Mbata Celebrates 82nd Birthday In Grand Style

By Ikechi Elenwoke

The main hall of Christ Embassy Church, off Onitsha road, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, recently hosted a large gathering of members and the public to mark the 82nd birthday ceremony of Dr. Benaiah Mbata.

Dr. Mbata, the director of Totalcare Ministries, celebrated his 82nd year in good health. The ceremony attracted a diverse array of dignitaries and groups, including representatives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), his fellow alumni from Saint Augustine’s Grammar School, Nkwerre, top government officials, leaders of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and various community members.

Born on October 5, 1943, to the Nzelu Mbata family of Umuduruaro, Dim na Nume, in the Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, Mbata attended St. Augustine’s Grammar School, Nkwerre, Government College Umuahia, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he studied medicine.

He later traveled to Ireland, where he obtained a certificate in Child Healthcare, before proceeding to Manchester, England, where he practiced medicine.

Upon returning to Nigeria, he practiced as a pediatrician in the Imo State Ministry of Health until 1986.

Driven by a strong desire to better serve humanity, he took voluntary retirement to establish his passion project, Totalcare Ministries.

According to him, “The motto of Totalcare Ministries is ‘Caring for the whole man—Spirit, Soul, and Body.’ We care for the Spirit through evangelism, the Soul through education, and the Body through healthcare. We carry out evangelism, run a school and a hospital, and conduct medical outreaches to many communities in Imo, Abia, and Nigeria at large. We also run radio programs and health columns in newspapers.”

The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of his 500-page book, Nuggets of Health (Complete Volume), which was chaired by Hon. Chika Okafor and reviewed by Apostle Dr. Christian Benjamin.

According to one of the speakers, Pastor Ikenna Agugua of Spring of Life Ministry, “Dr. Mbata is very cheerful, humble, easily accessible, and very helpful to the PFN in the state. We thank God for the life of our father. Attaining the age of 82 in Nigeria now is not easy, especially in good health.

His Totalcare Ministry has been used to positively impact lives within and outside the Christian community.

I have known him for over 30 years as a member of the State Advisory Council of the PFN, which oversees the organization’s activities. He is of great influence and assistance to many bodies – through retreats, free medical care, crusades, and church programs.

As the Zonal Secretary of the PFN, South East, and also on behalf of other senior members of our body, I thank him for his great services to the body of Christ and humanity.”