APGA, A CATHOLIC PARTY OR A PARTY FOR THE CATHOLICS?
APGA, A CATHOLIC PARTY OR A PARTY FOR THE CATHOLICS?
The fact that truth tastes bitter is a truism everyone that has come head on with the realities of truth must acknowledge. It is equally a truism that the most expensive peace is better than the cheapest conflict. In view of these, therefore, it is pertinent and apt at this time to address some silent but salient issues that may create a religious crisis in Anambra state and the South East if nothing is done to curb the problem. With what is happening in Anambra state at the moment, one begins to ask questions about the truth concerning the origin and objective of the ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA). One begins to wonder whether APGA as a party is catholic in nature, that is, universal, all inclusive and belonging to everyone or whether it is only for the Catholics as a church. By Catholics, I hope it is understood that I mean the Roman Catholics. Church historians are aware that there is the Eastern Orthodox Church which is Catholic Church; there is Anglo-Catholic (Anglican) Church which is Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church which is Catholic Church, etc. The Church of God is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. The term Catholic is not a reserve for a single church. All Orthodox Churches who believe and recite the Apostles' Creed are Catholics. The issue that one church is currently known as the Catholic Church is not a problem. It is like an individual who decides that his name is Christian. It does not prevent others whose names are Peter, Cynthia or Kanu from being Christians. The name a person or group decides to bear is a matter of choice.
The question remains: Is APGA a Party for all or for the Roman Catholics? When this question is well digested, one will be enabled to understand and at the same time interpret without any assistance the religious handwriting on the walls of Ndi Igbo. To say the least, the religious crisis that looms in Anambra state and possibly in all the South Eastern States is rooted in APGA. This means that APGA is one of the political parties in Nigeria that has a religious undertone as we will discover from the background and the origin of the party.
THE BACKGROUND OF RELIGIOUS CRISIS IN THE SOUTH-EAST
The whole problem of what we are experiencing in the South East and Anambra State in particular started in 1982, consequent of the papal visit to Nigeria. It would be recalled that Pope John Paul II visited Nigeria in the said year in February, and was received in Lagos (the then Nigerian capital) by the then Nigerian Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, who was not a Roman Catholic, hence he did not kiss the papal ring as required of Roman Catholics. Leaving Lagos for Enugu, the headquarters of the old Anambra state, he was warmly received by her Governor, Chief Jim Nwobodo, who was also not a Roman Catholic, hence he did not kiss the papal ring as it is accustomed in the Catholic tradition. You would also note that the then Governor of Imo State, Chief Sam Mbakwe is a non-Catholic. When the Pope left Nigeria, it was said that he summoned Cardinal Arinze to the Vatican City to explain why the South East was not dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. Afterwards, the Cardinal was given the mandate to catholicize South East. Thus, that was the dawn of religious bigotry, politics and conflict in the South East in general and Anambra State in particular. Following the above background, one therefore sees that what is today manifesting as a religious crisis was rooted in the papal visit. It was on this note to fulfill this mandate that the Roman Catholic Church formed a politico-religious party known as the ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA).
APGA IS A ROMAN CATHOLIC PARTY
There is no point beating about the bush and painting the truth when we know that APGA was founded by the Catholic Church as an "alternative platform" to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). The formation of the party has more than 95% of her founders as Roman Catholics. The first National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie; the incumbent National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh; the immediate past Governor of Anambra State (and the just resigned Chairman of the party's (BOT), Chief Peter Obi; the former leader of the party and the 2007 APGA presidential candidate, Late Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu; the incumbent Governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano and many others are all of the Catholic Church. More than 95 percent of APGA flag bearers in all the electoral positions are Roman Catholics. For instance, all the APGA Governorship candidates in the South East are Roman Catholics (the most obvious ones being that of Anambra State, where one of the candidates who ranked highest by the screening committee, was rejected because of his Anglican background. The most recent Local Government Chairmanship election conducted in Anambra State is another eye opener in which out of 21 Local Government Areas, 19 are all Roman Catholics faithful. More than 80% of the people that make up Anambra State Governor's Cabinet (Commissioners, Special/Senior Assistants and Advisers) are Roman Catholics. Most (if not all) the APGA candidates for the National Assembly (the houses of Senate and Representatives) are Roman Catholics. The Chief Judge of Anambra State and all the Judges in Awka, the State Capital are all Roman Catholics. The Accountant General, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, The Secretary to the State Government, The Chief of Staff and almost all the Permanent Secretaries are all Roman Catholics and this is no exaggeration. I can go on and on to list them.
Thus to buttress the above stand the immediate past Governor of the State during his campaign for the new Governor urged the Roman Catholics in the Stale to sustain the grip of their control on the politics of the Anambra State, by ensuring that the next Governor of the State remained a Catholic. "Speaking on behalf of the Governor at the inauguration of the Widows and Less Privileged Members Foundation at the Holy Trinity Basilica Onitsha, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Calistus Ilozumba, said that the Roman Catholics must use the November 16 Governorship election in the State to make a point that the church had come to be relevant in the politics of the State. He recalled that the late Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, the most Rev. Albert Obiefuna, had championed the involvement of Knights of the church to take charge of the politics of the State, saying that the effort paid'off when Obi was elected Governor in 2003, He said the first beneficiary of that effort would have been Prof Alphonsus Nwosu, who was dropped as the governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party for Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju in 1998. He said that it was after that episode that the late Archbishop advised on the need to have an alternative platform, and that came with the formation of APGA. He said it was not an accident that the first National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, Obi, the current national chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, and others are Catholics,.." (See The Punch Newspaper of November 9, 2013, with the caption 'Anambra: Obi Campaigns for Catholic Governor').
This is just a tip of the iceberg. I cannot go on to talk about political appointments and employments in the said State in which the Roman Catholics always have the lion share. The Roman Catholic Church through APGA has taken over all the spheres of the State thereby using the said party to marginalize and supplant the rights of other denominations that are not Roman Catholics. Why would someone be forced to belong to your denomination? Why would someone divide this State with church politics and why would someone take politics inside the church? Why would religious leaders that are ambassadors for peace by virtue of their offices turn to be agents of division by championing the course of religious conflict? Anambra state has been peaceful before APGA came into the political scene and since then, her presence has introduced hatred among sister churches and as well declared herself an enemy of other denominations that are not Catholics. We stand therefore to reject this movement for the catholicization of the Eastern states.
APGA IS NOT AN IGBO PARTY
I have heard on several occasions that APGA is an Igbo party whereas it lacks the sagacity to justify its claim. It is pertinent to advise APGA leadership to stop deceiving the ignorant masses, feeding them with lies. The claim is just a cover up for the Roman Catholic domination of Eastern States. Thus, the party wants to hide under the umbrella of Ndi Igbo to perpetrate their evil acts and champion their course. The question is this, if APGA is an Igbo party as they claim, is it only Anambra State that makes up the Igbo Nation? Whet about Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States. Why are their parties' variants of the so,called Igbo party? Thank God for Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, who refused to soup in this evil dish by decamping from APGA so he can serve his people better and the same catholics have been undermining his administration. Why would this evil be planted in Anambra state? Are Anambrarians more Igbo than the people from other Igbo States? Can you imagine that all the activities of APGA begin and end in Anambra State? The National Headquarters of APGA is in Anambra State. The National Chairman of the party is from Anambra State. The Chairman APGA Board of Trustees is from Anambra State {although he later resigned). The former APGA leader is from Anambra State. Meanwhile, that is what it should be, because, it was a Catholic Bishop from Anambra that suggested and worked for the establishment of the party as an 'alternative platform to PDP. Possibly, it is only in Anambra State that we have bishops that are politically inclined and Governors that allow themselves to be reduced to ordinary 'Bishops' puppies'.
Whatever the case, there is more to APGA than we can see and know. How can an Igbo party formed as an alternative platform to PDP turn to form an alliance with an enemy party by selling off their presidential seat to them on two consecutive occasions? Why do you still have Igbo presidential candidates from other parties if the only Igbo party has been sold off to the PDP? Who is deceiving who? Does it mean that the entire Igbo nation cannot produce an APGA presidential flag bearer to bring home the portion of Ndi Igbo? These questions are to reveal to you that APGA is nothing more than a political organization in the Roman Catholic Church, an opposition party to other denominations. That is just the bitter truth about this religious oriented party called APGA. We have seen this Catholic domination more especially in Anambra State surging in an uncontrollable manner thus making non Roman Catholics to doubt if the State is really home for all or home for some specific few. Indeed the State is no longer 'Home for All', they have changed it to the 'Light of the Nation'. The Roman Catholics do not want Anambra State to be 'Home for All'. They want to take the whole State to themselves. It is unfortunate.
PETER OBI AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MANDATE
Without fear of contradiction, there is no gainsaying the fact that Chief Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State was the architect of religious politics in Anambra State. Senator Dr Chris Ngige confirmed this in his recent publication in the Guardian Newspaper of 24th September 2014 (page 17). When Chief Peter Obi was contesting the 2003 gubernatorial election under APGA, the Anarnbrarians thought he had come to amend the wrongs of the previous administration. Little did they know that he had hidden agenda as an agent to fulfill and execute the Catholic mandate. I could remember vividly that the campaign posters of the said former Governor clustered the nook and crannies of the State with such inscriptions as "Are we cursed or are we the cause", "Is this the democracy dividend" and so many other inscriptions that are very appealing to the hearts of Ndi Anambra hence their massive vote in his favour. Although he fictitiously lost the people's mandate to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, yet he regained it through court order in 2006 after three years.
After his inception as the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Peter Obi became a bread of sorrow and affliction to non Catholics. He publicly made himself a Governor for the Roman Catholic Church and at the same time declared himself an enemy to other non Catholic religious bodies. First, he began to pay monthly salary to all Ihe Roman Catholic priests in Anambra State. But as for the priests in other established and mainline churches, their reward is in heaven. When he was eventually confronted, he told them to go and get their own person to be governor if it makes them angry. It was in his tenure that the option for one's denomination rather than religion was included in the State's employment questionnaire to detect non Catholics. It was in his administration that you have to wear chaplet or scapular if you must be attended to in any office. Thus if one is not a Roman Catholic, ones chances of getting a job in the state government parastatal is infinitesimally minimal. The Roman Catholics have more than 90% slots in all the employment opportunities provided by the Obi led administration. It was through employment and appointment that he fulfilled his parry's mandate. Of course, the true meaning of ANIDS -Anambra Integrated Domination Strategy became glaring and visible to the blind that Peter Obi had come to dominate all sectors simultaneously.
Another striking display of Obi's agenda in the State is the handover of mission schools to their owners, Though the main stakeholders in the hand-over deal were the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church, yet a good number of schools that were collectively built and owned by the communities were handed over in favour of the latter (I will prove it with instances beyond every reasonable doubt). The few schools that were handed over to the Anglican Church, the Governor played politics over them and some of them became engulfed in controversies (There are evidences to that effect). The fence built by Anglicans in one of the schools behind the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, was on several occasions demolished by 'unknown' hooligans. In reaction to that, the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha said they would not allow a 'Variant' Church to be located near the Basilica. Note that the variant Church referred to here is the same Church that gave the Catholics where they built their Basilica. What a wicked world! Hitherto the panel of inquiry setup by Chief Peter Obi to probe the matter is yet to come up with their report. Who is fooling who? That is APGA politics for you. Thus, it became visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the former Governor Peter Obi came to execute the long term plan of the Catholic mandate.
GOVERNOR OBIANO AND ROMAN CATHOLIC MANDATE
Like a relay race in the sports world, the former Governor Obi handed over to his Catholic brother, Governor Willie Obiano; who by design studied in the same Christ the King College (Catholic Secondary School) as Chief Peter Obi. The truth is that Governor Obiano is not a politician and has neither pedigree nor political interest. That is where his problem started because he is "Johnny Just Come (JJC) in the Nigerian politics. He lacks political experience and prudence as long as Anambra politics is concerned. The handover precisely took place on 17th day of March 2014 at Alex Ekwueme Square Awka, Anambra State Nigeria. Anambrarians were already praying and wishing never to encounter a person like Obi in the Anambra State government again. Unfortunately for them, there comes one mightier than Obi both in outlook and in content. Like in the biblical account of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12:10-11, Governor Obiano seems to say to all the non-Catholics in Anambra State. "My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. And now, whereas my father (Chief Peter Obi) laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions" [ESV, emphasis mine).
Facially, Governor Obiano is good looking, but inwardly, he seems to be something else. What we saw on the day of his handover was an eye opener and a pointer to the future of Anambra state under his administration. It was on that day that the biblical MENE MENE TEKEL UPARSIN became visible and clear on the walls of Ndi Anambra. Before the arrival of the Governor, everything was set for his grand reception at the said venue and the sitting arrangement had equally been concluded with a tag on each seat as to whom it rightly belongs. Of course, the religious leaders in the State were equally invited to be part of the event. Eventually, the Governor came in the convoy of two Catholic Bishops, that of Onitsha and his Awka counterpart, and they were ushered into their seat? respectively. But the Anglican Bishops as well as some other Pentecostal Bishops that were present were not given even a bench to sit'on, thus making some of them to leave unattended to. That was when it dawned on the Anambra Christians, who understood the handwriting on the walls of Ndi Igbo, that the die is cast. Anambra has been declared and adopted a Catholic State. Could that be true? His appointments are the worst so far in the history of Anambra State. All the principal Government officers in his new administration are all Catholics. Feelers from his government circles indicate that he has vowed to block any Anglican from becoming a High Court Judge in the forthcoming appointment of Judges in Anambra State. People are watching and waiting to behold the problem this mighty Roman Catholic stalwart will cause in Anambra State.
Apart from his religious inclination, Governor Obiano started well like every other new Governor, especially in the area of security. However, all the Christian faithful in Anambra State celebrated his hundred days in office with tears in their eyes, when an Anglican Church was demolished in the mid-night, by hoodlums linked to Chief Chris Eluemuno and some agents of the Government. Before the demolition of the Church, the President General of Nkwelle Ezunaka Town Union, Chief Chris Eluemuno, who is acting on personal capacity (not representing the interest of the community), vowed before the government officials that he will go to the extent of shedding blood to ensure that he frustrates Anglicans in Nkwelle-Ezunaka. Although the Governor gave the impression that Nkwelle-Ezunaka Community is involved in this matter, investigations carried out reveal that the Anglican Church does not have any land dispute with Nkwelle-Ezunaka community. Also, the Anglican Church does not have any problem, with Nkwelle-Ezunaka community. Nkwelle-Ezunaka community is a peaceful community. It is Governor Willie Obiano and Chief Chris Eluemuno that appears to be creating the atmosphere that may cause division in the community through their over-bearing influence. One wonders why the Cabinet Chiefs of Nkwelle-Ezunaka, who are the custodian of land and culture of the people, are not concerned about the said land issue. Is the PG more Catholic than the Pope in [he governance of Nkwelle-Ezunaka. The only answer is that the PG is fulfilling the mandate of his masters. The fact that the PG is moving about under the protection of the Governor of Anambra State, speaks volumes.
IS CHRIST DIVIDED?
Some people are saying "We are Roman Catholics"; others, "We are Anglicans"; others "We are Pentecostals". Is Christ divided? Is Anambra State divided? The church is one foundation and Jesus Christ is her Lord. We should make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Anambra State belongs to all of us. It does not belong to any denomination. Let us all work together to ensure that peace, justice, fairness and equity reigns in the State.
Obi Chindo writes from Onitsha
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