INSIDE NIGERIA — Followers of Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of Adoration Ministries, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), have protested the ban on the ministry by the Catholic diocese of Enugu.
On June 16, TheCable reported that Mbaka described Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), as a “stingy man”.
“A stingy man cannot be our president. We are very hungry — we need a generous person. Nigerians are hungry. Are we not hungry?” Mbaka had said.
“It is better to have an old man with a generous spirit than to to have a young man with ‘gum’ hands.
“Peter has a curse. He is not going anywhere if he doesn’t come to kneel down on this adoration altar.”
Hours later, following widespread criticism, Mbaka apologised for the remarks against Obi, saying his intention was not to malign the latter’s image.
In a statement on Saturday, Callistus Onaga, the Catholic bishop of Enugu diocese, barred Catholics from attending the adoration ministry.
He said the decision is “based on the fact that some of the teachings and utterances of Fr Camillus Ejike Mbaka of the Catholic Adoration Ministry are not consistent with the teachings and faith of the Catholic church”.
Following the development, Mbaka’s followers gathered at the adoration ground on Sunday to protest the decision by the bishop.
In a video by the BBC, the protesters were seen holding green leaves, marching round the vicinity, and chanting ‘no more bishop’, ‘Onaga must go’.
By Vivian Chime/TheCable
