Bishop Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma of the Anglican Church, diocese of Enugu, early this morning, about 5a.m, mobilised and turned out his priests in the diocese and some placards-bearing miscreants and they locked government schools’ main entrances and exits and blocked/locked in/out the pupils and students of the three government secondary schools and a primary school and the Parish Priest and parishioners of a Catholic church located in the government-owned old WTC Enugu compound. The Catholic Church was reported to have been prevented by the blockade from celebrating Morning Mass there today.

We understand the bishop is claiming the schools, originally established by the past military administrations in the state, but are (re)located in the old WTC (Women Training College) compound. A past government of the state was said to have carved out a portion of the compound for worship by the Catholic Church and when the Anglican bishop protested, it carved out yet another portion for Anglican worshipers. But the irony of faith is that the Anglican bishop now claims the schools which originally were established by the state government. It was said that government gave a particular portion of the old WTC compound to the Anglican Church and not all, but the man is claiming all, including those schools that do not belong to any church but are relocated or located in the old WTC Enugu compound.

The old WTC is said to have been established by the former colonial government of defunct Eastern Nigeria. The bishop’s action this morning prevented the children from entering their schools and were all turned back home as at 9.30a.m. today when this observer met the incident while in transit to somewhere. The innocent children were seen loitering about in front of the main entrance, while the Anglican priests and the miscreants tried to block a newspaper car from entering the Catholic parish, St. Anthony’s Parish, Ogui New Layout, Enugu, also located in the old WTC compound.

The present government of the state returned former missionary schools to their original owners few years ago, but the three schools presently (re)located in the old WTC compound: City Girls’ Secondary Schools; Metropolitan Secondary School; and Urban Girls’ College, as well as Urban Primary School, were not originally established by any church but by the state government, and were not given to the church. But the bishop is claiming that since they are located in the compound they belong to his church. It was learned that not all the parts the bishop is claiming belong to the church.

•Photo shows Enugu Anglican Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma.

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