Anger in Nnewi over alleged exclusion of late Senator Ubah from cathedral commissioning

…Catholic Diocese of Nnewi reacts, dismissed the allegations, says late Ubah was recognized during church service and in the dedication brochure.

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

NNEWI – ANGER, condemnation and threats of leaving the Catholic Church Wednesday trailed the commissioning of Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral, Nnewi, allegedly single handedly built from foundation to roofing level by late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who was not recognized from the beginning to the end of the commissioning.

Confusion erupted within the premises of the Cathedral in Nnewi Anambra State, when people listened throughout the event, but failed to hear the mention of the late Senator Ubah’s contribution towards the commissioned Cathedral.

The construction of the Cathedral no doubt was largely through the financial sponsorship of the late Senator Ubah, who as at the beginning had asked that everything about it be left for him during the reign of the former Bishop of Nnewi Catholic Diocese, Bishop Hilary Odili Okeke.

Late Senator Ubah had continued the building of the Cathedral from foundation to the roofing level and in fact had started roofing part of the Cathedral when a new Bishop of Catholic Dioceses of Nnewi was appointed to replace retired Bishop Hilary Odili Okeke, who had good relationship with late Ubah.

The appointment of the new Bishop of Nnewi and the abrupt stoppage of late Senator Ubah, from the continuation of building of the Cathedral did not bring any suspicion against the church authority until Wednesday commissioning of the Cathedral when the late Senator was said not to have been mentioned in any program or speech during the ceremony, neither was his family invited to the event.

It was at the commissioning of the Cathedral that the the people of Nnewi and worshipper discovered that his name was said to have been deliberately excluded from the historic event he allegedly single handedly made possible.

However, reacting to the allegation of exclusion of Senator Ubah in the whole program of the Cathedral commissioning by the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Very Rev. Hygi Aghaulor, who is the Chairman Media Publicity Committee of the Cathedral Dedication of Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral described the allegation as blatant lie.

Addressing newsmen, Thursday, at St Michaels Catholic Church Ugwuoye Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, Very Rev. Fr. Aghaulor, said that Senator Ubah who was like other contributor to the construction of the Cathedral was recognized during the dedication church service.

He said that Senator Ubah’s contribution was also mentioned on page 10 of the Dedication Brochure, adding that apart from the Cathedral dedication recognition, the Diocese in its 147 Parishes have for the past seven months been praying for the repose of his soul.

The alleged shabby treatment of Senator Ubah and his family was raised by his political associate and supporter, Chief Victor Chigozie Eneh, who openly questioned the actions of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi and its Bishop, Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye, in what he called “wicked and deliberate exclusion of a man who single handedly started and nearly completed the building of the Cathedral in Nnewi.”

According to visibly angry Eneh, “Senator Ubah had funded and overseen as much as 85 percent of the Cathedral’s construction, before the current Bishop of Nnewi was transferred to the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, adding that upon his assuming of office, the Bishop halted Ubah’s continued involvement in the project despite its advanced level of completion.”

“Initially when Senator Ubah involvement in the project was halted, while he was still alive, some of us did not suspect any foul play or know there was any ulterior motive, until this deliberate and wicked refusal to mention his name in any level of the commissioning of the Cathedral.

“We therefore see this action of excluding his name as troubling, and every true and honest Catholic must question the rationale behind this attempt to downplay Ubah’s contributions to a landmark religious project he started and almost completed in Nnewi.”

“It is disheartening and condemnable that members of Senator Ubah’s family were neither invited to the Cathedral’s commissioning nor late Senator Ubah’s name publicly acknowledged during the ceremony.

“Is there anything the late Senator did to the Bishop that the public does not know?The Bishop must have to clarify why the family of a major benefactor to the Cathedral construction was excluded and why the project was stalled before the senator’s death.”

Eneh warned that any attempt to erase Senator Ubah’s legacy would be resisted, by his family and friends, insisting that the former lawmaker’s role in the construction of the Cathedral must be openly and publicly recognized.

The Cathedral premises was however, thrown into confusion shortly after Chief Eneh spoke to newsmen within the premises of the Cathedral, when a Knight in the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi identified as Sir James Louis Okoye popularly known as “Ebube Anaedo” (Pride of Nnewi) angrily walked out of the commissioning ceremony, shouting against the alleged maltreatment of late Senator Ubah, by the church by not mentioning his contribution towards the building of the Cathedral.

The angry Knight who walked out from their normal sitting order, immediately while still within the premises of the Cathedral, renounced his membership of Catholic Church and Christianity, saying that if late Senator Ubah who contributed so much to the building of the Cathedral could be be so shabbily treated with the church’s intentional failure to acknowledge his effort, what will be the faith of ordinary worshipper like him.

Sir Okoye who spoke in anger, but to the admiration of worshipper in the Cathedral, while he was being recorded by both journalist and anybody with phone interested in his angry reaction, confirmed that the late Senator volunteered to single handedly build the Cathedral and did not fail until he was stopped for yet to be known reasons, when the project had reached the roofing level and he had even roofed some part of it.

According to Sir Okoye, “this Cathedral was first started by the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who volunteered to build the Cathedral for the church, and had worked on the project to about 85 percent completion, before a new Bishop, Dr Jonas-Benson Okoye, was posted to Nnewi in 2022, when he ordered Ubah to hands off the Cathedral.

“Some of us didn’t know the reason for that order for late Senator to hands off the project he started during the time of amiable, good and friendly former Catholic Bishop of Nnewi, Most Rev. Hilary Odili Okeke, until this wicked exclusion of his name from the entire program of the Cathedral commissioning. This is wicked and must be condemned by anybody who is a true Christian.”

Sir Okoye the angry Catholic Knight was heard while walking out from the premises of the Cathedral shouting “Ifeanyi Ubah sorry, Ifeany Ubah sorry, this is unfair, is this the way the spirit of Ifeanyi Ubah will rest in peace? This is wicked, I have never seen this kind of wickedness in my life, not even in the brochure or orally was Senator Ifeanyi Ubah acknowledged as a contributor to the Cathedral he started and almost completed before he was ordered to hands off.”

Investigation by Vanguard revealed that when the current Bishop of Nnewi ordered that the late Senator should hands off the project, it did not go down well with him and the Bishop, whom he alleged was influenced to take the action. Vanguard equally learnt that some members of the church who didn’t want him to take the glory, influenced the church’s decision to withdraw the late Senator from the project.

It was equally gathered that Senator Ubah attempted to ignore the order to hands off the Cathedral construction, but later decided to allow peace reign in the Church as he did not want to disrespect the Bishop, who was still new to the Diocese, but wanted him to settle down and see the truth for himself, until his death.

When the news of the alleged exclusion of Senator Ubah from the program of the Cathedral commissioning broke in Nnewi, traders in the markets in Nnewi reacted angrily and threatened to leave and shun activities of the Catholic Church in Nnewi Diocese.

The traders in different markets in Nnewi were said to have expressed great shock that Senator Ubah’s name was excluded from every level of the Cathedral commissioning in spite of the millions of naira he sunk in the Cathedral building.

Speaking further to clarify at the point the Church took over the completion of the Cathedral, Very Rev. Fr Aghaulor who said he has been an integral part of every Committee of the Cathedral building, said that at a critical point of te Cathedral construction, there was slow pace and technical challenges encountered by the contractors and it was revealed that the work could not continue in keeping with the original design.

According to him, “Progress was stalled and it was at that moment that the late Senator Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, who would later become a major benefactor, offered his assistance to the then Bishop Most Rev. Hiary Odili Okeke, to ensure the completion of the Cathedral.

“Senator Ubah assumed responsibility for the project amid a number of difficulties, especially with installation of the steel trusses. The first set of trusses had to be removed and the initial engineer withdrew cooperation despite having been paid. A new committee which include experts was therefore, constituted to restore direction and technical order. Even before the committee could formally meet, Dr Ubah informed the Bishop that he had already engaged another contractor Prof. Nwagbara and advanced him with a considerable sum of money. The committee at that point intervened insisting on proper structural and architectural detailing before further work could continue.

“Guided by the committee’s technical input, Dr Ubah and Prof. Nwagbara attended several meetings in which earlier omissions were addressed. The contractor thereafter proceeded in accordance with the committee’s recommendations and with continued expert supervision.

“There was no time Senator Dr Ubah was removed from building the Cathedral. This was the state of the project when Most Rev. Jonas Benson Okoye was appointed Bishop, and he continued correspondence with Dr Ubah and several meetings were held to review progress.

On the action of Sir Okoye, the Knight who denounced membership of the Catholic Church and Christianity, Very Rev. Fr. Aghaulor, described his action as too hasty and based on unfounded allegations.

“Sir James Louis Okoye has committed apostasy. For somebody to publicly reject his faith is apostasy. It is an offense in the Cannon law o page 194 paragraph 1 to 2. Also in the Cannon law page 751, somebody that committed apostasy is capable to loose his title. James was too hasty in his action and it is unfortunate he behaved the way he did. The Bishop is not a dictator as claimed in some quarters. He cannot be a dictator because the church will not tolerate that behaviour.

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