Obiaruku Catholic protest frequent transfer of priests

Catholic faithful from various quarters in Obiaruku in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest over what they described as wrongful use of power and incessant transfer of parish priests by the Bishop of Warri Diocese.

The protesters who carried placards bearing different inscriptions saw the youths in their large number chanting war songs while tagging the bishop with different unpleasant names.

A reliable source who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the Bishop of Warri Catholic Diocese had formed the habit of transferring any parish priest posted to them that embarked on development projects as the present priest had only spent one year in Christ the King Catholic Church, Obiaruku.

They said that recently, the bishop transferred one Rev. Father Emmanuel Tobi to them as their parish priest and was received by members who promised to work with him, but to their surprise, as soon as the bishop heard that the reverend father had embarked on the building of the church, the bishop immediately transferred him and sent a new reverend father to the parish.

The sources continued that the issue of transferring priests was the handiwork of some of the members who do not want the development of the parish and who were making illegal money from the church, adding that such members had been influencing the new parish priest to embark on new projects instead of continuing with the one his predecessor had started in order to have their cut.

At the time journalists visited the church presently under lock and key members were seen in groups discussing the bishop’s frequent transfer of their parish priest, describing the action as punishment to Christ the King Catholic Church members.