Concerned Faithfuls Writes Nnewi Anglican Bishop, Warns Against Imposition Of New Bishop

Concerned Faithfuls Writes Nnewi Anglican Bishop, Warns Against Imposition Of New Bishop

After the failed appointment of the New Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Nnewi, which was scheduled for Tuesday, 2nd July, 2019, at the Church of Nigeria Standing Committee, in Lagos State, many concerned Anglican faithful in Nnewi Diocese have expressed disappointment over the events that led to the suspension of the selection of the New Bishop of Diocese of Nnewi.

It will be recalled that earlier last Month, Anaedonline.com reported about the planned selection of the New Anglican Bishop of Nnewi Diocese and the agitation for an indigenous Bishop by a large majority of Laity of Nnewi Diocese.

In the said publication, the Laity of Diocese of Nnewi, in a press release captured their three (3) point demand in which they appealed that the New Bishop to be elected should be an indigene of Diocese of Nnewi whether from Nnewi town, Oraifite, Ozubulu, Okija, Ichi, Ukpor, Azia, Ihembosi and Orsumoghu.

They rejected any attempt to translate a Bishop to Diocese of Nnewi and also called that the Bishop to be elected should have at least a minimum of first degree.

However, following the disappointing suspension of the selection of the New Nnewi Anglican Bishop, some Nnewi Anglican faithfuls have written an Open Letter to Nnewi Anglican Bishop, His Grace, The Most Rev. Prof. Godwin. I. N Okpala, accusing him of being ungrateful to indigenous people of Diocese of Nnewi, they however, advised the Bishop to stop his planned attempt to impose his stooge as the New Bishop of Nnewi Diocese.

In a press release made available to Anaedonline.com, the Nnewi Anglican faithfuls warned that any attempt to impose a New Bishop on Diocese of Nnewi, especially a Bishop who is not an indigene of the towns that make up Nnewi Anglican Diocese, will be resisted.

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The Press Release Reads;

Your Grace, We are forced to write you this open letter, after the events of last few weeks culminating in the putting on hold the election of your Successor, last Tuesday being 2nd July 2019.

We wish to remind you of the following;

1. Ndi Nnewi have supported your episcopasy from inception in February 1996 till date. Though we are not happy about some of your policies which relegated our people to the background, but we remained consistent in supporting you all the same, hoping that things will change, this ensured that you enjoyed a trouble free tenure, but it is rather unfortunate that things are getting worse. You , in liaison with your appointed committee craftily eased our people from the process of nomination of your successor.

2. When the Diocese was created, it was an open secret that you were a match to those lined up for the office of the Bishop of Diocese of Nnewi, which many were our sons. The Late Archbishop Onyemelukwe preferred you and you were elected, we accepted you, despite the uproar.

3. Despite the many reasons to fault your maltreatment of our people, we played along with you to ensure you have a smooth Episcopacy.

Now, we have very qualified, intelligent, spiritual and upwardly robust indigenous Clergies who can take over from you, you are now doing everything possible to frustrate that plan. Instead, you are trying to impose a clergyman of your choice who for many of us is nowhere near the best based on the realities on the ground.

Your Grace, we need someone whom God has chosen, an Evangelical & Spiritual Bishop.
We need somebody that will put smiles on the faces of the people of this great Diocese.

Furthermore, remember that posterity will judge you for what you do and also for what you fail to do in this election process.

May God help you to remember all we have done for you. We love you and therefore, will not like to wash our dirty linens in the public.

Once more, may God give you the grace to understand that Ndi Nnewi , both home and aboard are in need of Evangelical & Spiritual Bishop that will move the Diocese to a greater height. Remain Blessed.

The various attempts made by Anaedonline.com to get the response of the officials of Nnewi Diocese proved abortive at the time of writing this news report as most of them claimed that they were not in position to speak based on the sensitivity of the matter.

However in an attempt to get the response of some concerned Nnewi Anglican faithfuls, a delegate to the last synod of the Nnewi Diocese who pleaded anonymity expressed his sadness over the development, Speaking to our correspondence, he said,

“It regrettable that this issue has gotten to this extent, it is unfortunate that a spiritual issue of this nature have become an issue of public consumption.”

Speaking Further, he said, “I want to encourage the people involved to be very careful . It is not bad if our Bishop has an interest in who succeeds him but it is important that he should allow the Holy Spirit to guide him, the much I know, the Holy Spirit cannot lead him astray. I have reservations about the priest our Bishop allegedly nominated, for me, he is not the best, I doubt his level of spirituality, but that is left for him and his God”

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On the agitation for an indigenous Bishop, he said, “I think the agitation is not really misplaced, Nnewi Diocese have deserving sons who are worthy of this position, unfortunately, the Bishop has not been fair to Nnewi indigenes in selecting their priest, while i will love that we have an indigenous Bishop, I don’t believe it should be a must, let the Holy Spirit guide us”

Also a member of the Nnewi Anglican Men Christian Fellowship, who didn’t want his identity to be known described the development as worrisome.

He advised Bishop Okpala to allow the election/appointment of Nnewi Anglican indigene to be the Bishop of Nnewi Diocese.

Speaking he said

“I am indeed disappointed in our Bishop, frustrating the idea of electing an indigenous Bishop for Nnewi Diocese is wicked, Bishop Okpala should be grateful to Ndi Nnewi for supporting him all through his tenure, he should ordinarily compensate us by supporting one of our sons as a Bishop, rather he is trying to impose an incompetent Archdeacon to become our Bishop, but one thing is clear, we are mobilising to resist his attempt”

Also a woman leader in Nnewi Diocese, who also pleaded anonymity, encouraged that the House of Bishops to prevail on the agitation for an indigenous Bishop for Nnewi Diocese. She said that Nnewi deserves an indigenous Bishop going by the current practice in Church of Nigeria, she prayed Bishop Okpala to see reasons on the need for indigenous Bishop, she concluded.

It remains to be seen on what plays out before and after the election of the Nnewi Bishop which has been postponed till September.