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Of Mbaka’s Discordant Tunes And His Critics

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9 years ago

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This is a season of pre
dictions, not just for what becomes of the New Year in the long run, but what lies in the belly of the forthcoming general elections in the country. Thus, when the popular Enugu catholic priest and founder of the Adoration Ministry, Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka chose to be partisan in his liberation theology, Nigerians began to question the authenticity of his messages to his numerous admirers.
Rev Mbaka’s messages concerning President Goodluck Jonathan at two different fora form the basis of judgement on the style, colour and what the priest stands for in politics of the time.
In November 2014, Rev Mbaka played host to First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and others at his Enugu parish where he told the First Lady that her husband had “done well” and deserved another tenure at the Aso Rock, in spite of the distractions apparently referring to the issues of terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria.
The priest did not stop there. He defended President Jonathan for not saving the Chibok school girls, adding that “campaigners on the Chibok girls’ abduction have no reason asking the President to return the girls’ home since Mr. Jonathan was not keeping them.”
Fr. Mbaka who said he heard his message from “above” offered special players for President Jonathan to win the re-election and excel in leadership. Dame Patience was special guest of honour at the 2014 annual thanksgiving and bazaar of Fr. Mbaka’s parish church. She took a bible reading from Genesis, chapter 12:2-3.
However, about a month after the visit of the First Lady, the catholic priest made a dramatic u-turn on Goodluck Jonathan and started singing discordant tunes about the President’s re-election bid. In his new year message, delivered on the eve of 2015, Rev Mbaka lambasted and warned President Jonathan to forget about his 2015 re-election bid and allow his main opponent, Muhammadu Buhari to be the next President
Apart from calling on President Jonathan to “quietly resign” for failing to tackle the insecurity and corruption in the land, the catholic priest also said that Nigeria would be doomed if President Jonathan is re-elected. He recalled the November meeting with the First Lady, and said the “spiritual drama” he performed that day using pigeons, showed that the President would lose the forthcoming elections.
According to him, four pigeons were freed from the cage to fly up but the one that represented Mr. Jonathan refused to move even though it was the healthiest.
The first question that emerges from Rev Mbaka’s spiritual drama is that the other three pigeons that flew away represented who and who? Again, why did he not disclose the outcome of the “spiritual drama” at the November session with Dame Patience? Could Fr. Mbaka  have compromised his spirituality with the fallout of the visit of the First Lady at his church’s bazaar?
Or could it be that the catholic priest uses different spiritual colours to attend spiritual/political sessions and that, by and large, determine the colouration of his spiritual interpretations on political issues?
However, an Anglican Archbishop believed that Fr. Mbaka was settled for him to change gear on the first family. The Archbishop of Enugu Anglican Province and Bishop of Enugu, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, said, “Fr. Mbaka should declare to the world how much he collected from the opponent for him to say all he said against Dr. Jonathan.”
Reacting to Fr. Mbaka’s new year message at his adoration ground, Archbishop Chukwuma recalled First Lady’s visit to Mbaka’s adoration ground in November 2014 where he alleged she (Dame Patience) doled out N5 million and the catholic priest eulogized the President, urging him to continue in his good works without fear or favour only to turn back suddenly to make negative statements about him.
The Anglican archbishop, however, called on Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria to check Fr. Mbaka with a view to curbing his excesses.
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) also expressed concern over the excesses of its priest. The Secretary-General of CSN, Rev. Fr. Ralph Madu, distanced the Catholic Church from Fr. Mbaka’s comments on President Jonathan and the forthcoming general elections, saying they were his personal opinion.
He said some charismatic leaders who claim that they are getting their inspiration from the holy spirit or from God, should not open their mouth wide but pass their message in a manner that is acceptable, considering the explosive nature of the country and other factors.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) praised Fr. Mbaka’s criticisms of President Jonathan administration for what the party called “his uncommon concern for the down-trodden and for being the advocate of the masses and the voice of the voiceless”.
APC which reacted through its South East spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, described Fr. Mbaka as a liberation theologian, noting that President Jonathan “is a shoeless man that abandoned the shoeless when he ascended to power. Fr. Mbaka is 100 percent correct.”
He slammed the President for “monumental corruption” of his administration and also accused him of having squandered unprecedented crude oil and gas revenue resulting in Nigeria sliding back into the dangerous loop of foreign debt trap.
On Monday, January 6, 2015, pro-Buhari supporters engaged their pro-Jonathan counterparts in a war of words at the old market road in the commercial city of Onitsha where the former insisted that there was nothing wrong in what Fr. Mbaka said. According to the pro-Buhari group, Rev. Mbaka only gave the message of God to save the ailing country from the hands of President Jonathan.
However, leader of pro-Jonathan group and chairman of Newspaper Distributors Association, Onitsha, Jude Isiguzo, lambasted Fr. Mbaka for attacking President Jonathan, describing his action as against the principle of evangelisation. He said there is no alternative to President Jonathan and that his re-election is God’s making not man’s.
Further dissecting Dr. Mbaka’s fierce attack on Jonathan titled “From Goodluck to Bad Luck,” Onyiorah Paschal Chiduluemije, said there is nothing wrong for Fr. Mbaka hosting the First Lady and using pigeons which supposedly signify peace.He, however, believes there is certainly something wrong with the catholic priest to say that the one pigeon, out of the four pigeons, that refused to fly up represented President Jonathan.
Contrary to the claim that Fr. Mbaka was not partisan, Paschal argues that the catholic priest is actually partisan for him to have singled out one of the pigeons as representing Nigeria’s No. 1 citizen.
The second Niger bridge which Jonathan promised Ndigbos during his first term is taking donkey years to be accomplished. Perhaps, this provides the prism from which some aspects of Fr. Mbaka’s outburst could be well situated. But issues pertaining to development are hardly discussed in isolation.
While Jonathan administration cannot be spared for delaying the construction of the second Niger bridge, praises ought to be showered on him for his developmental legacies in Igboland by way of appointments into key government positions and the building of an international airport of world-class standard in Enugu, after decades of misrule and marginalisation of the Igbos in national project.
Unarguably, insecurity has challenged Jonathan administration more than past administrations but that is not to say that his government has not been responsible enough in tackling insurgency within the ambit of the laws as well as the limit of rules of engagement available to the Nigerian military and other security agencies operating n the evil axis of the North.

 

Samuel Eleonu

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Fubara Tasks Rivers Stakeholders On Political, Economic Emancipation …Commissions NAVAL Training Command Headquarters At Ebubu

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6 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that the task of emancipating Rivers State and taking it to its desired height of development among the comity of Nigerian states depends on the concerted efforts of all stakeholders in the state.
Governor Fubara said this at Ubima, on Saturday, when he attended the burial ceremony of late Madam Cecelia Omehia, mother of Sir Celestine Omehia.
Addressing the leaders of the state who attended the burial ceremony in their numbers, the governor urged them to demonstrate their love for the state by living up to their patriotic responsibilities and make meaningful contributions that will move the state forward.
Governor Fubara reaffirmed his commitment to the service of the state and cautioned against politics of bitterness and animosity, stating that he will not govern the state as an underdog, nor compromise  the interest of Rivers people, no matter the challenges facing his administration.
“Anybody who claims to love this State should not be party to anything, directly or indirectly, that will bring us backwards. We will continue to support every course that will advance the interest of our dear Rivers State.
“And I am happy to say, and I’ve said it over and again, it doesn’t matter the number of people that are standing with me, I will stand on the side of truth.
”I will not, I repeat, I will not govern our dear State on my knees. If that was the purpose, I will not do that. I will stand to govern our dear state and stand continually on the side of right”, he said.
The governor commiserated with the Omehia family over the transition of their beloved matriarch and urged  them to take solace in the good legacies she left behind.
Sir Celestine Omehia, the chief mourner, in his response  thanked  the Rivers State governor  and his entourage for honoring the memory of his beloved mother, whom he described as a role model, teacher and great disciplinarian.
Earlier on Saturday, Governor Fubara visited the scene of the Friday night inferno occasioned by a tanker explosion that occurred at the Indorama axis of East West Road, causing untold disaster with over 60 vehicles razed and about four lives lost.
Governor Fubara who was accompanied by the  Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olatunji Disu, and the state Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Uchechukwu Nwafor, during the visit, expressed deep concern over the unfortunate incident and condoled with the families of the victims, assuring that the state government will provide needed assistance to cushion the effects of the tragedy.
“We are here to see for ourselves and get a first hand information of what happened yesterday night.
“I was told that it was caused by a tanker that was conveying premium motor spirit. In fact, I got the information through the MD of Indorama, and I immediately alerted the security agencies to make sure they take control of the security situation in the area.
Governor Fubara, on Friday, commissioned the new Naval Training Command Headquarters at Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Speaking at the event, Governor Fubara said he was delighted with the transformation recorded in the abandoned facility after it was ceded by the Rivers State Government to the Nigerian Navy on request in 2023.
He pointed out that the relocation of the Naval Training Command headquarters to Rivers State underscores the proficiency of the Nigerian Navy in managing the maritime sector, especially in safeguarding the waterways and  fighting against economic sabotage such as crude oil theft and its associated menace.
Governor Fubara commended the Navy for investing in the training of its personnel to evolve a highly skilled workforce to secure the Nigerian waterways, stating that the new development is a manifestation of President Bola Tinibu’s commitment to building a strong security architecture for Nigeria.
The Governor who assured the support of his administration to the Navy and other security outfits, announced a donation of N350m to the Navy, and urged synergy between the Navy and the host communities in terms of development support and security of lives and property.
“As you go on to put this training command into full service, my charge to you is to ensure that this sprawling facility is effectively maintained and utilized to expand your operations and activities for national security development.
“I further implore you to provide effective security and development support to the host communities, and live in peace and harmony with the civilian population in the local government area,” the Governor added.
In his remark,  the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Emmanuel Ogalla, expressed gratitude to the Governor for the continuous support and partnership of the Rivers State Government with the Navy.
Taneh Beemene
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Constitution Amendment: Senator Barau Urges Stakeholders’ Collaboration

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6 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Senator Barau Jibrin, has called for robust collaboration among all stakeholders to drive the ongoing constitution amendment process to a successful conclusion.
Senator Barau stated this on Saturday at the joint retreat of the secretariat and consultants to the Senate and House of Representatives committees on the review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, in Abuja.
He commended the synergy between the constitution review secretariat and consultants to the Senate and House of Representatives committees, saying this will create harmony in the workings of both committees.
Senator Barau assured that the National Assembly will carry out the review of the constitution by a thorough aggregation of the yearnings of Nigerians from all walks of life through public hearings and collection of memoranda from various interests throughout the country, as well as embarking on a progressive engagement with state governments and legislatures and the federal government to achieve consensus on all issues.
“We must work together. Our country is facing a lot of challenges and this is the right time to fashion out a constitution that will go in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people of this country.
“The world is dynamic and this compels all serious countries to go with modernity and fashion their laws in accordance with contemporary happenings within their peculiarities.
“We have started on a progressive note of collaboration and let us add momentum to this very important collaboration within our ranks in order to achieve a result that will help in driving the process of making prospective peace, justice and fair play in the way we run our affairs as a nation,” he said.
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Makinde Hails Electorate, OYSIEC Over LG Poll Conduct 

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6 days ago

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April 29, 2024

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Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has applauded the residents of the state for turning out to vote in the ongoing local government election across the state.
The governor also rated the conduct of the election high, stating it compared favourably with elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The governor stated this on Saturday after casting his vote at Unit 1, Ward 011, Abayomi Open Space, Iwo Road, Ibadan North East LGA of Oyo State.
Addressing journalists after exercising his civic responsibility, Gov Makinde said, “For us in Oyo State, it is almost like a given that democracy at the grassroots is what we practise. This is almost our fifth year in office and we are holding local government election for the second time.
“Before we came in, it had always been caretaker administration at the grassroots without the people having a say in who should govern them.
“You can see around also that the people are going about, performing the exercise peacefully and the traffic restriction is being obeyed by the people. So, I will commend our people for coming out to take seriously democracy at that level.”
The governor, who noted that security report about the election had been excellent, also charged those who observed any untoward development to report same to the security agencies.
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