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| Ahiara Diocese Crisis – Tension mounts as Okpaleke’s group plan to assassinate priests and laity heads ahead of 20th June proposed installation |
Calamity looms in the Mbaise community following an alleged plot by the group of Mbaises who support Bishop Peter Okpaleke to kidnap and assassinate prominent priests of Mbaise origin especially those of them that are conspicuous in the rejection of Bishop Okapaleke.
Information reaching this newspaper has it that the plot was concluded during a meeting of the principal Okpalaeke supporters which held at a new hotel within the Nguru area of Mbaise. Other people this newspaper was told who were penciled down to be kidnapped during the meeting include the president of the diocesan catholic youth organization of Nigeria who we gather has galvanized the youths of the diocese to reject the appointment of Bishop Okpalaeke which the Mbaises see as a huge marginaslistaion.
Other plots by the group as we were informed is to push out Rev Fr Paul Amakiri, an elderly priest and one of the anti-Okpaleke arrowheads from the St Charles Parish Ezuhu na Amadi which we gather is a very big and strategic parish in the diocese. We also gathered that Fr. Amakiri had recently cried out to his brother priests about threats to his life and also plots to chase him away so that the Okpaleke group can control the parish which is about a mile away from the cathedral.
Another plan of the Okpaleke group is to infiltrate and pollute the minds of the Mbaises with propaganda so they will accept the planned invasion of the cathedral and ultimately their installation of Bishop Okpaleke.
Reliable sources told this newspaper that the Okpaleke group was given till 20th of the month to install Okpaleke in the diocese or his appointment will be nullified which some people who spoke to our reporters said could be the reason for the alleged nocturnal and clandestine meetings and plots by the Okpaleke group.
Rumors of planned invasions of the cathedral first broke sometime last month when it was alleged that notorious hoodlums have been recruited by the Okpaleke group to invade and take over the cathedral which is presently being controlled by the majority of Mbaise Catholics who do not accept Okplaeke as their bishop.
Recall that a similar attempt had been made in the diocese when one of the pro Okpaleke priests, Rev Fr Chima Ahaneku led heavily armed thugs to invade the St. Brigid’s parish Nnarambia, the closet parish to the cathedral about two years ago, during which residents priests in the parish were man handled with one of them left with a broken arm. This newspaper gathers that the quick intervention of the police saved the thugs from being lynched by a crowd of people of the area who were alerted by the cry of the resident’s priests. The matter we hear is still pending in court. When contacted on phone, the president of the Mbaise catholic priest association, Fr. Austine Ekechukwu declined comments insisting they are still analyzing the alleged plot, while efforts made to reach Fr Clement Ebi, an arrowhead of the Okpaleke group proved abortive as his telephone lines could not be reached as at press time.
Recall that over 95% percent of the catholic Mbaises rejected the appointment of Bishop Okpaleke on the grounds that a bishop for their diocese should have been appointed from one of the over five hundred indigenous priests from the dioceses or at least one that belongs to their presbytorium.
At the moment, available statistics show that only seven priests out of over five hundred priests from Mbaise are clamoring for Okpaleke while less than five thousand Catholics in the diocese want Okpaleke out of over a million Catholics.
Some Mbaises who spoke to our reporters blamed the alleged plot and condemned the church leadership especially Archbishop AJV Obinna for allowing the issue to escalate to this dangerous level. They opined that Rome should have long reacted if the Mbaise agitation is not justified or unheard of adding that the people of Mbaise will not take it lightly if any of their priests or indigenes is harmed.
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