The Catholic Church in Enugu State is set to witness another round of internal wranglings as a fairy priest, Rev. Fr. Paul Obayi, founder of Okunerere Catholic Adoration Ministry, in a now viral video, dished out a series of allegations against the Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Godfrey Onah.
In the 30 minute video which was first posted on the ministry’s Facebook page, Obayi alleged that the Bishop had been oppressing him in many ways, adding that he was now ready to leave the Catholic Church.
He also accused the Bishop of trying to forcefully evict him from the adoration ground, a five-hectare piece of land donated to him by the former governor of the state, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, despite his numerous contributions and personal donations to the church.
The church is my vineyard, I love the church, I love my Nsukka (Catholic) church, I love the bishop, I love the priests, I love them, but they are oppressing me. “I was looking for a land where I will conduct my adoration but couldn’t find.
I rented a place behind Queens College, Nsukka and started my adoration there. Bishop Onah chased me out of the place, saying I was causing noise and distracting the Students of Queens.
“The immediate past governor of Enugu State, gave me this piece of land I’m staying in now. I told the Bishop that I have a land and I took him there to see the land. When he came, he then said that the 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. It is the same land that the bishop gave out to the church without consulting me, without any discussion.
“I give everything to the church, yet the church wants to strangle me to death. But it can’t happen! I bought and installed the best transformer in the cathedral of Nsukka Diocese which they’re using till today.
“Bishop Onah mandated me to build a museum where I would keep the deities I removed from villages. I spent 2.8m to build the museum upstairs inside the cathedral and reported to my bishop. The only ‘thank you’ I got from my bishop was that he asked me where I got the money to build it when he had banned me from selling olive oil. Yet, I endured it.
“So since I have discovered that the Church doesn’t want me, I will be leaving the church any moment from now. Will I kill myself? If someone does not love you, will you kill yourself for that person to love you? What I am asking now is, if I remove my cassock now, am I to be blamed? No, I won’t be blamed.
“I have seen that I’m not loved, and no one wants me. To the extent that Reverend Father’s are kicking down my gate. They said I don’t have a right here. But the Governor gave me this place for a reason. He said, Father Obayi, take this place and pray for God’s people; the adoration members.
“He didn’t tell me to transfer to anybody. The certificate of occupancy has Fr. Obayi written on it and I belong to the church. Why are they doing this to me? What have I done? Let me leave everything for them so they will leave me alone. What do you want me to do? Let any priest who has done what I have done for the Diocese to raise his hand. Let any priest who loves this Diocese more than me speak out.
“I have not even narrated half of what I have done for the church and I have not even said all the things they are doing to me. Just that this one was too much and people who came to take oath from different parts of the country were here when the Reverend Fathers were fighting here.
“Their plan is to drive me out and hand this place over to another person. I am doing my best. I am the most humble Priest in the diocese but the truth must be told. If you people tell me that I have endured enough, I will pack my belongings and leave the church. I will leave it at this but if I leave know that they have come to take my land.”
The Catholic Church is yet to react to the priest’s allegations against the Bishop of the Diocese.
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