Archbishop Of Nigeria To Settle Row Between Bishop And His Church After They Locked Him Out

 

An ongoing dispute between a Nigerian bishop and his cathedral is to be dealt with by the primate of the country's Church.


The Most Rev Nicholas Okoh will intervene to try to solve the issue, Anglican Ink reports, after Bishop Blessing Erifeta was locked out of his own cathedral by his congregation last year.

He is accused of 67 counts of misconduct, including "financial recklessness, mal-admin­istration, disrespect to elders and embark[ing] on incessant trips abroad with the diocese funds," according to a petition delivered to Okoh.

The diocese denies the allegations.

Diocesan secretary Churchill Akure said according to Anglican Ink: "Bishop Erifeta is a man of God not without mistakes, he has done well to lead us, he loves the Bible, and he delights more in teaching it and in prayers. No one should discourage him from continuing. He learns every day as he leads us and has improved on himself greatly. So, no one should drag us backward."

Protests over Bishop Erifeta's alleged misbehaviour turned violent in July resulting in five people being hospitalised.

Soldiers were called to restore order at the St John's church at Amukpe, in Southern Nigeria's Edo State in the Niger Delta after protestors barricaded the church over calls for Erifeta – Bishop of Sapele – to resign.
As a synod meeting began deliberations, protesters waving placards surrounded the church, preventing some delegates from entering and blockading the Bishop and other delegates inside.

The vicar of St John's called for assistance from the authorities, who dispatched a squad of soldiers assigned to protect a nearby oil pipeline to restore order.

The soldiers disrupted the siege of the church and in the process four women and a youth were injured.