The Catholic Diocese of Enugu,
which oversees the Rev. Fr. Ejike
Mbaka-led Adoration Ministry, has
said it will meet with the cleric
today to investigate his claim that
President Goodluck Jonathan and
his wife, Patience, want him dead.
This is as the Catholic Secretariat of
Nigeria on Saturday said Rev. Fr.
Mbaka, had yet to report to the said
allegations to it.
Mbaka, who has repeatedly stated
his opposition to the President’s
re-election, had alleged during a
sermon he delivered in his church,
as seen in a recent video uploaded
on YouTube last Sunday that
President Jonathan and his wife
want to kill him.
The controversial cleric had said,
“Let me say to the whole world that
President Jonathan and his wife,
Patience, are planning to
assassinate Father Mbaka. It is a
known secret, so whoever they
want to use, I don’t know. They may
not come themselves. They may
use these unemployed people, the
same people I am speaking for. I
don’t know why people no longer
have the fear of God. Do they think
that killing Father Mbaka will make
Jonathan and his wife win the
election? Is Mbaka their problem?
In an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH
on Saturday, a representative of the
diocese, who declined to have his
name in print, said investigations
are ongoing to determine the
legitimacy of Mbaka’s threat.
“We have had a meeting
concerning the claim he made and
we are doing something about it.
We have to call him and he has to
explain. We are going to have a
meeting with him tomorrow
(Sunday), after mass,” the
representative said.
When asked if the diocese had
made a report of the threat to the
Inspector General of Police, the
source said the Catholic body
would take a decision based on its
findings.
Our correspondent was told, “It is
after our meeting that we can take
further action.”
On the Vatican’s involvement in the
matter, the source added, “What
has the Vatican got to do with that?
It is a local issue and the bishop is
handling it. It has not reached the
international level. We are
handling it among ourselves. It (the
threat) has not been confirmed. So,
let us wait and see.”
Meanwhile, the Catholic Secretariat
of Nigeria on Saturday said Mbaka
had yet to report the case to it.
The organisation said, “Goodluck
(Jonathan) may have his faults but
we don’t see him as a killer.”
The CSN said cases of such threats
were usually reported to the
Bishops who “may then advise a
report to Catholic Secretariat and
the security agencies if necessary.”
The Director of Church and Society
in CSN and Executive Secretary,
Catholic Caritas Foundation of
Nigeria, an organ of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Rev.
Fr. Evaristus Bassey, made the
clarifications in Abuja.
He said, “I am aware of it (Fr.
Mbaka’s claim), though not the full
details. I even heard a video was
being produced for circulation. We
at the Catholic Secretariat heard
about the claim that President
Jonathan and his wife are after his
life, like everyone else.
“I am not aware of any such formal
report. The Secretary-General (of
CSN) would have told us. In any
case, priests first and foremost
report such issues to their Bishop,
the Bishop may then advise a
report to the Catholic Secretariat
and the security agencies if
necessary.”
Bassey also said no formal report
had been made about the
allegation, let alone taking the case
to the Vatican.
“Like I said, I haven’t heard the
Secretary-General say there was a
formal report. We are hearing it like
everybody else. Besides, the CSN
may only come in if his Bishop
thinks it is beyond him at some
point. To involve the secretariat is
to involve the entire Bishops’
Conference, and this is something
his Bishop may have the best
competence to handle, along with
the security forces,” he stated.
The Catholic Secretariat which said
it could not say if the threats were
genuine however said it does not
believe that Jonathan would want
“blood on his hands, let alone the
blood of a man of God.”
According to Bassey, the church will
continue to pray and work for
peace.
“The Bishops had met with the
Commander- in- Chief (Jonathan)
severally in recent months, to
express concern about the security
situation. This is not just about
Boko Haram, thank God it is being
handled; but also security against
armed robbery, kidnapping,
political violence, and security
generally as a feature of good
governance.
“The Bishops have been urging
citizens to be more security
conscious.
“As for the Fr. Mbaka issue, like I
said, the diocese he belongs to,
through his Bishop is best
positioned to give a direction and
or take immediate action if
necessary,” Fr. Bassey emphasised.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
