“Peter Obi Is A Stingy Man”: The Catholic Church Distances Itself From Fr Mbaka

The Catholic Diocese of Enugu has condemned and distanced itself from Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, the Director of Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu, for his inflammatory political remarks. Fr Mbaka had previously called Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi a “stingy man” on Wednesday, claiming that unless God ceases to exist, Obi would never smell the president’s seat.

According to Fr Mbaka, having an old man as president was preferable to having a ‘stingy young man.’

The Catholic priest said, “A stingy man, that cannot give people his money, with this hunger ravaging the land, and you are saying he is the one you want. You want to die of hunger? Are you people insane? Where is the Holy Spirit?

“It is now that Atiku is seriously contesting for President; now that he is contesting without Peter Obi; it is now that he is serious.

“We want somebody that is serious. Unless Peter comes here to kneel, if he becomes president, he will close down this ministry. What we are doing is spiritual.

“Listen, a good old man is better than a young wicked man; Peter Obi is going nowhere as far as God lives. If Igbos want a representative, it is not someone like Peter Obi.

“I should not have talked but I saw my video going round everywhere as if Fr. Mbaka wholeheartedly came out and apologised.

“No, I didn’t apologise wholeheartedly, it was out of duress. I had to obey my Bishop. In obedience I had to; it is not of my volition. I did it because I am a Catholic priest, my Bishop said, do it, my own is ‘Yes my Lord’.

“I did not say he(Obi) is a bad man; I said he is a stingy man. A hungry man wants someone that is generous; the man has so much money, but he is ‘I, me, myself’. But that money will not be useful to him. I am very happy now that I have spoken out. That apology is a poisonous curse against Peter Obi.

“If he is wise he should have come here after that apology to say he is sorry but he waited. Anybody supporting him is wasting his money, he is going nowhere.”

In a statement on Thursday, the Bishop of Enugu, Rev Ernest Obodo, said Mbaka’s provocative political remarks were divisive and violated Canon 220 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which bans anybody from unlawfully damaging a person’s good name.

He further added that Mbaka’s views on the topic are solely his own and do not reflect the Catholic Diocese of Enugu’s perspective.

As a result, the Bishop advised Mbaka not to make any more controversial prophesies or remarks that could inflame the polity.

He said, ”We assure the people of God and the general public that the Catholic Diocese of Enugu is taking the due canonical process.

”Finally, we urge all the People of God to continue to pray for peaceful elections and to discharge their civic responsibilities by getting their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) and casting their votes in order to elect the right candidates. May Our Lady, Queen of Nigeria, intercede for us.”