ENUGU – The Catholic Diocese of Enugu has distanced itself from what they described as unbecoming and divisive utterances of the spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka.
Mbaka had during his Wednesday message lampooned the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, saying that he won’t win the election.
Mbaka said Obi is very “wicked and stingy”, adding that if he becomes president, hunger will kill Nigerians.
But in a statement signed by the trio of Very Rev. Fr. Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, Very Rev. Fr. Geoffrey Aguigwo and Most Rev. Ernest Anezichukwu Obodo, the Chancery/Secretary, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of Enugu respectively, the Diocese said Mbaka’s utterances is “contrary to canon 220 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law which prohibits anyone from illegitimately harming the good name of a person.”
The church notified the We notify the general public that “Fr. Mbaka’s views on the matter are entirely personal to him and do not represent the position of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu.”
They also urged Mbaka to “refrain from making further provocative prophecies or utterances capable of heating up the polity,” adding that “Catholic Diocese of Enugu is taking the due canonical process.”
The complete statement reads:
The attention of the Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. CallistusV.C. Onaga, and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu has been drawn to the inflammatory political utterances by Rev. Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, the Director of Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu, on Wednesday, 15 June 2022 during his Wednesday Adoration Programme. Fr. Mbaka during his preaching attacked the good reputation ot Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, describing him as “a stingy man’” and as “a joker”, contrary to canon 220 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law which prohibits anyone from illegitimately harming the good name of a person. He also made fun of the Labour Party and vowed that Mr. Obi could not be the president of Nigeria. This is a clear violation of the provisions of canon 287 $2 which forbids priests from engaging in partisan politics.
The Catholic Diocese of Enugu hereby condemns and dissociates herself trom such unbecoming and divisive utterances from Fr. Mbaka. We notify the general public that Fr. Mbaka’s views on the matter are entirely personal to him and do not represent the position of the Catholic Diocese of Enugu. In an effort to keep him united to the Body of Christ, we enjoin him to refrain from making further provocative prophecies or utterances capable of heating up the polity. We assure the people of God and the general public that the Catholic Diocese of Enugu is taking the due canonical process.
Finally, we urge all the People of God to continue to pray for peaceful elections and to discharge their civic responsibilities by getting their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and casting their votes in order to elect the right candidates.
May Our Lady. Queen of Nigeria, intercede for us.
