The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, is the supreme body of archbishops and bishops responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of over 20 million Catholics in Nigeria. They represent the nine ecclesiastical provinces and 44 suffragan dioceses in the country. The Mater Ecclesiae Diocese, Ahiara Mbaise created in 1987, is one of the suffragan dioceses. The late Victor Adibe Chikwe, who died on September 16, 2010, was the pioneer bishop and presided for 23 fruitful years.
It’s apposite to state here for record purposes that, but for the visionary leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, now deservedly a saint and the tenacity of the Fr. Victor Chikwes, the Monsignor Matthew Onyemas, the Kevin Onwubikos, the Innocent Nwogas, the Malachy Amanzes, the Lazarus Ahanekus, the Donatus Onus and more of this world, the diocese might not have come into existence. Why? People who claimed to know Mbaise more than Mbaise people advised the pope that the diocese would not survive. Ironically the very same people who vehemently opposed its creation ab initio with their insistence that it would not survive are the very people trying to reap from its bountiful success failing which they have persistently held the diocese by the jugular and are surreptitiously manipulating and delaying the appointment of a replacement for the late pioneer bishop. Consequently, the over one million faithful of the diocese have remained without a substantive bishop for close to 13 years.
The CBCN cannot absolve itself of blame in this matter because the majority of its membership led by an absentee power bank are those continuously working to frustrate the nomination of a successor bishop. At the failure of the scheme to install the now Peter Cardinal Okpaleke as Chikwe’s successor 10 years ago, the boss threatened: “Ndi Mbaise ga afu ife m’geme fa”. (The people of Mbaise will see what I will do to them). It’s very unfortunate that this threat is directed at God’s Church not at people of Mbaise because since it was issued, it’s the faith that has suffered there. Thirteen years without a substantive prelate, no faithful has been reported dead for this lack. Nor any faithful quit the fold because there’s no bishop. There might have been spiritual deaths but this is for God to decipher.
What worries rather, is that the authorities of the Catholic Church in Nigeria are, by the Ahiara debacle, exposing and demonstrating their pretensions to the faith and announcing their worldly choice alternative.
If the faithful of Ahiara diocese were wrong and deserving of this punishment for protesting the deployment of His Eminence Peter Cardinal Okpaleke to Ahiara, could Rome have ordered his IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION when the now late Bishop Joseph Bagobiri of Kafanchan Diocese was godly enough to disclose the shenanigans of the CBCN about the Ahiara matter to newly appointed Nuncio, His Excellency Antonio Guido Filipazzi.
Is it fair to still punish people of the diocese when their protest has since been fathomed into the appointment of bishops in Nigeria since it happened. From Oturkpo through to Nsukka, Abakaliki, Ekwulobia, Aba, Umuahia, Owerri etc,etc, indigenous bishops and archbishops have prevailed. Does anyone need to be reminded that this is the very first time the appointment of bishops has assumed this template: many thanks to the Ahiara protest which has domesticated sacerdotal postings in God’s church for better evangelisation.
It must be pointed out here that it’s not the entire membership of the CBCN that are conspiring to hold Ahiara diocese down for this long. Nevertheless, the silent supporters of the Ahiara cause are considered complicit since they have failed to follow in the footsteps of their erstwhile brother bishop, Joseph Bagobiri, to stand up and be counted.
Another concerning aspect of this matter is the failure of our spiritual fathers and guardians to reflect all that they have been preaching and sermonising: FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt forgave his brothers when they bowed before him saying “Behold your slaves”. Joseph in reply said: “DO NOT FEAR. AM I GOD?”.Gen. 50; 15-21.
The rich man forgave his prodigal son with feasting. Lk. 15; 11-32.
And Jesus Christ himself, whom our bishops represent, pleaded for his crucifiers right from the Cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing “. Lk. 23; vs.34.
These and more are known to the authorities of the Nigerian church, why are they complicit in holding down a supposedly offending diocese for this long even after the presbyterium of the diocese had been subjected to varying degrees of humiliating apologies for themselves and on behalf of the entire diocese.
It has been said, in whispers though, that there is a dichotomy within the ranks of the Ahiara presbyterium over who among them should be appointed bishop. This, detractors further allege, is a contributory factor in the delay. This excuse, to all intents and purposes, gains no traction because the process of selecting candidates for recommendation has never involved the priests from whose midst the choice is made. The Holy Spirit at whose direction such nominations are said to be made cannot fail to happen in the Ahiara case. The problem rests squarely on the altar of the CBCN, the supreme and sole authority that makes things happen in the Catholic Church in Nigeria. The body should release Ahiara Diocese from bondage.
•Mr. Ekwurumadu, emeritus parish council chairman in Ahiara Diocese, writes from Texas, USA.
