Anambra monarch urges church to intervene in priest–land dispute

… Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi denied the allegations

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

NNEWI — The accepted ruler of Obosi assemblage successful Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, His Majesty Igwe Chidubem Iweka, has called connected the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha to intervene successful an ongoing onshore quality involving a Catholic clergyman and a onshore developer.

Igwe Iweka, who besides chairs the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, said connected Thursday that the municipality maintains zero tolerance for fraudulent onshore transactions and warned against activities that could origin upset successful the community.

The monarch explained that his efforts to mediate successful the quality betwixt Rev. Fr. Jude Uchegbusi of “Olu Ndi Enuigwe Adoration Family Obosi” and developer Mr. Raphael Ojiribe had been met with resistance. He expressed interest implicit rising tensions and urged religion authorities to telephone the clergyman to bid successful the involvement of peace.

“I person petitioned the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha implicit the matter. The Archbishop adjacent delegated elder priests to mediate, but the resolutions reached person not been respected,” Igwe Iweka said. He added that helium had avoided involving information agencies straight retired of respect for the church’s mediation relation but urged speedy involution to forestall further escalation.

Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi denied the allegations

Reacting, Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi denied the allegations, insisting the onshore successful question belongs to the Catholic Church, not him personally. He said the spot was acquired by the religion astir 15 years ago, and that portion of it was taken by the Federal Government for the operation of the Second Niger Bridge, for which compensation was duly paid.

According to him, “The Umuopi household and their associates privation to instrumentality implicit the church’s spot aft improvement has taken place. They brought successful Mr. Ojiribe to marque caller claims, and that is the root of the conflict.”

Meanwhile, the Umuopi household of Ire Village, Obosi, represented by its chairman, Mr. Kenechukwu Nwokolo, has petitioned some the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy and the Nigeria Police implicit alleged trespass and breach of peace.

In a petition filed done their lawyer, the household alleged that Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi had expanded his concern beyond the information sold to him and had besides made claims connected onshore sold to different developers. They further alleged that assemblage entree roads had been blocked arsenic a effect of the dispute.

The petitions, presently earlier some religion and information authorities, question redress to forestall what the household described arsenic “further encroachment and disruption of peace” successful Obosi.

The station Anambra monarch urges religion to intervene successful priest–land dispute appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.