandoned priesthood to join tradition, saying, ,?Life is a process. Things happen, and people begin to look left and right.

?One important thing is for the person to know themselves. If you understand yourself and remain open to reality, you will begin to make decisions for your life.?

He however declined to discuss the specifics of his resignation, but rather said it was a matter of personal conviction.

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