SENATORS from the southern part of Nigeria have expressed support for 17 governors of the region who agreed to ban open grazing and movement of cattle by foot.
The senators, in a joint statement issued by their chairman Opeyemi Bamidele and Secretary Matthew Urhoghide, said the system of open grazing by herders in the country was outdated.
The statement noted that the ban would help to address growing insecurity, as well as economic and food crises occasioned by activities of herders in the region.
“At this critical point of our national life when the economy is being bedeviled by galloping inflation, youth unemployment and insecurity, food security is very crucial to mitigate the effects of these diverse evils on the citizens,” part of the statement said.
“Available records have shown that attaining food security status would remain a mirage in the south owing to the ravaging effect of outdated livestock grazing policy being unleashed on farmlands by some unscrupulous herders.
“Most appalling were the seemingly unabated kidnapping, raping, and killing of our people by suspected herdsmen, who have become bandits heating up the system.
“With this uniform resolve by our governors to initiate no-open grazing policy, the region will return to its peaceful and agriculturally self -sufficient status it had assumed even long before Nigeria’s amalgamation in 1914.”
The 17 governors of the southern states held a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, on Tuesday, where they agreed to jointly ban open grazing in all the states in the region.
Other key demands are that President Muhammadu Buhari should be fairer in political appointments, convoke a national dialogue, accept the establishment of state police.
THE Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Tuesday said it had not received any petition that could make it to investigate the death of popular Lagos pastry chef Peju Ugboma.
Ugboma’s family had last week attributed her death to “gross negligence” by Premier Specialist Medical Centre, a facility at Victoria Island Lagos, where she had an unsuccessful fibroid surgery on April 22, after the family claimed to have spent N3million.
Her death resulted in online protest across Nigeria, with many people calling on relevant authorities, including Lagos State Government, to probe the hospital.
MDCN Registrar Tajudeen Sanusi told The ICIR that the Council could only investigate the incident after it had received a formal complaint from the public.
Among others, MDCN sets standards for medical practice in Nigeria, including investigating and sanctioning erring practitioners.
The Council had in November 2020 suspended Adepoju Anuoluwapo, a Lagos-based doctor, from medical practice after she performed cosmetic surgery on a client who later died as the procedure failed.
The Council had also in April this year punished two medical doctors, Dr. Sullyman Kokori, of Garkuwa Specialist hospital, Kaduna, and Dr. Adolphus Oriaifo of Ajayi Oriaifo memorial hospital, Benin, Edo State, for professional misconduct.
Kokori was reportedly suspended for 12 months, while Oriaifo was handed six months suspension after they were found guilty of professional negligence in the cause of their professional engagements.
Ugboma’s family alleged that the unprofessional conducts of doctors at Premier Hospital during the surgery they carried out on the late chef led to complications resulting in her death.
In a statement signed by Nwabeze Ugboma, younger brother to the deceased husband, the family said it paid two million naira to the hospital before making additional one million naira payment to Evercare Hospital, (another facility at Lekki Phase One, Lagos) where the chef was referred before she eventually died on April 25.
After studying the MDCN Act CAP M8 2004, our reporter contacted former president of Nigerian Medical Association, Omede Idris who confirmed that the Council only acts after it had officially been notified of such incident.
If there are alleged professional misconducts, the registrar had said the normal thing is for someone to complain to the MDCN and the Council’s disciplinary organs, the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigative Panel and Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal would investigate the professional misconduct.
“If prima facie evidence is established, the matter is transferred to the tribunal. If not, the matter ends there. In the absence of any complaint, there is nothing MDCN can do. That is the basic truth. All these people shouting on social media; that is not the issue, the issue is for somebody to complain properly to Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. That is when we can investigate. We don’t just pick up any information.”
Screenshot of Twitter page of Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, where it vowed to probe Ugboma’s death
Meanwhile, Lagos state government had vowed to launch investigation into the death after an online petition calling on the state government to probe the incident surfaced last weekend.
Similarly, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has begun a probe into the incident after news of Ugboma’s death went viral online.
Hospitals fail to response to enquiries by The ICIR
The ICIR called both hospitals on Friday morning for comment, but they did not respond, despite the assurance of the customer care desks that the management would call back.
Evercare Hospital later demanded a formal letter from this newspaper, promising to respond within hours. The letter was sent Tuesday morning and was followed with a reminder. Yet, the hospital didn’t honour the request.
Allegation by deceased family
A copy of the family’s statement obtained by The ICIR said Mrs Ugboma died after her husband had paid three million naira for her operation for fibroid.
She was transferred to Evercare Hospital, Lekki Phase 1, three days after suffering complications from the surgery; and she allegedly died moments after reaching the hospital on April 25.
The family said independent autopsy conducted on Ugboma at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital showed the surgery left multiple cuts in her organs, leading to bleeding.
Late Peju Ugboma. Source: The Guardian Newspaper
They added that two litres of blood was discovered in the deceased abdomen and pelvic area.
Her death could have been prevented had the hospital heeded an advice by a doctor-friend to the Ugbomas, based in the UK, the family claimed.
The doctor, a gynaecologist, had suspected the haemorrhage and advised that the hospital return the deceased into theatre for re-examination.
But, the Ugbomas said the hospital ignored the counsel.
The family further accused Premier Hospital of denying independent pathologists of access to the deceased full medical report, adding that the hospital only released the report after it almost engaged in physical confrontation with the hospital’s staff.
Also, medical reports sent to the independent pathologists might have been tampered with.
“It is clear that Peju bled internally from Friday after the surgery till Sunday when she died, and it is shocking to note that Premier Hospital was negligent enough not to pick this up and save her life. Peju’s tragic and unfortunate death has left behind two heartbroken little girls, a grieving husband, an aged mother and loved ones,” the family said.
Late Ugboma walked into hospital unaided, says family
Narrating the events leading to Ugboma death, the family explained that she walked into the hospital unaided on Thursday April 22 on the advice of the hospital that she goes for the operation.
“She walked into the hospital by herself unaided, as it was by no means an emergency surgical procedure. She had concluded all the necessary tests required before the surgery, including ECG, PCV, and COVID -19 tests. Her vitals were okay and she had no pre-existing conditions prior to surgery.
Nigeria’s Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire
“All payments were made for the preliminary tests. The hospital demanded their account be funded to the tune of N1.5 million and the family deposited N1 million immediately. The surgery was carried out on the morning of Friday 23rd April 2021, by Drs. Akinsiku, Iwuh, Asemota, Renner, and some other medical personnel,” the family said.
Shortly after the operation, the deceased allegedly became uncomfortable, as her blood pressure dropped to the range of 50/30.
“Early on Saturday morning, she told her husband that the veins on her hands had collapsed and the hospital wanted to give her fluids on a vein close to her neck and collarbone. She also mentioned that the doctors said her kidneys were not functioning optimally, and a consultant nephrologist had been called in to come in that Saturday morning. This was a shock to them both, as all tests prior to surgery were fine. The consultant eventually came in as scheduled but dismissed both their concerns.”
The family further alleged that by Saturday evening, Ugboma been given three pints of blood, while none of the gynaecologists who performed the surgery attended to her throughout that day, despite all her pain and concerns expressed by her husband.
As her situation allegedly deteriorated, one of the doctors at the hospital advised that she be taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital. Her husband was asked to pay another one million naira, which he allegedly paid immediately.
“As this was going on, Peju kept complaining of severe pains, and her eyes had turned yellowish. At about midnight that Saturday, she was sedated intravenously.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu Governor of Lagos State PHOTO: Vanguard
“By 6.30 am on Sunday, her husband was surprised to find out that his wife had been placed on a respirator. Dr Renner told him that her condition had deteriorated through the night. Her husband saw that she looked pale, and her eyes had been taped as if to keep them closed, but she was still breathing and the monitors were still reading.”
In attempt to save her life, late Ugboma was moved to Evercare Hospital, Lekki Phase 1 by Premier Hospital, but it took three hours to get her there, the family further claimed.
The hospital medical team received her and she was moved to the ICU, while her husband was asked to pay yet another one million naira. He promptly did, said the family.
But, all efforts to save her failed as she succumbed to deaths shortly after the payment was made.
Hospital will be charged to court – Family
Speaking with our reporter on Monday, Nwabeze Ugboma said the family would charge Premier Hospital to court.
He said charging the hospital to court would make other hospitals with a similar attitude have a rethink.
Ugboma said the hospitals are expected to offer the best services and value every life that needs care.
He expressed shock that Premier Hospital could behave the way it did despite being paid huge amount of money for his in-law’s surgery.
He however said his family was happy with the attention being given to the case by the Federal Government, Lagos State government, civil society organisations and the general public.
Premium Specialist Medical Centre
When contacted on Tuesday, Director of Hospital Services Federal Ministry of Health Adebimpe Adebiyi referred our reporter to the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
However, public relations officer, Lagos State Police Command, Muyiwa Adejobi said he was unaware of the incident. He promised to find out.
“I will find out, but I doubt it because it’s new to me,” Adejobi said in response to a text message sent to him by The ICIR.
About the deceased
Information about the deceased seen on multiple platforms said she graduated with a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Lagos.
Prior to setting up her “I Luv Desserts”, which she managed in Lagos until her death, she had worked as the Head of Business Strategy at First Independent Global Nigeria for three years.
The Pasta Chef, one of the platforms that provided the information, said in order to advance herself in the dessert industry, she got certification from Gastronimicum, Agde (2007), South of France, Le Notre-(2009), Paris France and The Taste Lab, United Kingdom.(2017).
Since the establishment of I Luv Desserts in 2007, the business won many awards and accolades, including the Wed Awards 2013, Desserts Company of the Year and the Patissier of the year, and Christmas in January Awards 2012. The business was also nominated for Desserts & Sweet Treats company of 2018 and 2019 by the Association of Professional Party Planners and Event Managers of Nigeria (APPOEMN). She was named as one of the 100 women who made impact in 2019 by Guardian Nigeria.
In 2017, she pioneered her range of indigenously produced frozen cookie dough -The ILD Frozen cookie dough range. It was the first in West Africa.
In her spare time, Ugboma, an ardent Manchester United fan, loved soccer game and movie. She also loved reading or exploring a new city. She dreamt of launching an online desserts training school for aspiring chefs, baking enthusiasts and home cooks someday.
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to pray against banditry, kidnapping and religious division in the country.
Buhari said this in his Eid message to Nigerians posted via a series of tweets by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu, on Wednesday.
The president prayed for peace, safety, security, brotherhood and love amongst all Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
“We should jointly pray against the tragic incidents of kidnapping and banditry and the desperate quest for political power expressed through blackmail against the existence of our country as a united entity,” Buhari said.
He noted that Nigerians must resist the temptation to retreat into their respective communities, charging political and religious leaders as well as traditional rulers to encourage citizens of Nigeria to turn towards one another in love and compassion.
The president said it was noteworthy and delightful to see Christians breaking fast and extending goodwill and gifts to Muslim faithful during the Ramadan.
“This model also shone through with Muslim groups joining Christian festivities. These are practices that promote brotherhood and forgiveness,” said Buhari.
Having placed restrictions on public gatherings and ban pubs across the country, the president urged Nigerians to continue to observe all COVID-19 prevention measures and celebrate responsibly during the holidays.
Insecurity has been a major challenge in Nigeria for over a decade.
The president has increased funding for the military and changed security heads in the country, but the challenges persist.
The capacity of the Buhari administration to decisively tackle insecurity in Nigeria has been questioned by critics, with some advising him to seek help.
Minister of Information Lai Mohammed said that the Federal Government possessed the capacity to end insecurity in Nigeria, but the menace has persisted in the country.
THE Nigerian government has agreed to address the menace of drug abuse, unemployment and criminal justice system reforms to tackle growing insecurity in the country.
These were parts of the resolutions reached during a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and security chiefs at the State House on Tuesday.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno, who briefed newsmen at the end of the meeting, said Buhari’s administration had approved steps that would help in mitigating the worsening insecurity in the country in the last one month.
“On my part, I briefed the council on the enablers of crime and the need to find quick responses with a view to mitigating the growing threats to society,” he said.
“These enablers are discussed in detail and Mr President has already given direction on how to deal with them, specifically issues of drug abuse as propellants for crime, how to make the criminal justice system much more effective, as well as looking at issues of unemployment, which, of course, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had given approval, through previous memos, on how to get 100 million people out of poverty.
“Already, the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has been given certain instructions on how to deal with this, but by and by, the council has agreed that the level of insecurity in the country, especially in the last one month, is something that has to be addressed with the immediacy that it requires.
“And at the operational level, of course, the chief of defence staff has been working with the service chiefs and the recommendations they’ve made to the council are already being handled.”
In March, Senate President Ahmed Lawan had blamed the country’s insecurity problems on the activities of some drug barons.
Lawan, who stated this when he hosted the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Buba Marwa, had noted that the barons provided funds and ammunition to insurgent groups such as Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, and other groups terrorising the country.
While calling for collaborative efforts among all security agencies to enhance border security, Lawan decried the rate of drug abuse among youths.
In April, the NDLEA arrested a Chadian, Adama Uomar Issa, who allegedly supplied illicit drugs to Boko Haram insurgents.
Unemployment
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s unemployment rate as of the end of 2020 rose to 33 per cent, from 27.1 per cent recorded in second quarter (Q2) of 2020, indicating that about 23.2 million Nigerians were unemployed.
The report shows that the estimated number of persons in the economically active or working-age population (15 – 64 years of age) during the reference period of the survey, Q4, 2020, was 12.2 million.
A combination of both the unemployment and underemployment rate for the reference period gave a figure of 56.1 per cent. This means that 33.3 per cent of the labour force in Nigeria or 23.2 million persons either did nothing or worked for less than 20 hours a week, making them unemployed by in Nigeria’s definitiona.
Experts have continued to advocate a holistic reform in the nation’s justice system to facilitate a flexible and quick justice delivery.
GOVERNORS from the southern region of Nigeria have banned open grazing and canvassed a review of the current security appointments in the country.
These were part of resolutions reached by the southern governors following the end of a meeting held on Tuesday in Asaba, Delta State.
Governor of Oyo State Seyi Makinde disclosed on his official Twitter handle, @seyiamakinde, that during the meeting with other governors, they resolved to advise the Nigerian government to convoke a national dialogue to address greater inclusiveness in existing governance arrangements.
“We also recommended a review of appointments into Federal Government agencies, including security agencies, to reflect federal character,” Makinde said.
He noted that it was also resolved that Nigeria needed to be restructured to reflect true federalism, leading to state policing and a change in the revenue allocation formula of the nation.
The governors also said they recommended the establishment of ports in other states to address congestion at Apapa ports in Lagos State.
On the security issues in the southern part of the country and attacks by armed herders, criminals and bandits, Makinde said the governors had decided to ban open grazing in all of southern Nigeria.
Amid calls for secession from groups in the southern region, the governors reinstated their commitment to the unity of Nigeria, stating that they supported peaceful coexistence between all citizens on the basis of justice, fairness, equity and oneness.
A total sum of ₦13.5 million has been awarded to three victims of Police excesses by the LagosState Judicial Panel of Inquiry investigating abuses by members of the disbanded State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state.
A 34-year-old trader Ndukwe Ekekwe was awarded the sum of ₦7.5m for the ordeal he suffered from men of the disbanded SARS.
Ekekwe, who had shops at Alaba International Market where he sold accessories and other general items, had told the panel how he was arrested on February 16, 2018, for crimes he did not commit.
According to his testimony before the panel, he was tortured, brutalised, and thrown down the two-story building of the shopping complex which housed his shops.
The Chairman of the Panel Doris Okuwobi, while delivering judgment on the petition, held that Ekekwe’s fundamental rights were violated under Section 34 of the Constitution.
The panel also recommended that the Police investigate and fish out its officers who brutalised Ekekwe with a view to sanctioning them accordingly.
In his immediate reaction, Ekekwe expressed displeasure with the amount awarded by the panel. He and his mother, who had been taking care of him since the incident happened, lamented that they had spent over N30 million at the hospitals and wondered what they would do with the “mere ₦7.5m awarded by the panel.”
Two other petitioners, Andrew Okoh and Isaac Adeshina, who suffered grievous bodily harm after they were shot in the leg by a police officer, were compensated with the sum of ₦3 million each.
MINISTER for Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said that the Nigerian government and its security personnel have the wherewithal to crush kidnapping, banditry and other forms of insecurity in the country.
The minister said this at a press conference held in Lagos on Tuesday, stressing that the Federal Government was not overwhelmed by the rising spate of insecurity in the country.
He hinted that while the nation’s military had superior fire power over the terrorists, caution was being exercised to avoid causing harm to the same people being protected.
He advised the Nigerian people against launching ‘deadly attacks’ on the nation’s security personnel, saying that an attack on security agents was an attack on the nation.
“I want to say, unequivocally, that an attack on our security men and women is an attack on the state and a declaration of war against the nation. It follows, therefore, that this will be countered with overwhelming force. Those engaged in this dastardly act will pay dearly for their actions,” he said.
He stated that the government was aware that the security challenges faced by the nation were systemic and had, therefore, adapted both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts in resolving the insecurity problems.
Mohammed stated that a meeting on national security was held in Kaduna on Thursday, April 8, which resulted in a 10-point agenda that would be implemented to tackle the security challenges in the country.
He stated that the government was actively engaging national stakeholders and discussants from outside the government in discussions as a means to finding a lasting solution to the challenges facing the nation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the government retains total confidence in the ability of our security forces to tackle the security challenges we are facing now, whether it is terrorism, banditry, kidnapping or even farmer-herder conflict,” he said.
He further appealed to all Nigerians to continue to support the security agencies facing the added task of watching their backs while also trying to protect the citizenry.
FEAR of COVID-19 spike forced the Nigerian government to order fresh COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings and ban on pubs and recreational centres across states in the country.
However, data obtained and analysed by The ICIR have shown that more Nigerians are not testing positive for the virus.
During a press briefing on Monday, the National Incident Manager Mukhtar Mohammed, who is a member of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, announced the new directives in Abuja.
According to Mohammed, the government had placed limits to public gathering and closed bars and recreational centres.
He noted that there would also be a curfew from midnight to 4 am with effect from Monday.
On the basis of the new restriction, Mohammed said it was in connection with the delay in vaccinating a large proportion of the Nigerian population which held a risk of a large outbreak.
He also stated that there were strong concerns about the non-compliance to public health and social measures, which were contained in the Health Protection Regulation 2021.
“Specifically, the level of adherence to the use of face mask, physical distancing, temperature checks in public spaces, hand washing, and limitations placed on large gatherings remain very poor. In some areas, these are even non-existent,” Mohammed said.
He stated that the action was to mitigate the risk of spikes in new cases, while the nationwide vaccine continued.
However, despite the increased non-compliance to COVID-19 protocol and disregard for other protective measures, recorded positive cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria have continued to decline.
In January, during the second wave of the COVID-19 virus in Nigeria, 42,831 cases were recorded as positive while in February, 24,041 positive cases were recorded.
A month after the commencement of vaccination, all through March, Nigeria recorded a total of 7,190 cases, a significant decrease from the previous month.
In April, only 2,225 cases came back positive while in May, a total of 358 tested positive for the virus. Between January and May, 776 persons have died from COVID-19.
Infographic of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria between April 1 and May 10, 2021
As the cases decline, the government has chosen to place another ban on bars and recreational centres as well as limit public gathering to 50.
The Nigerian government also cited global vaccine scarcity as one of the reasons for the new restrictions as only more than one million of its over 200 million population has received the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Since the commencement of the COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, as of May 10, 1.6 million residents have received a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Nigeria has recorded more than 165,000 positive cases of the virus, while 2,065 persons have died from it with 156,000 discharged. However, data show that the COVID-19 cases have been decreasing in Nigeria before the administration of vaccines.
FORMER Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Usman Yusuf, on Tuesday, revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Islamic cleric Abubakar Gumi ensured the release of 27 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Kaduna State without paying ransom.
He said this during a breakfast television programme, The Morning Show, when he featured on the Arise News programme in Abuja.
“I am nobody’s spokesperson, I speak for myself and I have never been shy of saying it as it is. The negotiations we got involved in to release the 27 students, no money exchanged hands.
“Let me be clear, no money changed hands, no shot was fired, no life was lost. This was the first negotiation that Sheik Gumi and Chief Obasanjo got involved in,” he said.
He said the kidnapping of the 27 students was the tip of the iceberg because rural folks in the North had been victims of these bandits for a long time, but the trend was now coming to the cities.
“And what we are seeing now in those universities —Afaka and Greenfield – with the bandits requesting for ransom is not new. Guess what, this is what our rural folks have been going through for years, negotiating to get their loved ones out and selling whatever they have, thanks to the inefficiency of our government.
“Everyone, if their loved one is taken, they will do whatever it takes to get their loved ones out. I have said it here severally on this table that this is what our people have been going through. Now it is on the news because it is coming closer to the cities,” he said.
The 27 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, spent seven weeks with their captors before they were released.
Kaduna State has been a den of kidnappers in recent times. Sixteen Greenfield University students are still in kidnappers’ den with their captors threatening to snuff lives out of them.
Parents of the students have paid N55 million, but the bandits said the money was used for feeding the abductees.Some parents have also been reported to benegotiating privately with the bandits.
THE escalating face-off between Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria Ejike Mbaka and Bishop of Enugu Catholic Diocese Callistus Onaga came to a head on Tuesday when the fiery priest closed down Adoration Ministry.
Mbaka announced in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists that the ministry would be shutdown till June 10, 2021.
Although there were insinuations that the development followed a suspension placed on the Adoration Ministry by the bishop, Mbaka, in the statement, explained that he took the decision because he was embarking on a private prayer ‘retreat for penance and atonement.’
The private prayer for penance and atonement might have been informed by the ‘seven-day fasting and prayer for atonement and reparation’ declared by Onaga in the Enugu Catholic Diocese after Mbaka’s supporters, mostly worshippers at the Adoration Ministry, attacked the Bishop’s Court and the Bishop’s official residence. The attacks had occurred after it was rumoured that Mbaka was abducted and detained in the facility, on May 5.
The irate worshippers had destroyed valuables and property in the residence and also desecrated the holy altar at the diocesan cathedral, and only Mbaka’s timely reappearance stopped them from wreaking more havoc.
Although Mbaka, as a priest of the Catholic Church, is subject to the authority of the bishop and the overall hierarchy of the Catholic Church, he runs the Adoration Ministry as a private worship centre.
Also, from all indications, members of the Adoration Ministry, most often referred to as ‘Adorers,’ only recognise Mbaka’s authority and are not likely to submit to the dictates of the bishop and other authorities of the Catholic Church.
Parts of the statement entitled ‘Notice to all adorers,’ which announced the shutdown of the Adoration Ministry read, “Our Spiritual Director, Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka, wishes to inform his beloved adorers that he has embarked on a private prayer retreat that will end on 10th June 2021.
“Consequently, no ministry activities shall be held in the ministry ground pending his return.
“He directs that members of the ministry are to observe this period of his retreat as they used to do during the usual January breaks of the ministry, by praying at their homes, being charitable and fasting according to their ability.”
The shutdown of the Adoration Ministry appears to be the culmination of events which commenced after Mbaka criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to guarantee security in the country.
Mbaka, who was among Buhari’s strongest supporters in the 2015 and 2019 elections when he described the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the country’s messiah, in a recent sermon, said God was angry with the president over his inability to address high level of insecurity in the country.
He called on Buhari to resign, or be impeached by the National Assembly.
Reacting, the Presidency tried to cast doubts on Mbaka’s integrity, accusing the cleric of being angry with Buhari because the president refused to give him contracts in return for his support during the 2015 election.
Mbaka also attracted the ire of the Nigerian government and the leadership of the Catholic Church after he expressed support for the leader of the secessionist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
He later revealed, after his supporters alleged that he was abducted when he was invited to a meeting with the Enugu Catholic bishop, Onaga, that the leadership of the Catholic Church in Enugu planned to keep him away from the public for 30 days, and then send him away to Rome over his comments on Buhari and Kanu.
The temporary closure of the Adoration Ministry is coming about 48 hours after Mbaka apologised for the conduct of his members. He also dismissed the widely held view among members of the Catholic Church that he was not obedient to the leadership of the church.
Authorities of Catholic Church had, on several occasions, warned Mbaka to desist from getting involved in politics. But the priest had continued to wade into politics with highly controversial sermons and prophecies.
“I do not disobey the church, who am I? How can someone who has been serving the church for nearly 26 years come out and begin to fight the same church? Everything in my life is for the church,” Mbaka said while apologising in a sermon on May 9.
The leadership of the Enugu Catholic Diocese has been engaged in a long running ‘battle’ with Mbaka as the church tries to keep the controversial priest in line.
In 2016, Mbaka was transferred out of the Christ the King Parish, GRA, Enugu, where he served for over a decade and had established the Adoration Ministry, to a new post, Our Lady Parish, in Emene, Enugu.
Although the transfer of priests was a normal practice in the Catholic Church, Mbaka and his supporters kicked against the development.
Mbaka said the transfer was a calculated move to make him suffer.
At the time, it was also insinuated that the transfer was aimed at ‘killing’ the Adoration Ministry by removing Mbaka from its location, but the worship centre continued to thrive after the priest moved the Adoration Ground to a new place at Emene, in Enugu.
