The Nation Newspaper

Tag: cathedral

  • Rebellion in the cathedral

      The resignation of Bishop Okpalaeke of Catholic Diocese of Ahiara marks a new development in the church

    The politics and tension that engulfed the Catholic Church following the rejection of The Most Rev. Peter Ebere Okpalaeke by the clergy and laity of Ahiara Diocese was partially resolved last week as the bishop resigned his appointment. The rebellion and stiff resistance by the faithful of the diocese over a five-year period was unprecedented. Appointed in 2012 by then Supreme Pontiff (Pope) Benedict, the bishop could neither be consecrated in nor granted entrance to the cathedral. He was a bishop in limbo. A contradiction in terms!

    It is unfortunate that neither the authority nor office of Pope Benedict and Francis was enough to sway the Mbaise Catholic faithful. The reasons adduced were as ludicrous as the violent resistance that has portrayed the well regarded church in bad light. The people have insisted that only a bishop of Mbaise extraction would be acceptable to them.

    Ethnicity and intolerance, the bane of Nigeria’s development have eaten so deep into the church that no appeals or threats could sway the people. Explanation that appointments are made by the leading of the Holy Spirit meant nothing to them as they insisted that the Mbaise people have the largest number of Catholic priests in Sub-Sahara Africa, yet, none, so far, has been deemed fit for appointment as bishop. Since 2012, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has been superintending affairs of the diocese, but the embattled bishop’s resignation has produced The Most Revd Lucius Ugorji, Bishop of Umuahia, as the new Apostolic Administrator until a final resolution of the unusual crisis is effected.

    Matters ecclesiastic are expected to yield to divine guidance, not the brigandage that sometimes attend communal and political disputes. In a few instances in the past, there have been complaints about Pontifical appointments, but never has any been as messy as the Ahiara Diocese rebellion. Whereas the laity could be stubborn in holding to their viewpoints, and are sometimes given to forcing their way on the church authorities, it is considered sacrilegious that priests sworn to obedience to the local ordinaries and the Papacy could refuse the church’s directives.

    However, we commend Bishop Okpalaeke’s maturity in realising the damage that the stand-off has caused and continued to cause the Catholic Church’s image. His resignation is an indication that he knows that the church must not suffer the result of human frailties. In his letter, he indicated: “I am convinced that my remaining the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese is no longer beneficial to the church … I do not think that my apostolate in a diocese, where some priests and lay faithful are ill-disposed to have me in their midst would be effective.”

    The Ahiara Diocese crisis is a pointer that the church should carefully examine the appointment process and strictly adhere to time-tested laid down rules. The rebellious faction insists that Bishop Okpalaeke’s appointment did not follow due process as neither the Metropolitan Bishop of Owerri nor any of the local ordinaries was allowed to play the part expected of them.

    We call on the local authorities, including the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Association of Nigeria, the Metropolitan Bishop of Owerri, the immediate Past Apostolic Administrator, Cardinal Onaiyekan, the new Apostolic Administrator, the respected Francis Cardinal Arinze, the Apostolic Nuncio in Nigeria, representatives of the Knights and Laity on both sides of the divide, to prayerfully consider the issues involved in the crisis with a view to restoring order in the diocese as well as improving on the process of appointing bishops. Only this could sustain the respect the church commands in the society.

    Only recently, the Catholic bishops visited President Muhammadu Buhari and spoke for the people. Crises such as in Ahiara Diocese could muffle the voice of the bishops. It is also an eye opener to other churches that, while the spiritual should be their primary concern, other issues regarding structure and administration deserve due attention. Church history shows that the laity has never accepted to be shoved aside. The Pope in far away Rome might be credited with making appointments, but recommendations are locally made. What the Mbaise Catholic faithful demand is akin to the “taxation without representation is tyranny” slogan of the American Revolution.

    It could be indicative of a resentment of over-centralisation of decision-making. Deification of the Pope was one major reason for the 16th Century Reformation drive that gave birth to protestantism. A parallel could be drawn between the prevailing issues that fuelled that revolt and the seeping challenge that could be gleaned from the Ahiara Diocese that withstood the church for more than four years and seems to be having its way.

    Highhandedness might not provide a lasting solution to the crisis. While the authority and the canons must be respected, the people should at least have their say.

  • Murder in the cathedral

    The authorities should, with diligence and decisiveness, probe the shootings in Anambra State

    Not only believers were shocked by the sacrilegious carnage; the general public was also jolted by the intensity of the brutality. Eyewitness accounts of the August 6 bloodshed at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Amakwa-Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, painted a picture of terror.

    A report said: “One of the survivors, Mr. Stephen Ohamadike told The Nation at the church premises that the gunmen entered the church around 6.45am as they were about to begin “ the prayer of the faithful.”His words: “Those of us who were to say the prayers of the faithful had just assembled at the altar and I had number 2 which meant that I was to say the prayer for Nigeria. Suddenly, I saw someone who was putting on a cap, shooting indiscriminately inside the church. There was pandemonium and in the midst of the confusion, I just lay down on the floor. The officiating priest and the Mass servers quickly left the altar and the Mass came to an abrupt end. I counted 11 bodies and many were injured. I used the vehicle belonging to Pa Ikegwuonu to take him and his wife and others to Evans Hospital where the doctors advised us to go to the teaching hospital.  I used the car to convey many other people to the hospital before I came back to Amakwa.”

    Commissioner of Police Garba Baba Umar, said 11 persons were killed and 18 injured. Mr. Charles Justice, who conveyed his wounded friends to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) in Nnewi, was quoted by Premium Times as saying: “Those who died are mostly children and the elderly, I know about three children who were below five years that died in the shooting.” There is no doubt that innocents were killed in this terroristic incident, which has created a climate of insecurity in the area.

    Whatever provoked the murderous attack, it went far beyond the bounds of reason. Beyond this, it went far beyond the realm of law and order.

    It is intriguing that preliminary investigation by the police reportedly showed that the wild gun attack was triggered by a feud between two foreign-based indigenes of the community over an alleged drug deal. Umar said: “One of the individuals built the church where the shooting occurred; it is definitely not a terrorist attack in the mould of Boko Haram or Fulani herdsmen attack.”  This official police angle does not make the attack and its effect any less terrorising.

    Remarkably, Governor Willie Obiano, who visited the church and NAUTH, where the injured were being treated, also put the  shooting down to a “  communal feud”  between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad. He described it as “an isolated case.”  It is commendable that Obiano promised to pay the medical bills of the injured and provide assistance for the burial of those that were killed.

    There are dim areas of the dark deed that need to be illuminated by a thorough investigation. Different accounts of the incident claim different things. It is unclear whether there was one gunman or there were six gunmen. It is unclear whether the attack targeted Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonu, a parishioner who was shot dead, because he was the father of the alleged drug lord involved in the said feud.

    It is noteworthy that Aloysius Ikegwuonu aka Bishop, the alleged primary target, said in a statement: “For the avoidance of any doubt, I wish to inform the general public that I know nothing about the church killings and I have never been involved in drugs. I have never been arrested or convicted anywhere in the world. My businesses are legitimate businesses, duly registered. Apart from warehousing and wholesale of goods, I am also a contractor involved in the construction of roads and infrastructure in Nigeria.”  He attributed the negative portrayal to ”those who are jealous of my success and who are determined to tarnish my image.” He asked the police to do their job, describing the brazen church killings as “an unprecedented evil that deserves full investigation to unmask the perpetrators.”  He also said: “We await investigations and a full police report of the church attack.” He is certainly not alone in this wait.

    The public can’t wait to see how the police will handle the case. It is disturbing that the founder of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Ralph Uwazuruike, opportunistically issued a seven-day ultimatum to the security agencies to get those behind the Ozubulu massacre, or else agents of the separatist group would take over the investigation. Uwazuruike said: “We cannot take this anymore since the security operatives are not able to protect lives and property of the people.” Groups like MASSOB should not be allowed to capitalise on the atmosphere of insecurity engendered by the killings.

    With the approach of the gubernatorial election scheduled to take place in the state on November 18, which is just about three months away, the security situation should be urgently and decisively addressed by the authorities.  The law enforcement agencies must get to the bottom of the Ozubulu carnage by arresting and prosecuting those implicated in the crime.

  • ‘Everlasting spiritual influence of Cathedral Church of Christ’

    ‘Everlasting spiritual influence of Cathedral Church of Christ’

    I am delighted to be at this Gala Night, in the pleasant company of fellow parishioners and our distinguished guests. It is also my great pleasure and privilege to give this short talk on the history of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, and Lagos.

    On this historic and memorable occasion of the 150th anniversary of our great church, the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, I should like, first of all, to extend my warmest felicitations to our much beloved diocesan bishop, the Most Revd. Adebola Ademowo, FNAL, and the Provost of the Cathedral, the Very Revd. Adebola Ojofeitimi. I want to thank them, and all our past bishops, provosts, the clergy, the church wardens, the church organists and choir, for their great spiritual leadership of the church.

    The Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, the oldest Cathedral in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has a proud, rich, vibrant, and distinctive history. It is a national legacy and heritage, not only for Christians, but for adherents of all faiths in our country as well. Since its completion in 1946, this neo-Gothic Cathedral, with its impressive architectural splendour and grandeur, has stood majestically on the Marina, directly overlooking the Lagoon. To put its rich history in historical perspectives, in 1867 when the foundation of the first Christ Church was laid at the Marina, Lagos was a new British colony. It was formally annexed only in 1861. HM Queen Victoria was still on the throne in Britain. Nigeria did not even exist then as a British colony or dependency until 1914. The European scramble for Africa had not yet begun.

    Christ Church had very humble origins. It was not even the first Church Missionary Society (CMS) Church in Lagos. On arriving in Lagos from Abeokuta in 1851, the CMS missionaries, led by the Revd. Charles Gollmer, first established three other churches in Lagos; Holy Trinity Church, Ebute Ero (1851) as the first CMS station, followed by St. Paul’s, Breadfruit, (1852), and then St. Peter’s (Holy Trinity) Church, Ita Faji (1853). After Christ Church (1853) came St. John’s, Aroloya (1862), and St. Jude’s, Ebute Metta (1869). But due to favourable political and historical circumstances Christ Church became famous as the first Anglican Cathedral in Nigeria. This was because Lagos later became the capital of colonial Nigeria. And it was from Lagos that Christianity and the CMS missions spread throughout Nigeria.

    Christ Church started in 1853 as a parish church at the Oko Faji site that it shared with St. Peter’s Church. It was in response to the demand of the small western educated African elite, most of them Creoles, freed slaves from Sierra Leone, for a separate church service to be conducted in English at St. Peter’s, Faji. The three older CMS churches in Lagos, Ebute Ero, Breadfruit, and Faji conducted their church services only in Yoruba, with which the Creoles were not comfortable. Among these pioneering Christian Creoles in Lagos were the Hon. John Augustus Otunba Payne, the first Registrar of the colonial High Court, and a member of the colonial legislative council, and Dr. Henry Carr, the first African Inspector of Education and later the Resident of Lagos colony. The others included Adolphus Pratt, John Mason, Mr. J. Henry Doherty, and Dr. J.K. Randle. It is believed that it was the Revd Ajai Crowther who started the English service in 1855 at St. Peter’s, and named the new church, Christ Church. This was after the Revd. Charles Gollmer and the Revd. Henry Townsend, his white CMS colleagues, had returned to England due to ill health. They never returned to Lagos. Crowther was then placed directly in charge of the Church. Since its inception, the only time a special Yoruba service was held in the church was on October 28, 1900, at the request of the colonial government, when HRH Oba Gbadebo 1, the Alake of Abeokuta, paid an official visit to Lagos, and was hosted by the colonial government.

    In 1860, St. Peter’s, Faji, moved to its present site at Ajele, But Christ Church remained at Faji until 1867, when it moved to the Marina (Ehingbeti) on the completion of its buildings, the first brick and mortar church buildings in Lagos. The Colonial Governor of Lagos, Sir John Hawley Glover, laid the foundation stone of the new church buildings on March 29, 1867. Its new premises were dedicated on June 10, 1869, by Bishop Samuel Ajai Crowther who had played such a prominent role in the early years of the Church. The Ehingbeti site was one of the four sites secured by the Revd. Charles Gollmer of the CMS from Oba Akintoye.  But of the four sites, it was the last to be developed as it was considered the least attractive and safe. Very often many of the mud and thatched roof houses at Ehingbeti were gutted by fire in those days. It remained a parish church until 1919 when it became a pro-Cathedral. Ten years later, its new neo- Gothic buildings, still uncompleted, were dedicated, by which time it had become a full fledged Cathedral.  Unlike the three older Anglican Churches in Lagos Christ Church was excluded from the native pastorate until 1929, and carefully nurtured as a model Anglican Church by the CMS which shaped its distinct cosmopolitan traditions.

    As Canon M.S. Cole, officially the first African Vicar of Christ Church, observed, for those who started the first Christ Church at Faji, and later at the Marina, it was a ‘Venture of Faith’. They could not have foreseen the subsequent fame of the Church, and its glorious role in the growth and development of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). Until the capital of Nigeria was moved to Abuja, the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, remained the See of the Archbishop and Primate Metropolitan of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria. For over a century, most of the leading Anglican clerics, including archbishops and bishops, began their careers in the Cathedral. Its strong spiritual and evangelical role in the growth of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria is widely acknowledged. It is regarded by other Anglican Cathedrals and Churches in Nigeria as primus inter pares.

    Right from the start, the Church, with its location on the Marina, within walking distance of the old colonial secretariat and the official residence of the colonial governors, provided a convenient place of worship for the colonial officials and the emerging African educated elite. Its English service brought the new church close to the colonial administration. This immediately gave it an advantage over the three other CMS churches in the Native Pastorate in Lagos. The African social, business, and political elite in colonial Lagos worked and resided near the Cathedral.  Virtually all the colonial governors and officials worshipped and held pews in the Cathedral until 1911 when the Colonial Church (now our Saviour’s Church) was built at the old Race Course. For nearly a century the Cathedral, with its clock tower, dominated the waterfront on the Marina, rising above the neighbouring buildings. Now, the cluster of skyscrapers on the Marina has crowded in on the Cathedral, but this has in no way affected its grandeur.

     

    Movement to the Marina

    In 1860, when St. Peter’s Church moved to its permanent site at Ajele, Christ Church remained at Faji. Some favourable developments later facilitated the movement of the church in 1867 from Faji to the Marina. First, the Revd Ajai Crowther, who had been running the Church since 1855 at Faji, was consecrated a Bishop in London in March, 1864, the first African to be so consecrated. He was immediately transferred to the Niger to start a new mission there. Both Gollmer and Townsend, invalided, had also returned in 1855 to the CMS headquarters in London where Gollmer died in 1862. Fresh hands were needed at the CMS station in Lagos and the Revd James Abner Lamb, a former Welsh lawyer, who had been sent to Lagos in 1861 as Secretary of the CMS Yoruba Mission, was placed in charge of Christ Church, still at Faji, in succession to Crowther. He had been in the church for less than a year when on June 9, 1863, he launched a fundraising appeal for a new church building at the Marina (Ehingbeti) to replace Gollmer’s mud and thatched roof building at Faji, which was no longer considered suitable, as it was being used for both the church and a school. The proposed Church would be built of brick and slate, would provide accommodation for 500 people instead of 300 at Faji, and would cost 800 pounds. By the time the foundation stone of the new Church was laid on Friday, March 29, 1867, well over 800 pounds had been collected. On June 10, 1869, when the first section of the new Church was dedicated by Bishop Ajai Crowther, over 2,500 pounds had been collected, with the colonial Governor, Sir John Hawley Glover, donating 10 pounds. The largest single donation of 50 pounds was made by Mr. J.P. Lalubo Davies, a wealthy African merchant, of St. Paul’s Church, Breadfruit, whose subsequent generosity to Christ Church was unbounded.

    The church that Bishop Crowther dedicated in 1869, the first Christ Church at the Marina, was not completed until 1875 together with the clock tower. The total cost of building the church was put at 2000 pounds of which the colonial government contributed 400 pounds. Some 500 pounds was raised locally for the new church building. But even before the church building was completed important services, including ordinations, state services, and confirmations were being held in the new Christ Church. On Sunday, March 12, 1871, Bishop Crowther held an ordination service in the church, at which his son, Dandeson Crowther, was one of those ordained. In 1887, a state service was held in the Church to mark the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Victoria. On her death in February, 1901, a memorial service was held for her in the church. In 1902 a state service was held in the Church to mark the coronation of HM King Edward V11. It was HRH Prince Edward, the Prince of Wales, who laid the foundation of the present building in 1925. Later, during their state visit to Nigeria in 1956 HM Queen Elizabeth 11, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, worshipped in the Cathedral. When he was head of state General Yakubu Gowon had his wedding in the church in 1969. The Church has hosted several Archbishops of Canterbury and many other foreign dignitaries, including Albert Schweitzer, the famous and celebrated Austrian Nobel Laureate.

    The  Revd. James Abner Lamb, who built the first Christ Church, at the Marina, was transferred to Sierra Leone in 1870. After two tours of duty in Freetown, he was transferred to East Africa. But when he was needed again he returned to Lagos in 1883 where, shortly after, on July 1, he died from an attack of diarrhea. His tomb lay originally outside the East end of the Church, but it was later transferred to the Chancel in the Lady Chapel. Last Sunday, at a commemoration service in the church, a memorial wreath was laid at his grave.  His heroic contribution to the development of the first Christ Church at the Marina should never be forgotten lightly.

     

    Early Progress at the Marina

    After the departure from Lagos of the Revd. Lamb in 1870, Christ Church remained largely in the charge of the European Clergy for the next fifty years. It had a chequered and rather difficult history in its early years at the Marina. First, the CMS faced immense difficulties keeping its white priests in the Church. Many of them found the Lagos climate too humid and inhospitable. Some refused to go to Lagos, while many of those who did preferred attachments outside Lagos where the humidity was less. Filling vacancies created by the premature departure of European missionaries was a nightmare for the CMS. Even the African priests also preferred working in the native pastorate established since 1871 which they considered more conducive. At its new site on the Marina, practical difficulties about the English service also began to emerge. The natives preferred the Yoruba service in the other churches at Ebute Ero, Breadfruit, Faji, and Aroloya.  In addition, the natives were irritated by the opposition of the predominantly white clergy to such native practices as polygamy and the Ogboni cult, on which they would not compromise. As Archdeacon Hamilton reported in 1885, ‘the stricter discipline by the church is not popular with the natives’. Many of them left the church in anger. It was recorded that in 1889 average attendance in the church fell from 300 to 228 for Mattins. The Revd. Hamlyn, who was in charge of the church, observed in 1887 that this was ‘because the Yoruba congregation are not able very intelligently to follow the English prayers, hymns and sermon in the church’.

    There were also serious financial pressures emerging in the church which the CMS could no longer fund fully. Such were these pressures that in 1883 the CMS actually asked the colonial government to take over the Church, but it declined. Then in 1887, the CMS in London informed its Lagos office that it was seriously considering handing over its CMS station in Lagos and the church to the Bishop of Sierra Leone to run it directly. But this idea was dropped due to a strong and determined opposition from both the local clergy and the congregation of the Church.

     

    From Pro-Cathedral to Cathedral

    The fortunes of the Church however began to change dramatically due to some significant and important events. In March, 1906, the Conference of Anglican Bishops in West Equatorial Africa passed a resolution for the formation of a new Province of West Africa. Dr. Henry Carr, M.A. B.C.L. the first African Inspector of Education in the colonial government, was appointed the first Chancellor of the new Province. Soon after, a new Lagos District Church Council was established for the general administration of the CMS Churches in Lagos, but Christ Church was again carefully excluded from this new Council to emphasize its special status. The European clergy were not yet ready to hand over the Church to the native pastorate. They wanted it to remain a model CMS Church. Then on Friday, May 17, 1912, good fortunes smiled again on the Church when, at the Third Synod, the Chancellor, Dr. Henry Carr, moved a powerful motion for the transfer of Christ Church to the Synod ‘for the purpose of the Church being constituted the Cathedral Church of the Diocese, and for a Sub-Committee to be formed to consider the question of enlarging the Church and to raise funds for that purpose’. The motion was enthusiastically adopted and endorsed by the CMS in London. This is the origin of the construction of the new Cathedral Church of Christ that stands so proudly at the Marina today, in replacement of the first Church on this site in 1867.

    On May 9, 1920, the Revd. M.S. Cole, formerly the Principal of the Abeokuta Grammar School, was appointed the first African Vicar of the Church. He wasted no time in setting up on October 1, 1920, the first Cathedral Building Committee. In May, 1921, it was decided at the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops that the status of Christ Church be raised to that of a pro-cathedral. Then on July 26, Bishop Melville Jones and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Randall Cantaur, launched an appeal in London for raising funds for the proposed Cathedral building. While fund raising arrangements were being made, the Cathedral building committee decided to start preparing the architectural plans for the new Cathedral. Two building plans were first prepared in England, but the local building committee asked a local architect, Mr. Joshua Bagandoji Benjamin, to prepare a plan. It is his building plan that is now the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina. Often referred to as the Christopher Wren of Lagos, in reference to the architect of the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral of London, Mr. Benjamin designed many other neo-Gothic buildings in Lagos.  The beautiful Cathedral he designed has remained an architectural master piece, and a major tourists’ attraction in Lagos.

    •To be continued

  • Death in the cathedral

    The thousands of worshippers who gathered in the auditorium of the Reigners Bible Church International in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, last Saturday came there for the consecration of their pastor, Akan Weeks, as a bishop. Everything went into the planning for the bishopric consecration in order to make it a success. Governor Udom Emmanuel was among the congregants. It was a day of joy for the pastor, his family, his spiritual children and well-wishers.

    An atmosphere of conviviality pervaded the church. The celebrator was at hand to receive guests as they came in.  There were pumping of hands and backslapping here and there as longtime friends reconnected. Laughter rang out loud from all corners of the expansive auditorium. The service started as soon as  Emmanuel came in and the national anthem was sung. For over 30 minutes everything went well, but suddenly, the unexpected happened – the auditorium crashed. There was bedlam as people scampered for safety. One’s survival did not depend on how nimble footed one is; it all depended on luck and where you sat.

    Up till now, we have yet to know the number of those in the hall. So, getting the true casualty figure is difficult. Do not believe the figures being bandied by the security people; it is in their nature to hide such things in situations like this. The truth is that many people died and we may not know their exact number no matter how hard we try because some people will not want it revealed so as to avoid public outrage. We do not pray for things like this but when they happen, we should have the courage to say the truth in order to avoid a recurrence. Buildings do not just collapse for the fun of it, something must have triggered the crash. No matter what we say or do, what has happened has happened. We can only take stock now in order to know whether the church brought this upon itself.

    What do I mean? What was the state of the building before the ceremony? Was it still under construction as reported in the media? How safe was it for human occupation in the state it was then? These are some of the issues we should look into if we want to get to the root of this matter. We should not allow religious sentiment to becloud our reasoning in determining what led to the crash. Scores of people cannot die while attending a church ceremony only for the government to keep quiet as if all is well. The dead like those who survived went to serve God and to witness the consecration of their bishop. As their spiritual father, Pastor Akan, like a good shepherd, should have been concerned about the well-being of his sheep.

    He should have done this by ensuring that he gathered them in a safe and secure environment. As ministers, we are charged to feed our sheep, not to allow them to die through acts of omission and commission. The news that we are hearing now that the church was asked to stop work on the building is not palatable at all, if it is true. Was the church served a stop work order? A building is not served a stop work order for nothing. The action must have been informed by what experts saw. What did they see to warrant the issuance of the order? And why did the church not comply with it? It is only in our country that a thing like this will happen and we will start looking for excuses to explain it away instead of taking action against the offenders. Are we saying that the lives of those who died do not matter? Over two years ago, a similar incident happened at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos and till today the culprits have not been brought to book. Instead the church is dodging facing the law.

    This must not happen in the Uyo case. If something untoward had happened to the governor would we be handling this matter lightly? The answer is no. By now, all the church trustees and its other leaders would have been arrested. Even the injured pastor would be placed under arrest in the hospital. If that is good for the governor why is it not good for those who died in the crash? I feel sorry for the church and its pastor over what happened, but we cannot close our eyes to the fact that people lost their lives because of the negligence of some people. This is why those people are now on the run. They can only run; they cannot hide. Sooner than later the law will catch up with them. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

     

    Mission to Gambia

    On Tuesday, some West African  leaders were in Banjul, The Gambia capital, to prevail on outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to accept the results of the December 1 election, which he lost to opposition candidate Adama Barrow. Jammeh is among the fast diminishing tribe of  African leaders still in office famously referred to by the west as the ”Africa Big Man”. By the west’s definition, the ”Africa Big Man” is a sit-tight leader who does not believe that there is life after office. So, he must die in office. Jammeh first came into office in 1994 through a military coup at the age of 29. In 1996, he transmuted into civilian president and has held office since then after being reelected in 2001, 2006 and 2011. After his reelection five years ago, he boasted that if he wanted he could be in office for one billion years. Pride, they say, goes before a fall. His pride led to his defeat in the December 1 election, which results he graciously accepted before making a volte face last Friday. What could have informed his sudden U’turn? Yahya Jammeh has become used to the presidential villa that he cannot imagine himself ever staying elsewhere. But he cannot impose himself on the people who have become tired of him.

    The time for him to go has come and the people have spoken that they no longer want him. If he decides to stay in office against their wish there will be bloodshed. He should not deceive himself that because he is president he would have the upper hand if crisis bursts out in The Gambia today. Jammeh has ridden the tiger long enough. It is time for him to dismount in order not to end up in its belly. It is to save him from himself that Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia),  Ernest Bai Koroma (Sierra Leone) and John Mahama (Ghana) went to talk with him. The good thing is for him to stick to his acceptance of the outcome of the election and not allow some people to mislead him.  It is heartening to hear that he was receptive to the four leaders’ advice to go. The consequences of his not leaving will be too grave for his tiny country, which he has ruled with iron fist in the past 22 years. Jammeh was still living in the past by recanting after accepting the election results. There is nothing for him to fear if he knows he has done well. For the sake of his impoverished country, he should go and allow a breath of fresh air in The Gambia. If he looked well he would have seen in the four leaders’ delegation another president, who just lost election – John Mahama of Ghana – and accepted the result without attempting to bring his country down. Jammeh should take a cue from Mahama and just go.

  • Reflections on Bishop without a cathedral

    Power comes from God, and it is the prerogative of God as the founder of this universe to bestow power on whom it pleases Him. In his concise letter to the Romans, Apostle Paul made it clear that before a God, the race is not about he that runneth or willeth, but of God that showeth mercy. You may dare to call Him a partial God but in His wisdom, he had warned that he will only show mercy to whom he will show mercy and will curse whom he will curse.

    In the race for the governorship seat of Abia state, there are two major contenders although some sections of the media, to entertain their audience, increased the number as it suits them. The race in reality is between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, while on ballot, there will be other candidates who space will not allow me mention today. But I intend to do so after the election.

    While the PDP after its primaries produced as its standard bearer Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu popularly known as Okezuo Abia (equity), APGA and its followers are still torn in litigations over who the party candidate is between one Alex Otti who is currently holding the ticket and another claimant Reagan Ufomba who is laying claim to the same ticket. As things stand today, Okezie Ikpeazu remains the man to beat as well as toast of many. Given the manner the news of his entrance and subsequent emergence spread like wild bush fire, many were forced to ask the pertinent question, who is Okezie Ikpeazu? Born Of strong religious parentage in Obingwa Local Government Area of present-day Abia State Okezie Ikpeazu is a living of example of whom God has blessed, no man can curse. Venturing into the uncertain world of politics with a doctorate degree acquired at a relatively young age, and in an era when societal values sieved diligence, hard-work and determination out of norm, thus leaving much to be desired in the polity, those who have known him will attest to one fact, and that is his impeccable dose of humility in spite of his educational attainment.

    A close observation reveals that he is a man not moved by his rare achievements in the academic world. He was always driven by the urge to serve. And curiously, he has only remained within verandahs of power even though he was eminently qualified to at least be within the living room. Unlike most politicians who always feel that lucrative portfolios are the measurement of ones political clout and rating, Ikpeazu would rather grab at the difficult task and walk on tough terrains where total commitment and even personal sacrifice were put to remain afloat and achieve desired results thus always standing him out.

    This was why he was able to make his mark as the General Manager of the State Integrated Passenger Manifest Scheme which ensured that Commuters and passengers who travel with the State-owned transport company were insured against any eventuality. After his stint at ASPIMS, Ikpeazu’s next port of call was the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency ASEPA where he had the tough challenge of maintaining the environmental orderliness in Aba the commercial hub of the state. While Ikpeazu stood under the sun to ensure a healthy environment and by implication a beter life for the masses, Otti coiled in the cocoon of his luxury vocation. A lifestyle he will always be used to. I cannot hide my amusement when people try to draw a comparison between Ikpeazu and Otti in terms of attracting electoral fortunes. What are the basis is what I always ask?

    Any attempt to compare Ikpeazu with his main challenger will reveal a movement on two parallel platform. It goes to show and clearly too that this man who has always been with the people will naturally carry the day. That was why it was easy to tell people who Ikpeazu is. It is rather unfortunate that in Abia today, the only profile of Alex Otti known to the common man is that he is a rich man. That further takes us to another dimension of critical analysis of his personal affluence and quite expectedly, the question that flows will be who are the benefIciaries of Otti large treasury before now?

    After building his palatial home while serving as Executive Director of First Bank, Mazi Otti in show of his affluence and proof of outright disconnect from his people build a helipad for his helicopter which takes him home from the airport. When the allure of political enterprise got a better part of him, what did he do? He quickly ran to Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South also not found within the favored senatorial zone for the 2015 governorship race and within a short time allegedly erected another massive edifice in an alleged bid to attempt buying a birth right and ancestry of the Ngwa land. At an informal gathering recently, a renowned builder who happened to come from same local government as Otti put the entire worth of both houses at nothing less than three billion naira. This is what one man has spent for his personal luxury in the midst of poverty in the land.

    Today, one prominent feature of his campaign is financial profile and pecuniary inducement. He is ready to spend more, yet he never graded even the road to his house. No single person enjoyed the scholarship of our friend. But one thing that has eluded their permutation is their infantile or pedestrian knowledge of Abia political terrain. Abians are no fools. Their eyes are wide open and their political heritage or patrimony is of much value to them than anything else. They don’t want an arrogant leader who will feel he did them a favour by being their governor. They don’t wish for a visiting governor who will be chasing his vast business interests at the expense of the state and good governance.

    This is why it has been difficult for the people to accept Otti. Whereas  Ikpeazu is enjoying a cult- hero followership. They know who has been with them. They know who will occupy the government house and the gates will be open to all and his ears will pay attention to their needs. They know who will look them in their faces and guess that things be not be well and ask what the problem is. That is the Ikpeazu edge and no matter what any person say, his acceptance will reflect into victory at the polls.

    Rather than accept the fact, Otti and his political captors are masturbating in blame game. Again, there is a saying in Igbo parlance that onye nwere mmadu ka onye nwere ego and his Aro kinsmen concluded it with this wise saying “okpogho iche, mmadu iche; mkpuola iche, nwa Aro iche”, meaning that the real value is in the people not your wealth. It is then an instructive fact and mortal lesson to others, and obviously not a surprise that despite his financial war chest he has remained a pitiable lone ranger akin to a bishop without any cathedral daily spending to attract followers.

     

    • Emereuwa writes from Umuahia.
  • Community dedicates cathedral

    Community dedicates cathedral

    Over 100 priests, including 30 Bishops and the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor were watching as the Anglican Primate, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh dedicated St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Umuchu in Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra State. The massive structure was built by Mr. Godwin Ezeemo.

    The retired Dean, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Maxwell Anikwenwa and the first female governor in Nigeria, Dame Virgy Etiaba were also there.

    However, Okoh in his sermon warned that the church should not be used for politics.

    “This house is no longer Ezeemo’s, but God’s place, it is the embassy of God; the Almighty has already taken possession of the place”

    ”He has given us a completed church which is phase I and it is time to build phase II which is the building of human beings and this takes a long time to accomplish.”

    “The human beings are the temple of God because God lives in us, we must do things that will please Him, so, we should be careful”

    “It is the duty of the Bishop to handle the worship place of God, you have done your work for building God’s place, but do not meddle in it, otherwise, there will be crisis,” Okoh warned.

    Speaking with The Nation, the organizing secretary of the building committee, Mr. Ken Iloh, said when the philanthropist proposed the project, that it was like thunder out of the blues.

    He said the entire members of the community were like, was it a dream? Adding that God sent Ezeemo to Umuchu community

    Also, Mrs. May Ononuju, former President, Umuchu Women Wing, Lagos branch, told The Nation that what the man did in the community could only be equated with what happens  abroad.

    The community had been in agony for lack of amenities including roads, but today, with Ezeemo’s presence, those things that were lacking in the area are now present.

    “We thank God for giving this remote community a person like Godwin Ezeemo, he is a blessing to not only the community but to the people in Anambra in general”.

    For Mr. Dona Agupusi, the pocket of the man who made it possible for the area to have such a massive church would never run dry.

    At the church service Ezeemo told the congregation that he did not do it for anybody to praise him, rather it was a kind of agreement with God.

    Furthermore, he said it was also a kind of alleviating the sufferings of the people and reducing their burdens, especially the widows and less privileged in the society who always donates for such projects in the rural areas.

    He said he was willing to donate some of his belongings to the church, for the purpose of evangelism, adding “we must be the change we wish to see in the world”

    Before now, Ezeemo had built a two-storey building for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Anambra state which the state government or any other person had failed to do in the state.

    The last child in a family of seven, will soon celebrate his 61 years of existence on earth from a highly illustrious and devout Christian family.