Ahiara Diocese Crisis: Caution your sons - Ekechukwu tells communities, as people of area continue to reject Okpaleke

Rev Fr Austin Ekechukwu tells communities to caution their sons working against the interest of Ndi Mbaiise, as people of area continue to reject Okpaleke

As the crises rocking the Ahiara Mbaise catholic diocese over the bishopric appointment lingers, the President of the Ahiara Catholic Priests Association, Rev Fr Austin Ekechukwu, has urged some communities in the diocese to caution their priest sons who are believed to be going against the general interest of the,Ndi  Mbaise.

Fr Ekechukwu who stated this recently after a meeting of the priest and clergy of the diocese at the Ahiara cathedral said these priests in question have been fighting against the general will and wish of the entire Mbaise nation as regards the appointment of a new bishop for the diocese by insisting that Fr Okpaleke, who the people of Mbaise rejected, must come to Mbaise describing their action as sabotage.

Fr Ekechukwu named the priests as Fr Chima Ahaneku of Nnarambia Ahiara who is the arrow head of the pro-okpalekes, Fr Jude Uwalaka from Amaukwu Okormiri Ihitte, Fr clement Ebii from Umunama Ezinitte, Fr Damian Ihesie from Uvuru, Fr Innocent Olekamma from Uvuru, Fr Patrick Iwejuo from Uvuru, and Monsignor Cletus Ogu from Nguru.

He said it is disheartening that these few priests could go against over four hundred priests and two million laity of the diocese who have insisted that they want only a bishop(pastor) close to them as emphasized on by the Pope himself.

Fr Ekechukwu noted that it is very sad that one of the Pro Okpaleke priests in the diocese, Rev Fr Clement Ebii could boldly say that he wants to be remembered for having stood against the Mbaise people and making it very difficult for them to smoothly resolve the bishopric issue in the diocese which he said is highly disheartening and called on the world to imagine the level of the infiltration of the diocese by Arinze and his co conspirators.

Fr Ekechukwu regretted that these priests could  so mindlessly contribute to the plan by Cardinal Arinze and his cohorts to stagnate and frustrate the interests of Ahiara diocese while the dioceses in Anambra especially Awka are all prospering and running smoothly.

He then called on the communities of these priests to summon and caution them as their actions and activities which he further described as induced do not conform to the general agreement of the Mbaises and also the principles of the Mbaise nation.

Other priests and some laity leaders who also spoke commended the determination of the people of Ahiara Mbaise to resist the great injustice which they have been visited with despite all odds including the non ordination of their sons as priests for over three years, the refusal to celebrate the holy week in the diocese, the refusal to give the sacrament of confirmation to their children and others since the crises erupted.

They however expressed their delight that their refusal to accept the marginalization has opened the eyes of the world to a lot of political intrigues playing out in the catholic church emphasizing that the world at the moment respect the Mbaises for their courage.

Feelers after the meeting reveal that the people of Mbaise are still resolved to resist the imposition of Bishop Okpaleke on them.