The Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev Fr Ejike Mbaka may no longer be in charge and officiate liturgical activities at the Adoration chaplaincy.
Fr Mbaka on Thursday announced in a statement that Adoration Ministry activities would resume on Sunday.
It was gathered that an attempt to replace Mbaka with another priest by the Enugu Catholic Bishop Callistus Onaga was resisted on Sunday as the congregation attempted to mob the new priest.
Mbaka had barely announced his successor when Adoration faithful who had thronged the Emene ground to receive him after about three months of suspension went wild in protest.
They were shocked by the transfer of Mbaka after months of suspension and vehemently rejected the new Chaplain.
The uprising was soon directed at the new priest identified as Fr. Anthony Amadi, who had to be whisked away as the crowd surged to attack him.
Mbaka according to sources will be going to a monastery for the time being. Meanwhile, some members of the church vowed that no other priest would be welcome to the Chaplaincy, alleging a gang-up from certain quarters in the church against Mbaka.
The Catholic Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev Onaga, on June 3 banned Fr Mbaka from commenting on partisan politics. Shortly after the initial ban was lifted, Mbaka violated the ban and verbally attacked Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, describing him as a ‘stingy man’.
Following outrage and condemnation that trailed the attack on Obi, the Bishop issued a pastoral injunction on attendance to Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu, and enjoined all Catholics to stop visiting the ministry till further notice.
The Bishop also advised the Catholic faithful to pray for Mbaka.
