ABAKALIKI DIOCESE: CALL EVIL BY ITS NAME AND IT WILL FLEE!
Evil unchecked grows like tumor!
One of the things that make up history is not always things that happened, but certain things that OBSTINATELY refused to happen. These things become so integral in the chronological build up on the advancement of such community or otherwise! Nigeria is a house that has raged for 49years without any honest move to save it. The church is the most sacred institution that commands our respect as the custodian of truth whilst preaching the message of Jesus. Implanting Jesus in our national chaos is the last wish of the poor devout christain who just died of hunger. When human elements tend to whittle down our reverence for the church, the onus falls on our sinful selves to address these issues. The trouble with Abakaliki Diocese has become subject of our small talks the same way as weather is to the English, yet, aligning Abakaliki Diocese on the path of self redemption is a battle for the soul of Ebonyi State and Nigeria. If the church rise up to their true responsibility today, our problems as a nation will become history.
Brethren, we live a clime that falsehood and treachery has been sown as seeds, to speak the truth is an anomie. Whoelse will speak the truth? Papa Chinenye is weighed down by the ordeals of training her children before he joins his ancestors, lest he leave a burden for Mama Chinenye. Chinenye, may end up not graduating if she doesn’t bribe her lectureres or sleep with them. If she yields to their immodest demands, she graduates and gets work in the bank where corporate prostitution is order of the day. In all categories of people mentioned, the sacrifice of ventilating the truth falls on the man who has taken the vow of poverty, celibacy and obedience. And on the cross Jesus said to her mother, weep not for me but for yourself and children. Weep for Abakaliki Diocese and for our faith! The greatest thing that God can do for a being is to grant you His mercies to profess christainity. But, the peculiarity of His love for us is that we as catholics share in His grace and salvation. To speak of a church that can tame our national excessess is to speak of the inexhaustible theological vibrations in the catholic church. While theology is not a common discourse for the laity, it presupposes to state that the initiated within the craft know that redefining theology within our national contraption is the surest way to tell our flock that the message of Jesus is not novel. At 49years of Nigeria, over 70% of the faithfuls who donate generously at offerings and collections for various church projects and at whose expense we live large can hardly fend for daily morsel. The rise in crime and hypertension is an iota into the world of nightmares that confront the average Nigerian.
As the camps in the presbyterium increase by day and night taking different virulent shapes and gathering momentum, an inescapable implosion looms that will either make or mar our beloved Diocese. Until there’s a refrain from the pride and prejudice that has dominated the franchise called Abakaliki Diocese for decades, we run a risk of an upsurge in the form of a rebellion that will emanate from the axis of uncultured men who cannot put their grouse in paper, to whom violence is the best language. A society in which the church is lost, is INDEED lost!
The Nameless Parish at Mile 50 has been sustained against all odds to stand because it was designed to serve as an image laundering zone for the ‘Lords’ of Mile 50. The evil in the modus operandi of Nameless Parish is that it has all the trappings of a Parish, but yet it is not one. Today, Nameless Parish has evolved into a PR zone for Bishop Okoro with Obuna as the presiding prelate.
As the crises in the Diocese continue to attract a volley of write-ups and a flurry of public altercations, i hope the no 1 diplomat of the Diocese needs no Nostardamus to tell him that the Birnam wood has begun gathering and when it gets to Dunsinane, oooh what a pity!
All in all, pity a Diocese full of priests but empty of courage. Pity a priest whose garb typifies him as wolf under sheep clothing. Pity the priest that feeds large at the expense of the starving masses. Pity the Diocese that acclaims the bully as a hero and deems the glittering conqueror bountiful... Pity the Diocese whose Bishop is a fox and Secretary, a juggler and; whose art is the art of scheming and conspiracy. Pity the Diocese whose strongmen are yet in the cradle. Pity the Diocese divided into fragments and each fragment deeming itself powerful!
Has the church lost her garb of moral upbringing to hapless faithfuls that flock the altar to seek freedom from the oppressed. The church and the state form an irreplaceable synergy for a better society, today’s ritual is that of less moral government and the church clothing that frail. Wither the mind that believes that the promise made by our God through the faith of our father Abraham will manifest in us when our guide hovers for vagaries of theirs. Where is their pride? Until we are able to raise a hybrid of priests and Nigerians ready to pay the price of truth, our nightmares abound!
When fools fail, the wise laugh. When the wise fail, animals in the bush mourn their folly!
-->
I am afraid that Odeism is fast becoming a school and ideology that no arm or battalion can stand! If the people relinquish one third of their belief in Odey to Okoro, Abakaliki Diocese would be heaven on earth. But how possible?
The intractable cold war is Abakaliki Diocese can best be captured in the above parlance. This caption settles the endless, but dangerous melodrama going on in the Diocese where Bishop Dr M.N.Okoro and Fr. Dr.Emmanuel Obuna are the chief and major characters, then, the presbyterium constitute a cult of silence over decades of ecclesiastical vandalism that has tainted the Church in Abakaliki in terrible image. Rather than align the people of God on the path of salvation and chart a course for their liberation in their collective strive to attain Heaven, like the prophets of old did; Bishop Okoro has been ostensibly preoccupied by the institution and promotion of divide and rule which had led to infighting, cliqueism and politics of exlcusion and scramble for assimilation of newly ordained priests into different quasi chartels that now characterise the Diocese.
Okoro and his advisers should know that their achievements in Abakaliki is as short as burying priests who died mysteriously annually, break up of priests to start their own organisations, internal rancour and bickering amonsgt priests in their cliques, symptomatic of cult phenomenon, inability to give birth to sister Diocese, a crop of sycophants as priests, a presbyterium weighed down by the trauma of his political bucaneering. The achievements of Okoro as a priest and Bishop cannot be equalled by what Odey has recorded in his 25 years of preisthood; and that is where they part ways. It is an clear issue of conscience and history!
Okoro has soaked himself in his desperate and blind pursuit of Odey, a just man. If the energy deployed in the jostles to tame Odey has been directed to preach the truth; that the people of God have been caged by rampaging poverty and misery, looting of treasury and materialism making the catholic precepts completely impracticable in present day Nigeria, he would have had more disciples that John whose head he’s been calling for!
Bishop Okoro holds a DD (Doctor of Divinity), a foremost degree in the Church, by this acquisition of this very degree, he is an authority in Catholic Theology and doctrines. His omniscient secretary, Emmanuel Obuna, a formator by birth and inclination, holds an MSc in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D in Moral Theology; making the duo of Obuna and Okoro inseparable in ‘truth and spirit’. To this, the faithfuls in Abakaliki and beyond are witnessess! Their inseparable ties lies with the ‘weird interest’ that has defied public guess and priestly permutations. Whatever bond that exists between them has made nonsense of Abakaliki Diocese, thwarted the Providential plan for the Diocese and held them hostage for so long. Obuna wields undue influence in Abakaliki Diocese since his return from Germany and CAN NEVER go on tranfer, against the Church rule, like Fr. Mmuo.
The Catholic Bishop is a vicar, a shepherd, his red attire speak volumes of his readiness to lay down his life for his flock. The Bishop’s staff (crusier), is another inkling into the world of symbols that the Catholic church operates. Bishop Oscar Romero in El-Salvador, is a litmus test of all times on the role of a Bishop to his flock. His life and message opened another chapter in Political Theology. In one of his speeches, ‘the mission of the church is to identify itself with the poor,by so doing the church finds its own salvation’.
The inability of the church in Nigeria to anchor such desirable leadership that will usher us into the Divine purpose is reflected in the unhealthy fraternity that exits between the looters of national treasury and the clergy. Modern loots are buried right inside the church! ‘Modern priests’ negotiate contracts, market and beg from one office to the other just to pose with flashy cars and make good returns to insatiable Bishops at the expense of their vows and calling. And those who dare to be different do so at their own peril! Odey falls under this category.
In Abakaliki, Okoro represents a grand conspiracy with the rich, mighty and powerful and preys on his flock pending on choice. The call for Odey’s head may be all that is left to get his own share of Ebonyi allocation and guber ticket in 2015. Having being starved by Odey’s ‘provocative’ sermons during Sam Egwu, Elechi’tenure will not pass for another tale. A critical look at Diocese that Bishop Macgettric handed over to Okoro, has startling revelations on why the Diocese shrinks daily. Besides, Odey,Okoro and Obuna saga, the Diocese is trailed by unforseen forces and circumstances. Ranging from mysterious and unaccounted deaths of Frs.Nicodemus Ogbuagu, Innocent Oko,Chidi Okoye, excardination of Frs. Aniuzu. Frs. Edward Inyawachi, Chidi Obasi, Jacob Nwabor etc who have completed their further studies long ago prefer staying abroad rather than return to get entangled with Obuna and the Local Ordinary. It was in the course of trying this escape route that luck ran against Fr. Peter Amanor, he not only paid for it, the wounds and bruises he sustained from that singular sharp ‘act of dissent’ may never heal.
Frs. Oluoha, Owoh and all priests, who at one time or the other were not in the ‘good book’ of Okoro have had to swallow his bitter pills. And they will tell you how bitter it really was.
In Abakaliki Diocese, silence has come to replace the ‘Vow of Obedience’. Those who make ‘good returns’ at the expense of the bleeding masses like Frs. Ofuluozor, need not go on further studies or transfer, Okoro’s degree has covered theirs’. And for Fr. Mmuo, St. John has been allocated to him now and in the life to come. The controversies surrounding Fr. Aligwe’s ousting the Catholic Church is a milestone in the conflagration of crises rocking the small diocese. Okoro’s inability to transform little Abakaliki into a model, by creating sister Dioceses’ like in Enugu Onitsha and Owerri, is the height of opulence and brazen display in overriding self interest and closure to develpoment and advancement. Pope John XXIII’s clamor for the church to open its windows for the ventilation of ideas, is subject to Okoro’s blurred interest.
The last onslaught WILL CERTAINLY be the incessant and misguided attacks on Odey whose name stand tall in the world ‘Literary Hall of Fame’. The humble priest from Ngbo has reamained my personal understanding of what a catholic priest should be. Odey who hails from the middle of the bush, started having problems with the Bishop because of his views on social implications of the Gospel message. Odey’s apprehension of Liberation Theology in other climes where it has become a tool for advancing the peoples’ course, thundered his voice from the pulpit at sermons and in writing, making it evident that Nigeria’s problem was born out of avarice. St Patrick’s was a semi-bush until John Odey came. His will was to affect the people not on returns. Then, came the divide. He ousted from St.Patrick’s Parish Kpirikpiri Abakaliki, he faced his school, paving way for Fr. L.Obijiofor, a callow,but modern priest, all in an attempt to rubbish Odey. Obijiofor’s sarcastic nature and obvious lack in managerial technicalities, led him into flambouyant renovation of the Fathers’ house since two years now, leaving the entire parishoners in a wild guess, when it took Odey SIX months to build another father’s house for Annunciation Sec. Sch. The said house under renovation was a building for which emissaries were sent to Okoro on many occassions to grant Odey permission to add one more room accommodation for future use, ofcourse it was ignored. In less than six years that edifice is being tampered with, with utmost impunity.
On July 18, 2009; Odey was celebrated alive as he clocked 25 years in priesthood. Of all the dignitries that graced the occassion,Okoro was obviously absent, though his absence was expected. A Bishop from Lafia Diocese took time to come and the last we heard of Okoro was to transfer Odey. If Okoro has sold his conscience let him tell us we will raise money for him to reclaim it in the nearest decent market. But, he should ‘becareful in dealing with the man who cares nothing for sensual pleasures, nothing for praise or comfort . He is a dangerous and uncomfortable enemy because his body which you can always lays hands on gives you little or no purchase upon his soul’.
There are reasones why the machinations of Okoro to wrestle Odey will fail they are;
i. Odey is not greedy/avaricious.
ii. He is not materialistic.
iii. He hates power.
iv. He can’t be seduced, being self willed.
v. He is simple/humble.
vi. He needs no titles having made his name.
Today, even Fr. Dr.Theophilus Ukoro Igwe from Abakaliki Diocese, as the rector of Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, sneaks in and out of Abakaliki for his dear life! The sordid impression this leaves in the minds of the faithfuls is that Okoro has lost relevance. If the much energy/human resources deployed in trying to scheme Odey out is used in repositioning the church for societal relevance, option for the poor and compelling our leaders to toe the path of conscience, much success would have been recorded.
Okoro relying on the outcome of the crisis between him and Fr. Owo, posted Odey to Holy Trinity Parish Umuogudu Akpu Ngbo, hoping to achieve the same result. Unfortunately, as Odey journey’s to Ngbo on Tuesday, September 1, 2009, his entry into Ngbo will be historic like that of the son of David for whom the plebians laid down their garments to match on without being cowed! In 24 months time all roads will lead to Ngbo for another celebration of Odeism!
My worries are, why are the priests silent on all the antics and intrigues employed by Okoro in misleading the Diocese? It is appalling that the entire priests of the Diocese have been silent on the thrive of evil. This puts a big question mark on their calling! The priest who distances himself from truth, distances himself from heaven! To preach about heaven may not be the need of modern man, it is to live heaven. The challenge of the contemporary priest, is his zeal to pay the price of truth; whilst keeping himself far from both ecclesiatical and secular cults. As Odey pays the price of truth, a reasonable percentage of the Abakaliki priests celebrate today’s mass praying God to keep them from the wrath of Okoro and Obuna.
Odey is a freeman, he has no army or battalion, he meddles with no politician. He keeps no arms and believes in his message. If a man cannot die for his belief he has no need to live. While Okoro dolls out the worst of treatment,Odey as a non violent preacher has the moral equilibrium for reception. But, the greatest violence is the conspiracy against an innocent man.
Although, the church is run behind close doors, but, not without the laity. The people are aware of the decision to dismember Odey like other priests whose death still hangs a shadow of doubt on Okoro’s sincerity. Okoro should have known that Odey has traversed the common priest he ordained at St.Theresa’s in 1984. An attempt of such will be the height of vandalism. If this happens no matter the guise it wll blow the entire Diocese skyhigh! We will engage him and his entire cohorts in a serious battle of all forms that will dazzle Vatican. If people who are supposed to make their soup with goat meat do so with mushroom,it is shameful!
