Special Correspondent, OKEY MADUFORO, writes on the planned protest by members of Anambra Anglican Communion in Awka and the issues at stake.
L-R: Willie Obiano, Chris Ngige and Alex Abezim – Anglican Bishop on the Niger (Awka)
The prevailing harmony in Anambra State since the inception of the Governor Willie Obiano administration seems set to give way, following a planned mass protest by the Anglican community over alleged imbalance in the appointment of political office-holders.
To this end, the Anglican faithful are said to have slated Monday, September 8, as a day of protest to the Government House on the issue.
Trouble started last Sunday at Nkwelle Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area when the officiating priest of St. James Anglican Church, Awkwuzu, Rev. Canon Rapuluchukwu Okoye, lamented that since the administration of Chris Ngige (now in the Senate) through that of Peter Obi to that of Obiano, the Catholic community had been favoured in appointment to key offices in the state.
He further alleged that the destruction of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Oyolu-Eze in Nkwele Ezunaka town by the regime of Obiano is another show of marginalisation and intimidation by the Catholic Church against the Anglicans.
They also accused the former Governor Peter Obi of engaging only 100 Anglicans out of the over 6,000 persons employed by his regime at the twilight of his administration, describing it as an act of religious bigotry.
Already, buses are said to have been paid for to convey the Anglican faithful to Awka on the protest, which they expect would make Obiano review those alleged marginalisation against Anglicans.
Rev. I.K. Egbeonu, who spoke on behalf of the Anglican Diocese on the Niger, accused the state government of allowing itself to be used as weapon of religious crisis, alleging that out of the 30 appointments so far made, 25 are Catholics.
Incidentally, Ngige, Obi and Obiano are all Catholics, while former Governor Emeka Ezeife, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, Dame Virgy Etiaba and Senator Andy Uba are of Salvation Army, Anglican and Pentecostal churches.
The Anglicans had earlier carried a protest to Onitsha, passing through the major roads in the area to River Niger Head Bridge and had given Obiano a seven-day notice to rebuild the demolished church in the area and also apologise to the Anglican community.
Confirming their anger further, Ven. Joseph Nweke in charge of Oyi Archdeaconry, warned that at the expiration of their ultimatum and government refuses to meet with their demand, they would produce a 30-point protest which he feared might lead to heavy demonstration capable of affecting the state.
TheNiche gathered that the demolition of the church at Nkwele Ezunaka is the climax of the dispute that had raged over the ownership of a primary school at Oyolu-Eze, Nkwelle-Ezunaka between the Anglican Communion and the town.
While members of the Anglican Communion insist that the school, which is housing the church, was handed over to them by the Obi administration, the community leaders argue that they own the land upon which the school was built and that they never gave their property to the church.
The church had accused the state government of master-minding the demolition of the church, accusing it of fighting the Anglican Communion and the Chancellor of the Diocese on the Niger, Nnamdi Ibegbu (SAN), who has threatened legal actions against government.
But the Anambra State Commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism, Tony Onyima, in a release noted: “Already, Governor Obiano had set up a six-man committee headed by the deputy governor to investigate the contending issues and submit a report on their findings within two weeks. Government observes that the committee is presently only in the fourth day of its two-week timeframe to present a report and calls on all parties to allow peace and due process to reign.
“As a democratic and law-abiding government, the administration of His Excellency, Willie Obiano, upholds the right of peaceful protests by citizens. However, such protests must be within the ambit of the law. Government wishes to assure all citizens that it is committed to promotion of justice, peace and fair play and calls on all citizens to remain calm and law-abiding,” he said.
Reacting to the allegations against Ngige, his Director of Communication and Publicity, Charles Amilo, dismissed the claims of the Anglican Church.
He said: “I was a member of the Executive Council as Commissioner for Information, and I can tell you clearly that the number of appointments were more of Anglicans than Catholics.”
According to him, then the Deputy Governor, Ugochukwu Nwankwo, was an Anglican; the Attorney General, Sir Udechukwu Nnoruka Udechukwu, was an Anglican; Secretary to the State Government (SSG); Head of Service, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Youth, Environment Adviser on Markets and Parks, Commissioner for Special Duties and even the first Information Commissioner were all Anglicans.
“The Anglicans were more than Catholics by one political appointee,” he stressed.
“These allegations have continued to come at every point, and we have always made it clear that the regime of Senator Chris Ngige as governor was balanced. You can verify from the former Anglican Bishop of Awka, Rt. Rev. Maxwell Anikwenwa, that was in charge while our administration lasted. So, it would be totally wrong and daylight blackmail for people to say that Anglicans were marginalised by the then Ngige administration. People should check their records before going to town with allegations coated with cheap sentiments.”
Senior Special Assistant to Obi on Media and Publicity, Valentine Obienyem, also put a lie to the allegation of Anglican marginalisation by his principal.
He said: “My first reaction to the claim that some Church denominations were favoured in the last recruitment exercise was to investigate if applicants’ denominations were requested in the forms filled for the exercise and if such was also asked during interviews. The answer to both enquiries was no. I now wonder where the person bandying figures got the statistics.
“Such claims are worrisome coming from a person who is supposed to be enlightened. It appears to be planned falsehood orchestrated to heat up the polity, and it is very bad. People must be made to understand that no country survives religious war, because that is when people will just take leave of their reason and fight their brothers and sisters blindly. We do not need such in Nigeria.
“It is even more worrisome that such falsehood came from a pastor. The natural questions are: What does he intend to achieve? Does he realise that such falsehood, no matter how viewed, will certainly do more harm than good?”
In further reaction to the planned protest, the spokesman of the Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Pius Ukor, told TheNiche that the Catholic Church is not concerned about the demonstration by the Anglican Church.
“We are not party to that and we are not joining issues with them. They had earlier distributed tracts and papers on the same issue, but we are not joining issues with them,” Ukor said.