Anglicans mourn Bishop Ereaku
CONN/821205
Abuja, Dec. 14, 2005- The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) is in a state of mourning after the death of a young enterprising and evangelical Bishop.
Laudamus Atushiaka Ereaku, 52, Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Bauchi died on Monday 5th December, in an automobile accident while on an inter-faith peace programme in the State. The three other occupants of the vehicle including the Islamic Sheikh also died in the accident.
Ereaku, who would have been 53 on January 13 2006, crossed life’s finish line after seven fruitful years as Bishop.
After many years as a very enthusiastic evangelist, he was ordained priest in 1986, collated Canon in 1990, preferred Archdeacon in 1992 and elected Bishop in 1998.
As Bishop of Bauchi, succeeding the Rt. Rev Emmanuel Chukwuma, Bishop Ereaku brought his near two decades experience of field evangelism in the Diocese of Abuja to bear in the Muslim-dominated Bauchi State.
In rural health, education and church planting the Diocese of Bauchi flourished under Laudamus Ereaku notwithstanding the challenge of being in a Sharia State.
In 2004, Silver Drum, a brochure on the Church of Nigeria at 25, commented about the Diocese of Bauchi under Bishop Ereaku: “The diocese has pursued vigorously the vision of the Church in the provision of social welfare to the rural community such as the establishment of Rural Health Clinic. The Church has opened the Diocesan Health Clinic at Sara in Tafawa Balewa Area.”
“He was like a Son to me”, said Archbishop Peter Akinola, Primate of the Anglican Church, recollecting Ereaku’s days of labour as a field evangelist for several years in the Diocese of Abuja. His last posting in Abuja was as Vicar of St James Church Asokoro from where he was elected Bishop of Bauchi in 1998.
Archbishop of Jos Province, the Most Rev Emmanuel Mani eulogized the late Bishop as ‘a good singer, a good preacher, a good evangelist and a wonderful family man.”
“As Episcopal treasurer of the Province of Jos, Bishop Ereaku distinguished himself as a trustworthy fellow, he will be greatly missed”, Archbishop Mani said.
Bishop Ereaku attended Egbu Memorial Comprehensive Secondary School Egbu Owerri- , Institute of Management Technology Enugu, College of Science and Technology Portharcourt and Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan and Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN), Bukuru, Jos.
He was married to Ngozi and blessed with 6 Children – 2 boys and 4 girls. Burial arrangements will be announced later.
