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Posted By Udokabestluv On October 13th, 2023

A Popular Catholic Priest in Nsukka Diocese, Enugu State, Paul Obayi, has threatened to leave the church over alleged oppression by the diocese’s Bishop, Geoffrey Onah.

Mr Obayi, popularly known as Father Okunerere, is the spiritual director of Okunerere Adoration Ministry in Nsukka.

His ministry is similar to Adoration Ministry Enugu which is being operated by another popular Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, in Enugu Diocese of the church.

My grouse with bishop

Mr Obayi, an associate professor, accused the bishop and church authorities of repeatedly oppressing him in the diocese.

The cleric spoke in a mixture of Igbo and English languages during a Holy Mass at the adoration ground on Sunday.

A Video Clip of him making the accusations was uploaded on his ministry’s official Facebook page on Monday.

“The church is my vine, I love the church, I love Nsukka (Catholic) church, I love the bishop, I love the priests, I love them, but they dishearten me,” he began.

The Catholic priest said the church authorities had continued to oppress him even though he built several structures and transferred ownership of his numerous properties to the church.

“At Ogrute, I acquired the land where Shanahan Hospital is situated. It was originally used to treat people with mental health (illness). When I was leaving, I gave it to the church because I belong to the church.

“At Umushene, I spent N21 million to complete the church and fathers’ house before I left. It was started by the bishop. That was in 2008. I also built two other bungalows. I don’t hide anything. Everything is for the church, yet they want Obayi to be killed,” the cleric said.

He narrated how he rented a space behind Queens College Nsukka for his ministry’s activities after he failed to secure land but was allegedly chased out of the place by the bishop who accused him of disturbing students of the college with noise.

The cleric also said following his repeated requests, the former governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, gave him the space he is currently occupying.

“I told the bishop that I now have land. He asked to see the place. I brought him here and he then said that this land is fine to be used to build the Marian Shrine. I told him it’s my adoration ministry I want to start here and not Marian Shrine. He said I shouldn’t talk about it again,” he said.

Mr Obayi also alleged that the bishop had asked him to vacate a land at Obimo Community where he had spent about N55 million in levelling hills in the area and building a 30-room self-contained house for his adoration ministry.

He said the bishop had told him that the land, measuring 25 hectares, would be used for Nsukka Pilgrimage Centre.

“Kidnappers are using that building today to keep their victims because the church is not using it till today after collecting it from me,” he said.

He also accused the bishop of repeatedly stopping him from preaching in several crusades, including his scheduled trip to London, on the basis that he would preach “heresies” in the events.

“I asked him, before you became my bishop, I had attended ten different programmes in London where I preached. Is it now you’re my bishop that I will preach heresy? The oppression is too much,” he stated.

Mr Obayi said the bishop insisted that the diocese would use his land to build Marian Shrine, prompting him to shift to a nearby space within the land.

A popular Catholic priest in Nsukka Diocese, Enugu State, Paul Obayi.

The expanse of land which also houses the cleric’s ministry is located at Nru, a community in Nsukka Council Area of the state.

The Catholic priest said the conflict between him and the church peaked on Saturday when the diocese celebrated Marian Day at part of the land designated as Marian Shrine.

He said some Catholic priests, believed to be acting on the instruction of the bishop, stormed his adoration ground and broke his gate, claiming the church owns the place.

“The church refused to give me land (for my adoration), and yet the one given to me (by the former governor), the church wants to take it from me.

“Since the church doesn’t want me again, I am leaving the Catholic church any moment from now,” the cleric announced.

“No! No!! It will not happen,” hundreds of congregants bellowed.

“Will I kill myself? I have noticed I am hated and not wanted,” he told them.

“I am disliked to the point that fellow priests broke my gate, saying I don’t have right here.”

Mr Obayi is one of the longest-serving priests in the diocese.

Enugu, a predominantly Christian state, has a high Catholic population.

The church speaks

The spokesperson of the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, Emma Asogwa, did not respond to calls seeking his comments.

However, the Secretary of the diocese, Cajetan Iyidiobi, told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday afternoon that the church would not comment on the cleric’s allegations until it has exhausted its established ways of addressing “issues and controversies.”

“The Catholic church has a way through which aggrieved priests can sort things out with church authorities and I guess the priest in question knows all these,” Mr Iyidiobi, also a Catholic priest, said.

When reminded of the priest’s threat to leave the church, the diocesan secretary said, “We have all heard his threat and we are waiting for what will happen.”

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