Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
Parishioners of Saint Bernard’s Catholic Parish Ugueze Effium, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, have appealed to Ebonyi State Government, to release their parish priest, Rev. Fr. Timothy Ngwuta.
The priest has been in prison custody on the allegation of promoting the protracted Ezza/Effium crisis in the LGA which had led to loss of many lives with properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
However, his parishioners debunked the allegations levelled against the priest.
They made the appeal in a statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Laity Council in the parish, Ezinna Christian Ezakaoru, and Elder David Nweke-Eze, respectively.
The parishioners appealed to the State Governor, David Umahi, to consider the sanctity of priesthood and release their priest unconditionally to the church.
The Council appreciated the Governor for his relentless efforts in ensuring that peace returns to the war-torn community.
They also extended their gratitude to the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, and security agencies deployed to the area for their efforts and sacrifices ever since the war broke out between the two brothers.
The Council also expressed their gratitude to the Governor for his approval for the release of Hon. Chinedu Awoh, a member of the State House of Assembly, and Hon. Clement Odaa, the Chairman of Ohaukwu LGA, both of Effium Community, and appealed to him to extend such a heart of gold to the young priest.
They however expressed their dissatisfaction over alleged brutality and torture meted to the Priest by some heartless security agencies without thorough investigation and fair hearing, an act which inflicted severe injury on him.
The parishioners commended Umahi for approving immediate payment of salaries of civil servants from Effium, which they described as worthwhile.
They noted that the gesture would go a long way in relieving the sufferings of the affected families from the area.
The parishioners thanked the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Rev. Dr. Peter Chukwu for his mature disposition in handling the matter which led to the cancellation of the protest earlier scheduled by the Catholic faithful in the state over the continued detention of Ngwuta.
They assured of their readiness to embrace peace and pleaded with the Governor to consider the unconditional release of the priest as part of the peace processes.
The parishioners noted that his continuous detention in prison would not be telling good of the present administration.
