By Okey Maduforo Correspondent Awka
Sixteen years after the end of the bloody communal clash between Umuleri and Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area, fresh hostilities have greeted the land over alleged relocation of Bishop’s court belonging to Niger-West Anglican Dioceses.
This apprehension which has pitched the Anglican faithful of both communities at daggers drawn has also disunited the Diocese with Prof. Ogugua Ikpeze on one camp and former Anambra State Chief Judge, Obidigwe, who is the chancellor on another camp.
Also the Umueri faction of the dispute has accused the Bishop of Nigeria West, Rev Johnson Ekwe, of master-minding the relocation of the Bishop’s court, alleging that he ultimately rekindled the age-long enmity between the two communities.
Currently the bishop is reported to be experiencing a threat to his life following his uncompromising position to the demands of the two communities.
According to a source from the Dioceses, “The Bishop does not want to get involved in their communal problems. Most of them are not happy about it. The people in this part of Anambra State can be deadly and efforts are being made by some Anglican faithful to biff up security around the Bishop.
“They have already approached the police and the Department of State Security for protection of the Bishop before some desperate people launch an attack on him”.
But the Anambra State Police Commissioner, Mr. Hosea Karma, told The Niche that he was not aware of any threat to life of the Bishop but noted that if the command asw informed officially it would take actions adequately.
According to a petition signed by one Ikevune Annekwe from Umuleri,
“Throughout the whole of the old Anambra County Council, it was in Umueri that the Anglican Church was planted in 1904! Today that former county council consists of Anambra East, Anambra West, Oyi and Ayamelum local government areas and some parts of Awka North Local Government Area.
“Before Rev. Johnson Ekwe was consecrated Bishop of Niger-West Diocese on April 25, 2015, Bishops Ken Sandy and Anthony Nkwoka held sway in the Diocese of the Niger and Diocese of Niger-West, respectively. Both of them are still living. They can clearly testify that between the Umueri and Aguleri Anglicans, there is no love lost. This animosity was made manifest when Aguleri Anglicans refused to operate under Niger West Diocese (upon the creation of the Diocese) simply because the headquarter was rightly domiciled in Umueri (St. Gabriel’s Cathedral Church, Umueri).
“Several efforts were made by the then presiding Bishop Ken Sandy to appeal to the Aguleri Anglicans to recoil. On his own part, during the episcopacy of the now retired Bishop (Prof) Anthony Nkwoka as Bishop of Niger-West Diocese, there was a clandestine attempt to move the proposed Bishop’s Court from Umueri (where more than 20 plots were made available for the purpose) to Aguleri. This was stoutly resisted, prompting the National Headquarters of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) to halt that move”.
When contacted, Bishop Ekwe told The Niche that the issue was would not be discussed on the pages of the newspaper, describing it as not only an ecclesiastical matter but a spiritual one.
“This is an ecclesiastical issue and it is a spiritual matter. There should be maturity when issued like this are being handled. I am the Bishop of Niger West Diocese comprising Anambra East and Ayamelum local government area. I am like a father and my duty is to ensure peace in among the Anglican fateful.
“Any one that tells you that there is crisis is only misleading the public and the problem between Aguleri and Umuleri is not a religious one but a misunderstanding that has been there over the years.
“Where you are today is the Bishops count and that cathedral is in Umuleri not Aguleri. Even those who are peddling this allegation are not members of the Anglican communion”.
When The Niche called the Deputy Chancellor, Prof Ikpeze, she declined to comment, noting that she was not disposed to speaking on the matter and urged the reporter to go ahead with the report.
But the former Chief Judge of Anambra State who is also the Chancellor of the Diocese, Justice P.A.C Obidigwe, told The Niche that there is nothing like relocation of the Bishops court but citing of the court.
It was however gathered that the two communities of Aguleri and Umuleri had donated 10 and 20 plots, respectively, which led to the building of the secretariat of the Diocese in Umuleri that donated 20 plots and the rest of the court at Aguleri that had earlier donated ten plots to the Diocese.