WHAT'S NEW?
Loading...

Crisis rocks Catholic Church in Benin..............Confab on insecurity: Soyinka, Sule, Anyaoku, Clark, others storm Uyo

BENIN—A group in the Catholic Church in Benin,Edo State, Edo Liturgical Group, has demanded the removal of the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Benin, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze and a Benin Priest, made a Bishop in his place for the true evangelization of the people of the kingdom.
The group, which addressed newsmen in Benin, weekend by its Chairman, Mr  Andrew Ayemwenre, also accused the Archbish                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   op of punishing Benin people for  demanding for a Benin Bishop to help achieve proper evangelization in their land in accordance with the recommendation for the church by Pope Benedict XV.
“In less than two years of Archbishop Akubeze’s coming, there appears to be a design by him to replace our people, priests and laity in the Catholic Church. The Edo Liturgical Group visited him on more than four occasions to find the way forward.
“Among issues raised were one Edo Mass for parishes at primetime in the entire diocese,  copies of Edo Bible and Missal be made available in the Church, use of Edo songs at Mass, Priests in the Archdiocese to learn to celebrate Mass in Edo language, the re-instatement of Pa Vincent Osakue to the knighthood, which was withdrawn by Akubeze and Mr. Chris Aghimien as Secretary of the Laity Council of the Archdiocese of Benin and the retention of the name, Edo Liturgical Group.”
He insisted that despite peace moves by the group, the Archbishop failed to accede to any of their requests and refused to approve the one Mass on Sunday for the indigenes in all parishes in Benin-City.
“Holy Cross Cathedral as a Parish has 28 Sunday Masses in a month while only one Mass is said in Edo language for her indigenes. This means that of the 364 Sunday Masses in a year, only 12 is in the native tongue. Meanwhile, in Onitsha and the entire Eastern Nigeria, the reverse is the case. The use of Edo language as part of the Mass is a taboo to Archbishop Akubeze,” the group said.


Confab on insecurity: Soyinka, Sule, Anyaoku, Clark, others storm Uyo

DISTURBED by worsening insecurity and political tension in the country ahead of the 2015 general elections, eminent leaders of thought, statesmen and politicians across the six geo-political zones will converge on Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital, next week, to chart the way forward.
They will gather at Le’Meridien Hotels & Resorts, between July 2 and 3 for a political summit on the future of Nigeria, convened by Project Nigeria— National Consensus Group.
The two-day summit, with the theme National Security and Political Stability in Nigeria, according to Malam Nasser Kura, Head of Communications, summit secretariat, was being convened to douse the tension created by the emergency situation in the country.
Kura said: “The summit is being convened against the background of the current challenges facing our dear country, Nigeria, in the areas of national security and political stability.
“It is with a view to kick-starting a profound process of national consultations and political negotiations capable of fostering enduring solution to the heightening tension in the country.”
Targets
He said “the national family meeting” was expected to work out and agree on a popular modality for securing political and constitutional stability for the future of Nigeria in the light of the pervasive insecurity and insurgency in the country
“The emergency national consultative meeting is designed to bring together distinguished statesmen, government functionaries, political and religious leaders of thought from the six geo-political zones, to discuss and negotiate an agreed modality for securing the stability and future of Nigeria.”
Kura added that President Goodluck Jonathan, former presidents/heads of state and their deputies, leadership of the National Assembly, state governors and ministers were expected to participate at the summit.
Delegations, discussants
Some eminent persons expected to lead delegations and discussions at the confab include: First Republic Minister and Chairman, Northern Elders’ Forum, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule; legal luminary, Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN); Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka (Lead Speaker); General T. Y. Danjuma, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Chief Edwin Clark.
Others are Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, HRM Amayanabo Alfred Diete-Spiff, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Chief Solomon Lar, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Amb. Christopher Kolade and Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF.
Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Olu Falae, Alabo Graham Douglas, Chief Bisi Akande, General Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Prof. Pat Utomi, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere leader; Chief Audu Ogbeh, Bishop Emmanuel Gbonigi, Sheik Ahmed Lemu, Senator David Dafinone, Alhaji Ishiaku Rabiu and Gen Jeremiah Useni (rtd).
More
Also expected are Senator Ken Nnamani, Chief John Nwodo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Alhaji Gambo Jimeta, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar (NLC president), Mr. Peter Esele (former TUC president) and Prof. Grace Alele-Williams.
Others are Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, Chief Philip Asiodu, Prof Akin Oyebode, Dr. Arthur Nwankwo, Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi, Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Prince Tony Momoh, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu.
Also expected are Prof. Dora Akunyili, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof Kimse Okoko, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Solomon Asemota (SAN), High Chief Raymond Dokepsi, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Dr. Odia Ofeimun, Prof. Attahiru Jega, Dr. Sule Hamma, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Otunba Gani Adams, Hon Nkoyo Toyo, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mrs. Ayo Obe, Mr. John Momoh, Mr. Shehu Sani, Rear Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), Mr. Ben Murray Bruce, and Chief Mike Oze-khome (SAN), among others.

0 comments:

Post a Comment