By Ike Abonyi
When Abuja based Pastor Abiodun Fatoyinbo of the Commonwealth Zion Assembly, COZA made his racist remarks against Ndigbo on the pulpit, my brother and friend Fred Chukwuelobe took him on saying exactly what I would have wanted to say to him. The Pastor had in his irrational remarks not supported empirically claimed that Igbo people are very stingy when it comes to donating to churches and the work of God.
I did not react after Chukwelobe’s remarks because I was waiting for either a denial or retrieval from the COZA pastor which never came before another, one Rev father James Anelu showed up with his own bizarre and absurd act on the use of Igbo Worship songs in his parish.
I had also thought Pastor Fatoyinbo was already tainted and spoiled and didn’t require or deserve the response of everyone when he speaks. Father Anelu went further to show his hatred for anything Igbo by contemptuously disparaging the Shepherd of Benin Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev Augustine Akabueze, one of the finest head produced by the Catholic Church.
Fr Anelu’s literary urination at the altar took place at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church Parish in Ewu-Owa in Ikorodo area of Lagos. Imagine the irony of a Benin born priest in Ikorodo, the heartland of Yoruba land complaining about Igbo being a Bishop in his home state.
His Lordship the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev Alfred Adewale Martins has already and promptly too addressed that of the Rev father when he said Fr Anelu’s view does not reflect that of the Church and even sent him on suspension for such careless and needless outburst. The Archbishop knows as a fact that Catholic Church as an institution does not belong to any tribe, nation, class or color hence its universality.
What Fr Anelu did was to overreach himself while standing on the platform that is not his own unlike Pastor Fatoyinbo who was actually on his business empire and could frown at anything that would affect his revenue base. At least he needs to continue living well, wearing good shoes, golden watches and flying private jets and advertising himself and wife every week at billboards and televisions at the expense of congregations.
Catholic Church has endured as the oldest church in the World because it has internal mechanisms to contain bigotries like the one exhibited by Fr Anelu.
The reaction of the Archbishop clearly shows the difference between church of God established by Jesus with Peter as its Rock and business outfit using God’s name. After all, the quantum of moral baggage around Pastor Fatoyinbo and he is still presiding over a congregation in the name of Jesus shows clearly where we are in this clime about worship of God.
The frustration of the two Igbo-phobic characters in this instance is understandable. Envy has a way of degenerating into hatred when jealousy takes control of you. People who are not happy and comfortable about your progress, indulge in maligning you in the hope that others will find you unappealing.
It’s when they fail in their mission that you see an outburst as that of Fr Anelu and Pastor Fatoyinbo.
But for me Ndigbo need this type of exposition from the hearts of the people against them even in the house of God. Fr Anelu is not alone in the dislike for Igbos even in the Catholic Church. It’s just that this one came out glaring. The only time Igbos are not grumbled against in the church whether Catholic, Anglican Methodist name it is when they are raising money during harvests.
Catholic Church in Nigeria and indeed most old churches, have not been fair to Ndigbo given their contributions to the growth of the Church. In Abuja, Lagos and other big cities outside Igboland. Ndigbo are making enormous contributions to the development of churches. In various parishes outside Igboland, only during fund raising that you find them given recognition.
While others conduct their fund raising in geo-political zones, Igbos do theirs States by States so that what one State brings after internal competition surpasses what zones bring. For the North it’s usually the whole 19 States as a block but still they will come below one State in Igboland.
All the things Ndigbo did to grow the church in Lagos and Abuja, none of their priests can merit to be even an auxiliary Bishop talk less an Archbishop, yet they are not stopping in their support. Whenever it’s for position, the man who pays the piper no longer dictates the tune when Igbos are involved. The only time you see some unanimity among other Nigerians is when it’s to stop an Igbo. This happens in parishes, Diocese and Congregations.
We may be getting away with this because it’s church where revolt is rare and uncommon, but to allow such injustice of poor and inadequate appreciation to endure may have far reaching consequences on the health of the Church in future.
Why Ndigbo need the exposition of such hatred is for them also to think twice and think home. While they are building churches outside Igboland, their home parishes and their priests are struggling to feed. Let us stop being Aka ji uno nezi. Most church pillars in Abuja and Lagos when they die their dead bodies are taken home to poorly maintained local Churches.
After the one-day burial, they run back to the township. This is the time to think home, the worshippers in the villages deserve good churches also. They deserve to see good things not only when big names die. The actions of Fr Anelu and Pastor Fatoyinbo should be the catalyst and an eye opener. God bless.