By Ezeani Chukwunonso Elvis
The much talked about retraction of less than one paragraph of an initial statement made available to Anambra flagship online tabloid, Anaedo Online by Chief Ajulu Uzodike came from a preponderance of empathy and respect for age on the part of the publisher of the tabloid – it is not admission of an error but the outcome of the choice of an individual; Cornel Osuigwe to oblige a polite request made of Him by an elder. It was a passionate appeal for understanding from an elder to a youth; not an order or a demand.
This writer therefore avers that indeed the first statement credited to Chief Uzodike is a fact which witnesses can attest to because He made and repeated the remarks at various times in the presence of members of the clergy and key Nnewi people including Chief Dr. Cletus Mmadubugwu Ibeto; Nigeria’s doyen of trade, commerce and industry.
Now that this has been put in the right perspective, the bell ringers are welcome to initiate legal action; mindful that while initiating litigation is one thing, paying the high price of following through is another. Anyone who starts a race must finish it as it is my expectation that on commencement; no party will request out of court talks. Our witnesses are intact!
Nevertheless, if “disgrace” were a tangible commodity, outgoing senator Ifeanyi Ubah and His gang of tiny boys will have remained its sole manufacturer and distributor in Nigeria. So hollow is their thought process that they do not realize that the slogan “fight Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah and end up in disgrace” has kept backfiring on them in all their dealings.
For a start, it was the outgoing senator who reached out to Bishop Peter Okpalaeke of Ekwulobia diocese and requested to be given a project in the diocese to build “for God” as His support towards “the Bishop”. Take note that he didn’t say support to God’s work – he said support for the bishop. It was a ploy to get the bishop to make an announcement in the mass which the mischievous senator will then ride on to get maximum election votes from Ndi Old Aguata pursuant to this failed governorship bid.
It was the outgoing senator who was reminded by Bishop Okpalaeke that God is universal as the Roman Catholic Church; hence rather that offer to please God by involving in multiple church projects with a track record of not completing any beyond 20% after over a decade, He should channel all His efforts to the Nnewi cathedral that is 12 years old yet still a carcass after-all, God is one. What other disgrace is higher than this; coming from an office as exalted as that of a bishop or is it until one is slapped publicly that it is called disgrace?
The disgrace they seek for others has actually found a permanent abode amongst them hence to reduce its impact; they have consistently looked for whom to drag into their mud; unfortunately, their fall guy on this episode is Chief Ajulu Uzodike who for now, lacks the experience to decode their antics from afar.
Nnewi Catholic Diocese Takes Over Construction Of Cathedral From Senator Ifeanyi Ubah
Between January 1999 and now, prominent sons of Nnewi; without noise, built and donated multi billion Naira edifices to the diocese as a show of honor to God and service to humanity; all within a 24 months period. No stories; No wayo!
Leading the pack is Chief Dr. Cletus Mmadubugwu Ibeto; who singlehandedly built and donated to the diocese during the tenure of the Late Archbishop Obiefuna, St. Cletus Catholic Church on the 1st of January of year 2000. Following closely are Dr. Louis Carter Onwugbenu, Chief Ernest Obiora, Chief Chika Emenike and many more – all without drama, media sensation, political campaign, press conferences, thug tendencies, empty boasts, deceit, arguments over expenses, threats and even oath taking.
The outgoing senator should lead His gang of e-bandits to the churches built by any of the personalities above to see what a cathedral should look like and by so doing, remind themselves that the outgoing senator may have actually being rejected by God; reason being that against all known teachings of the church, He swore to the sky with His legs on the earth that if He does not complete the Nnewi Cathedral and hand it over by His 50th birthday; the Almighty God should truncate His ambition to be governor.
Today, His 50th birthday is gone; the cathedral is still a carcass; God honored his word and thankfully, the governorship position has eluded Him FOR LIFE. This revelation is a wakeup call to His hirelings; if the leader is under a spiritual bondage then, it is only wise for followers to find leadership elsewhere because the fact that 2022 is the 12th year of His involvement in the cathedral building project is a clear indication that whereas God takes pleasure in offerings of His children; He cannot be deceived by a Greek gift or pretentious offer made to Him with money obtained by tricks or stolen from His other children.
UNDERSTANDING THE FRUSTRATIONS OF AN OUTGOING SENATOR. Part 1
If the outgoing senator was serious about the cathedral project and truly wanted to please God, He would not have embarked on the emergency renovation of His country home; but He clearly relegated God to the background and desecrated His own Ebube Chukwu Uzo street name by refusing to scale up work at the cathedral site but choosing to renovate His home to what a “befitting governors lodge” should be like according to Him.
Now, the outgoing senator has a governor’s lodge inside His compound but no governorship title. Onye Bulu Chi Ya Uzo; Ogba Gbuo Onwe Ya N’Oso.
They ask if the outgoing senator is running a business with the Cathedral Project or if the church is a bank. Ordinarily, the response should be a resounding NO but how can one be sure when until recently, the outgoing senator nearly succeeded in making the church a subsidiary of His business by compelling catholic faithful to pray under the rain and sun for 12 long years; waiting on Him to be governor then complete the cathedral with state funds yet claim the credit.
The 12 years old quarrel between the purported builder of the Nnewi Cathedral and His bank account has caused enough set-back already; thankfully, Bishop Benson Okoye is poised to lead the church aright hence His stubborn refusal to further allow the cathedral remain a tool of manipulation. It is time for the outgoing senator to throw in the towel.
The issue of His debt to the church is a discussion that MUST hold publicly. Accountability is a core value of the church and that fundamental value will not be waived for anybody. In due course, the books will be opened to know who gave what towards the cathedral project because Chief Dr. Cletus Mmadubugwu Ibeto; will not be cowed by the shenanigans of a rabid rouser whose actual intentions He saw through.
UNDERSTANDING THE FRUSTRATIONS OF AN OUTGOING SENATOR – PART 2.
He will in the fullness of time lead Ndi Nnewi to open a conversation on the remittance that flowed into the building of the cathedral so that all Ndi Nnewi to know WITH PRIDE that THEY BUILT THE CATHEDRAL not a character whose offer to host the new bishop to a lavish dinner in His country home was rejected with a warning to desist from further attempts to desecrate the holy order. He planned to ambush the bishop with the media and have him recorded on tape and CCTV accepting money from Him.
It is not strange for parishioners to honor men of the clergy with their substance but with the person of the outgoing senator, it will be a campaign tool of blackmail in just a matter of months and the agenda will be to force the Bishop to play His script.
As the outgoing senator schemes to resist rendering accounts of the building contributions and expenses publicly, His enablers should understand in advance that the church is a public institution and those who undertake to identify with the church must have no skeletons in their cupboards as there is clear likelihood that recourse will be made to relevant regulators to weigh in and instill some discipline on their “customer”.
The afflictions of the outgoing senator are many but there is a way out.
He should immediately discontinue standing in the path of Catholic faithful who are capable to build for God, pay up His over N200M debt to the church and retire from public life to enable Him spend more productive time negotiating the debts He owes government, private institutions and other individuals.
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