Anglican cleric accuses Malami of divisive tendency
Taclkes imo governor over remarks on Ekweremadu
The Archbishop of Enugu Province, Anglican Communion, The Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, has accused the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, of fueling disharmony between the Presidency and the National Assembly.
Speaking when protesting members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) visited him yesterday in Enugu, Chukwuma also reprimanded Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State for allegedly pursuing an anti-Igbo agenda.
Addressing the placard-carrying students who were objecting to the purported plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to unseat Ike Ekweremadu, the cleric said: “Ekweremadu’s election as Deputy Senate President was absolutely constitutional. He was elected by the entire Senate made up of members of different political parties.
“So, if the Senate does not complain, I don’t know why the Attorney General should be behind this course. I am calling for his resignation because he is the cause of all these problems. His continuous stay in office is a threat to democracy.”
Chukwuma continued: “Any attempt to ridicule or rubbish Ekweremadu will not be acceptable. It will be totally resisted. The principle of separation of powers should be allowed to drive the process of governance.”
On Okorocha, the cleric urged the governor to apologise to Ekweremadu over certain comments credited to him recently about the office he holds.
“The mere fact that somebody has won an election in Imo State under the APC should not materialise to threat on the position and office of Ekweremadu. The person who is going to the Senate under the APC is coming just for the first term. Whether you like it or not, he must come and pay homage to Ekweremadu.
“How can you as a governor who is just sponsoring one person, for the first time, be threatening that you will remove Ekweremadu? It is not possible.
“If he does not apologise, we are ready to disown him because he is not on the same page with us as an Igbo man. If he was sent by agents from outside, they have failed,” he stated.
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1 Comments
Partisan politics is carried out in murky waters all over the world. The on-going presidential campaigns in USA where the Republican and Democratic Parties are at each others’ throat is a good example. It is good for our religious leaders to get involved with current issues of the day. That is one way of lending morality to any debate and their followers can do with that. However, lending morality into any debate should be devoid of any bias of any coloration. This is because truth has no color. Where a religious leader cannot resist the temptation to biased one way or the other, it is better if he stays off the issue, if only to continue to command the respect of those who look up to him. Where the religious leader does not know enough of the issues involved in the matter, for the sake of maintaining the respect of that hold him up as role model, he is better off steering clear of the issue.
Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma has been known for years not to shy away from speaking his mind on any issue. Like Retired Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie in his younger days, Archbishop Chukwuma is a respected conscience of the truth in this country. However, I believe his accusation of Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation that the AGF is fueling disharmony between the Presidency and the National Assembly is misplaced.
Sentiments on ethnicity or religion or any other matter for that matter, should not becloud one’s ability to see the truth. Where one cannot overcome one’s sentiment one should stay clear.
We will review and take appropriate action.