30th September, 2022
The Adoration Ministries, Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN) has announced a date for the resumption of activities at the centre.
In a statement issued on Thursday and credited to Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of AMEN, the centre said activities would resume at the facility on October 2.
“Dear Adorers, To the glory of God, Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria Amen starts on Sunday 2nd October 2022 with 10 am Mass at the Adoration ground, Umuchigbo, Iji Nike Emene, Enugu State,” the statement reads.
“God bless you miraculously as you come to worship God with us.”
The announcement comes 15 weeks after the Catholic Diocese of Enugu banned clerics and the lay faithful from participating in activities at the centre.
The ban followed controversy over a comment by Mbaka, who had described Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), as “stingy”.
Mbaka had also asked his followers not to vote for Obi in the 2023 presidential election — a comment which elicited widespread criticism.
Speaking on the development at the time, the diocese had said the spiritual director’s position violated the provisions of the canon law, “which forbids priests from engaging in partisan politics”.
“In the light of the happenings in the Catholic Adoration Ministry Chaplaincy Enugu capable of undermining the Catholic faith and teachings; and after several fraternal corrections and admonitions to Fr. Camillus Ejike Mbaka, the Chaplain of the Ministry Chaplaincy, which he persistently violated; and in the fulfilment of my pastoral duties as the Chief Shepherd with the obligation to promote and safeguard the Catholic faith and morals in Enugu Diocese, I hereby prohibit all Catholics (clergy, religious and lay faithful) henceforth from attending all religious and liturgical activities of the Catholic Adoration Ministry until the due canonical process initiated by the Diocese is concluded,” Callistus Onaga, bishop of the diocese, had said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Mbaka apologised and sought forgiveness from Obi’s supporters, adding that his comment was misunderstood.
However, it is not clear when exactly the diocese lifted the ban on AMEN, and efforts to confirm had not been successful as of the time of this report.