Naij
.com
regular commentator on political issues, Chidi Okoye, in this piece,
expressed his disappointment in the man of God and urged him to mind his
business.
.com
regular commentator on political issues, Chidi Okoye, in this piece,
expressed his disappointment in the man of God and urged him to mind his
business.* I am appalled at the recent antics of a well-respected Catholic priest in Nigeria.
* The priest has courted controversy in recent times, in what various insiders in the Catholic Church say is an attempt at shameless publicity-seeking.
* With an increasing likelihood of violence during or after the forthcoming elections, how does the Papacy play this crucial role when one of its priests here has contributed to fan the ambers?
* It is time for Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka to shut up and face the vocational duties he signed up for.
* So, my dear Reverend Father Mbaka, please shut up and go now to buy a new bible.
In a recent video that has gone viral online, popular Enugu-based priest, Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, was seen telling the congregation at his Adoration Prayer Ground that President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, are planning to kill him. The priest went on to speculate that the said assassination may be carried out by unemployed youths, on the orders of the first couple.
The priest has courted controversy in recent times, in what various insiders in the Catholic Church say is an attempt at shameless publicity-seeking. He had late last year reversed his support of President Jonathan, citing ‘divine intervention’ and subsequently tried to influence his congregation into voting for the president’s major challenger, Muhammadu Buhari.
The priest’s romance with politics did not start today; and neither is his remarkable ability to switch sides a recent trait. In 2011, he played a prominent role in the ouster of then Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State, who he criticised for physically assaulting a priest. Then, Mbaka went on to urge Catholics in the state to vote for his challenger, Rochas Okorocha, who is now the governor.
Fast forward to 2015, and Father Mbaka is singing a different tune; apologising for having worked against Ohakim and saying that ‘investigations’ have shown that he did not assault a priest as previously alleged. As is usual in Nigeria’s deeply flawed religious circles, gullible followers have swallowed all these inconsistencies without asking hard questions.
That a cleric who commands such a huge following is dabbling in political propaganda is something that any right thinking Nigerian (Catholic or Protestant or Muslim) should be concerned about. As an influencer, and in line with existing electoral laws, isn’t Father Mbaka supposed to limit his political participation in encouraging his followers to register and vote? Has he devoted this same energy to encouraging his congregation to collect their voters’ cards? Has he examined the manifestoes of the various parties and analysed them to his followers? Does he have the support of the Catholic Church hierarchy in his recent shenanigans?
The Catholic Church maintains a well-deserved reputation for diplomatic expertise which is largely derived from an attitude of benevolent neutrality. This neutrality is what puts the Church in the unique position to be able to play an important role in conciliation. With an increasing likelihood of violence during or after the forthcoming elections, how does the Papacy play this crucial role when one of its priests here has contributed to fan the ambers? How does the Vatican maintain diplomatic relations with Nigeria when one of its officers is shamelessly involved in propaganda?
It is time for Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka to shut up and face the vocational duties he signed up for. What the country needs at this critical time is for influencers such as Mbaka to calm frayed nerves and preach the gospel of peace. If he has evidence that the president is planning to kill him, he knows where to go with such concerns. He has proven to already have divine bullet-proof body covering so one wonders why he bothers to panic if there is indeed a plan to assassinate him.
In 2006, after he accused then Enugu State Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of sponsoring an armed robbery attack on him, also in a bid to assassinate him, he went on to say: “God miraculously delivered me. I called on Jesus and his mother to provide angels for me…The Holy Bible on the dashboard of the vehicle trapped the bullets fired at me. There is power in the Bible. If you don’t have a Bible, go now and buy one.”
So, my dear Reverend Father Mbaka, please shut up and go now to buy a new bible.
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