According to the Secretary-General
of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Reverend Father Ralph Madu, Rev.
Father Ejike Mbaka’s transfer was to make him more useful in his service. He
refuted claims by Mbaka that his transfer was a punishment and a calculated
move to make him suffer.
"Mbaka’s transfer is not an
exception; the Bishop has the right to post any priest wherever he feels his service
would be more useful to the church.
His posting should have been a
privilege, not a punishment which the Bishop can do because he has the power.
If he says it’s a punishment, then it’s open for further investigation. Posting
is a regular thing, a priest can be transferred after two, three, four, or more
years. It depends on the discretion of the Bishop. That ministry (Adoration
Ministry) is his private ministry. It does not belong to the church. Overseeing
a parish is a full time job. Overseeing a ministry is a bigger task. If the
church decides to take him somewhere where he’ll have more time to carry out
his ministry, how is it punitive? That should not be the language.”he said
Madu said Mbaka had done things that
were unacceptable to the church in the past but received no punishments for
them.
“He is supposed to be a missionary.
What if the Bishop had closed down the ministry , which is within his power to
do? Sometimes, transfers can be for the good of the priest as something can be
going wrong which he might not be aware of. The Bishop is free to move any
priest at any time, it is his prerogative.”
Fr Mbaka
is to resume immediately at his new post at the Our Lady Parish, Emene. The
priest, who is as fiery as he is controversial, had described his re-posting by
the church as a “calculated move” to make him suffer.”
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