Benin, Edo State, Nigeria – By Sonde Ojeikere.
As the dust over the agitations for the removal of the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin, Edo State Most Reverend Augustine Akubueze seems to be abating, another crisis is apparently brewing at the Iguobazuwa Catholic Deanery.
Insider sources told Alltimepost.com in Benin City that the brewing crisis, if not urgently nipped in the bud is capable of igniting the fire that may spread to the entire Archdiocese.
It was gathered that some Catholic faithful at the Iguobazuwa Deanery are angered over alleged attempts by some powerful people within and outside the Catholic fold to scuttle the on-going arrangements to upgrade the Iguobazuwa deanery to a full-fledged diocese.
Already, the aggrieved members of the church are spoiling for war and have vowed to resist every attempt to move the proposed diocese from Iguobazuwa to the neighboring Okada town in Ovia North East local government area.
Alltimepost.com investigation revealed that the Iguobazuwa deanery which was created in 2010 by Bishop Okonkwo Gbuje serves as a divisional headquarter to neighboring branches of Catholic Churches in the area including the Okada branch.
According to a source who craved anonymity “we have been clamoring for elevation of the Iguobazuwa deanery to a diocese. We have written several letters to Rome and to Akubueze and when we received a provisional approval, we started to up-grade our facilities as well as expanding the churches’ infrastructure.”
“If what we are hearing that some influential people want to rob us by removing the diocese from Iguobazuwa to Okada is true, then the authorities of the Catholic Churches should be prepared for us because we can’t let that happen without a serious fight.”
“Besides, the Catholic members at Usen, near Okada have vowed not to have anything to do with the church in Okada talk less of recognizing it as provincial headquarters diocese”.
The source, however appealed to those persons planning to relocate the proposed diocese from Iguobazuwa to Okada to have a rethink for the overall interest of the church.
“Let me use this medium to appeal to all well-meaning Catholic members and the Benin people to prevail on them, especially Ajubueze, to see reasons why they should not cause more problems in the archdiocese.”
“We should not be in hurry to forget that the ‘Akubueze, must go campaign is still on and that efforts are being made to solve the problem. Causing another crisis now will be too bad to the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin”.
Meanwhile, strange deaths have been reported in the Catholic Clergy of the Archdiocese of Benin, as no fewer than four Revered Fathers have died mysteriously within the first four months of 2014.
Alltimepost.com gathered that at the Uromi Diocese, Rev. Father Leo Irabor died on January 19, 2014, while Rev. Father Emmanuel Ogbeide was crushed to death on his way to the funeral service of Rev Father Irabor on April 19, 2014.
Similarly, two other Reverend Fathers died under mysterious circumstances in the Benin area of the Archdiocese. The first death was recorded on March 27, 2014 when Rev. Father Esosa Erhahon slumped and died under a questionable circumstance in Eguaholor, near Benin City. Another Catholic priest also died on April 12, 2014 in Benin City.
Many Catholic faithful are worried about the spate of untimely deaths of young and promising priests in the Archdiocese of Benin and called on the Catholic authority in the state to quickly launch an investigation into the issue to stem the tide of untimely deaths.
Efforts by this reporter to get the reaction of the authority of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin proved abortive.
