Stingy Man: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Urges Catholic Church To Forgive Fr. Mbaka.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the youth arm of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has pleaded with the Catholic hierarchy to pardon Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka and reopen the Adoration Ministry.

You may recall that the ministry was suspended following Mbaka’s outburst directed at Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate.

The OYC warned that the extended closure of the Adoration Ministry may have an impact on many families that get benefits from the ministry’s charitable work or direct employment.

The OYC National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, and the Secretary, Comrade Obinna Achionye, both signed the statement.

The group, which claimed that there was a premeditated effort to drive Fr. Mbaka out of the ministry said, “instead of being an upper room ministry which is what it is, like the Ebube Monso Ministry and the Catholic Prayer Ministry, Elele, Mbaka’s own has now been converted into a chaplaincy.

“Our information revealed that there is a serious gang up and conspiracy against Fr. Mbaka, in addition to plans to take over everything he has laboured for in life, with a view towards crippling his source of magnified charity to the poor masses and send him out to overseas for further studies after 28 years of his priestly ordination.”

The Ohanaeze youths also stated that they had seen blueprints for a seminary to be constructed near the Adoration ground, claiming that “if actually, it is about Peter Obi, Fr. Mbaka has even apologized for his statements, and we had expected the Church authority to forgive him in line with Biblical injunctions. After all, what he said was a prophecy, the right thing was to pray against it.”

Additionally, they made a request of Enugu Catholic Diocese Bishop Callistus Onaga “to consider the numerous people Fr. Mbaka puts food on their table every day.”

The group said, “We are saying this because should they take to the streets, it would be difficult to control them. In fact, the situation is just a bomb waiting to explode. We have been talking to them but we don’t know how long we can hold them.

“This is a man who takes care of over 25,000 persons either by direct employment or charity interventions. Such a person should not be treated with levity.

“The Church should learn to practise what they preach on forgiveness. The Bible tells us that forgiveness could be as much as 70 times 70. So, since the priest has apologized, the Church should look at the bigger picture and forgive him.”