The Ohanaeze youth asserted that Mbaka’s followers are becoming very restive and it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold them for too long
By Mosope Okeowo
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has called on the Catholic church to suspend the ban on Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s Adoration Ministry.
The group warned that the continuous closure of the church is beginning to cause restiveness among his followers and if the situation is not carefully handled it could spell doom.
The centre was shut down by the Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Calistus Onaga after Fr Mbaka’s outburst against the former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The Bishop while closing Mbaka’s church said, “ In fulfillment of my pastoral duties as the Chief Shepherd, I hereby prohibit all Catholics (clergy, religious and lay faithful) henceforth from attending all religious and liturgical activities of the Catholic Adoration Ministry until the due canonical process initiated by the Diocese is concluded”
A viral video threatening to kill the Bishop soon surfaced on social media after a protest from the adoration parishioners, but Mbaka has since disassociated himself from the protest and pledged allegiance to the Bishop and Catholic Church.
ALSO READ: Enugu Bishop bars Catholic faithful from Mbaka’s church
Reacting to the development via a statement made available and signed by OYC National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and the Secretary, Comrade Obinna Achionye on Wednesday, June 29, the group concluded that the continuous closure of the Adoration Ministry was a ticking time bomb.
They asserted that Mbaka’s followers are becoming very restive and that despite their efforts to calm them down, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold them for too long.
While alleging a conspiracy aimed at frustrating Fr. Mbaka out of the ministry, the OYC said, “instead of being an upper room ministry which is what it is, like the Ebube Monso Ministry and the Catholic Prayer Ministry, Elele, Mbaka’s own has now been converted into a chaplaincy.
“Our information revealed that there is a serious gang up and conspiracy against Fr. Mbaka, in addition to plans to take over everything he has laboured for in life, with a view towards crippling his source of magnified charity to the poor masses and send him out to overseas for further studies after 28 years of his priestly ordination.”
The youth wing of Ohanaeze went on to allege they have uncovered plans to build a seminary at the Adoration ground, noting that, “if actually, it is about Peter Obi, Fr. Mbaka has even apologized for his statements, and we had expected the Church authority to forgive him in line with Biblical injunctions. After all, what he said was a prophecy, the right thing was to pray against it.”
The group then urged Enugu Catholic Bishop, Calistus Onaga “to consider the numerous people Fr. Mbaka puts food on their table everyday. We are saying this because should they take to the streets, it would be difficult to control them. In fact, the situation is just a bomb waiting to explode. We have been talking to them but we don’t know how long we can hold them.
“This is a man who takes care of over 25,000 persons either by direct employment or charity interventions. Such a person should not be treated with levity.
“The Church should learn to practise what they preach on forgiveness. The Bible told us that forgiveness could be as much as 70 times 70. So, since the priest has apologized, the Church should look at the bigger picture and forgive him.”