Peter Obi's govt denies allegation of religious politics in Anambra

Prof. Chinyere Okunna

The Anambra State government has denied allegation of religious bigotry in schools in its domain.

This denial was communicated to DigitalSENSE Business News correspondent by Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna, Chief of Staff and Hon Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Anambra State, under the leadership of Gov. Peter Obi of APGA.

She was reacting to comment by a chieftain of ACN in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe which alleged that “some Anglican Schools in Anambra State affected by flood recently are being forced into Catholic Schools against their wish. This matter came up today at St Barths Aguda Surulere. We need to know the truth.”

Prof. Okunna, a core Anglican serving in the Government of Anambra State, said it would be unhealthy to ignore the above question by Igbokwe.

According to her, she felt disturbed over the above allegation by a clergyman of her denomination who, obviously out of ignorance, has apparently played into the hands of religious bigots and detractors who have been searching in vain for 'evidence' of 'religious politics' in their desperate efforts to malign the Peter Obi Administration in the State and would only like to set the records straight.

“In the Anglican Communion in Anambra State, the Dioceses worst hit by the flood were Mbamili Diocese in Anambra West LGA, Ogbaru Diocese in Ogbaru LGA and Niger West Diocese in Anambra East LGA,” she listed, adding that after the flood, Anambra State Government did not receive a single complaint from any of the three Bishops or from the Head of the Anglican Communion in the State, especially His Grace, Archbishop Efobi that "Anglican schools [were] being forced into Catholic Schools against their wish."

Secondly, she noted that immediately on getting Joe Igbokwe’s posting over the Internet, and a text message to Governor Peter Obi on the Vicar's utterances, the government of Anambra State contacted major stakeholders, particularly the Bishops of the flood-affected Dioceses.

These, she noted, included Bishop Henry Okeke of Mbamili, Bishop Samuel Ezeofor of Ogbaru and Bishop Prof Nkwoka of Niger West.

She maintained that their responses confirmed “there was no case of any Anglican school forced, or being forced, into any Catholic school.”

As matter of fact, she pointed out that one of the Bishops went further to contact the Vicar of St Barths Anglican Church Aguda to ascertain his source of information, and confirmed that the Vicar acted on false information.

“I have taken time to present the above facts so that the members of the congregation at St Barths Church on Sunday 7th April would know that the Vicar's utterances were based on information which, unfortunately, he did not verify before making such categorical statements in such a public gathering,” she declared.

Stressing that her explanation put paid to Joe Igbokwe's Internet posting on this matter and cautioned of undue utterances on this allegation.

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