Mbaka: Catholic church leadership wanted to shut down my ministry for one month

Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), says the leadership of the Catholic diocese in his state wanted to close his ministry for one month.

Mbaka disclosed this when he addressed worshippers at the adoration ground in Enugu on Wednesday.

The priest had resurfaced hours after some residents in Enugu protested over his whereabouts amid reports that he was missing.

While addressing the worshippers, Mbaka said the church leadership, led by Calistus Onaga, summoned him over his recent comments concerning Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and his connection to the presidency.

Following Mbaka’s comments asking President Muhammadu Buhari to resign because “God is angry with him”, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, had accused the priest of soliciting contracts from the federal government.

However, in response, Mbaka admitted that he discussed contracts with Buhari, but lamented that the president didn’t reward him or his ministry, despite supporting the presidency.

In a recent sermon, Mbaka had also said God will bless Kanu for his courage, because the rising insecurity in the country is “mind-blowing”.

“Wherever he is, may God bless him; because if someone has risen up to shout that his brothers are suffering, is it a crime?” Mbaka had said.

Speaking on his meeting with the Catholic bishop in Enugu, Mbaka said the church leadership told him he would remain indoors for a period of one month to enable him pray and meditate over his activities.

The catholic priest said he asked for an opportunity to address his parishioners but was not allowed.

“How can they believe what others say, and they will not believe what the priest is saying? The emphasis is ‘please, let me go to celebrate the mass’, but they said ‘no’. If a priest will request to celebrate mass and they say ‘no’, that means something is wrong,” he said.

He then added in Igbo that the church wanted him to leave his ministry for one month, but he refused, adding that he was released because of the protest.