It started as a rumour in the opening days of 2016, but it was fulfilled last Saturday. Ejike Mbaka, a reverend father and spiritual director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu (AMEN), is no longer with Christ the King parish, GRA, Enugu. Instead, he is now with lesser-known Our Lady Parish, Umuchigbo, Njinike.
There are at least three reasons why his transfer by the Enugu Catholic Diocese has been an item of public consumption.
One, it is believed that Mbaka, a senior priest, has been “degraded to an assistant parish priest” at his new posting.
Two, the father himself branded his transfer a witch-hunt, saying he knew he would suffer at his new home.
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Three, the All progressives Congress (APC) did not respond kindly to the transfer, releasing a statement on Sunday to say the Catholic church was punishing the priest for his views on politics.
The question has been asked: what’s the business of a political party with a church’s transfer of one of its clergymen? And there have been answers such as: “Why not a response from a party! Hasn’t the father been overly political in his teachings?
Mbaka initially backed Goodluck Jonathan and his wife – and ardently, too. He defended Jonathan in the thick of public criticism of his handling of the Chibok kidnap. At that time, he had said: “Jonathan must bring back the Chibok girls. Is Jonathan holding them? “Are they living in your house? Anybody positioning the concept of Jonathan must bring back the Chibok girls, such people are holding the girls; they should release them, not Jonathan. Jonathan is not a kidnapper.”
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But Mbaka soon had an about-face. His December 31, 2014-January 1, 2015 crossover-service message titled ‘From Goodluck to bad luck’ marked his shift to Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘camp’. Citing problems of corruption, bad roads, unemployment, he said: “I love President Goodluck Jonathan and I used to be his ardent fan, but I want good for my people and that’s why I want Nigerians to vote out Goodluck Jonathan and vote General Muhammad Buhari.”
It is believed that this pronouncement, and subsequent ones, did not go down well with the clergy in the southeast, where pro-Jonathan sentiment is high. Try as the Catholic church did to explain Mbaka’s transfer as one of “routine postings done every six years”, it isn’t looking that easy to ignore insinuations that the fiery preacher is being punished for his political views.
What do you think? Do you think Mbaka is being persecuted by someone either inside or outside the church, or is he simply reluctant to leave the state capital for its outskirts? Please leave a vote and voice below.
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