By Aramide Oikelome Snr Correspondent, Lagos
Charismatic Catholic Priest and head of Adoration Ministry in Enugu State, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka, may have stired the hornests nest with his New Year day’s outburst on the state of the nation, which dove-tailed into a call for Nigerians to vote out President Goodluck Jonathan in the coming election.
Mbaka
Although this may be typical of the controversial Catholic Priest, the reactions to his most recent outburst, delivered in a prophetic style, show that he may have gone a little over-board on this occasion.
His avowal has become a major talking point for clerics and politicians, especially stakeholders sympathetic to the Jonathan-led administration who appear to have been seriously indicted by the cleric’s sermon.
In another twist, the Catholic Bishops have been urged to discipline Father Mbaka for his attack on Jonathan, saying that he does not have the right to endorse any candidate or manipulate his congregation to follow his preferred candidate.
Could Mbaka have spoken the mind of the Catholic Communion in Nigeria or did he speak for himself? Has he been summoned by the leadership of the Catholic Church? Should he be sanctioned, as implied by the Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan? Onaiyekan recently chided the young and vibrant Enugu priest, saying that he went overboard in his sermon, thus insinuating that the Jonathan-led administration is plagued with ‘bad luck’ and poor performance.
Frontline clerics from the Catholic Communion in Nigeria have reacted to the matter and this is what they hold.
John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja
“Mbaka will take responsibilities for his own actions. I do not believe in my mind that the way things are in Nigeria, any Catholic priest has the mandate to decide which of the political contestants should be voted for. What most of us will do is to tell people to vote according to their conscience and then, we tell the authorities to allow people to vote freely and fairly.”
As to whether the Church intends to take any punitive measure on Mbaka or not, he said, “Mbaka is a priest of his own type. If he was in my archdioceses, I would have sanctioned him long ago for the kind of things and utterances that he makes. But, he is not under my diocese; he has a bishop to handle that if there is any need. I hope that people are not thinking that we are sending Mbaka to talk rubbish?”
Most Rev. Felix Femi Ajakaye, Bishop of the Diocese of Ekiti
The Catholic Church is a sui generis society – a unique society. She is in the world, but she is not of the world. The Catholic Church has continued to play a major role in the society – promoting and supporting moral and social teachings, marriage and family life values, quality education, quality health-care delivery, good governance. With all this, the Church tends to be the voice of the voiceless, not just for Catholics, but for ALL.
The Catholic Church encourages Catholics to participate in politics, regarding politics as a way, an avenue of serving people, if well practised and channeled. Notably, the Catholic Church does NOT permit her priests to participate in partisan politics, only the Laity can do this. A Catholic Church’s priest’s role in this regard is to pray and to promote good governance sincerely and purposefully, though he needs to be wary in his utterances and actions to avoid unnecessary and embarrassing controversies.
With the above understanding, Fr. Ejike Mbaka’s direct presentation at his Adoration Ministry Ground in relation to politics in Nigeria and the February 2015 general elections was personal to him. He was not speaking on behalf of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. The Church did not send him. In fact, the Catholic Church in Nigeria speaks through the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Abuja, is the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, with the Secretary General as the head. The CSN has different units, with each unit having its own Director or Secretary appointed by the CBCN as the head, and a Bishop Chairman. One of such units is the Directorate of Social Communications. Apart from the various Communiqués issued at the end of the CBCN’s regular and emergency meetings, the Catholic Church in Nigeria speaks through the Directorate.
Fr. Mbaka is not a national officer of the Church. He is a priest of Enugu Diocese, and neither his Diocese nor the Catholic Church in Nigeria mandated him to speak on their behalf, both at his first presentation when he endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan and the second one when he changed his mind and condemned, promoting Gen. Mohammadu Buhari. God bless us all before, during and after the general elections in February 2015. God bless our great Nigeria with good and patriotic leaders. By God’s grace and with our joint efforts, Nigeria, will not fail, Nigeria will not fall. Amen.
Monsignor Gabriel Osu, Director of Social Communication, Archdiocese of Lagos
Churches are not meant to be campaign grounds. They are places of worship. Thus, it would be wrong for a pastor or priest to turn his church to a campaign rally of sort. Granted that politicians can come to churches, just like other believers, to seek the face of God; but, they should do so with much humility as not to disturb the sensitivity of others. I recall an incident that happened somewhere in Anambra State where two politicians allegedly came to a religious programme, in company of their supporters. In the course of the programme, the supporters of the politicians clashed and many were allegedly killed in the fracas that ensued. This is rather unfortunate!
Be that as it may, Christians are free to support any politician of their choice, and hold any political ideology they so desire, as long as they do not disturb or molest their fellow men. Furthermore, as you may have known, men of God, or priests, as it were, are not allowed to be actively involved in political activities as to be seen campaigning for a particular candidate. They are meant to be father of all. They are to preach love, peace, justice and equity for all men irrespective of religion, ethnicity or creed.
On the issue Fr. Mbaka’s sermon, I don’t need to strike my nose to keep my face. Being a fellow priest, I believe I should weigh my words. Whatever he said was his personal opinion; that is his stand, not the stand of the Catholic priests in Nigeria. As priests, we are not supposed to be partisan; we are to be father to all. We are sorry of the impression created is that he is supporting a particular party. As to whether he should be sanctioned or not, I cannot decide that. Those who feel he should be disciplined have also expressed their own views. It is left for his bishop to decide whether or not to discipline him.
Rev. Father George Ehusani, Former Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria
Whatever Father Mbaka said in his sermon is of no consequence to me. He is a priest in the village and has no position in the national structure for me to take his words serious. His statement means nothing to me. We do not take him serious. But, if people now decide to fly with what he has said, then it shows how ignorant they are.
As to whether or not he should be sanctioned, he has a bishop to decide that. The Bishop of Enugu has the authority over him and we won’t tell the Bishop what to do. The Catholic Bishop’s Conference cannot interfere either, because, we do not operate that way. In fact, the way we are organised, we have to follow due process.
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