I Can’t Be Sacked, Says Embattled Anglican Priest

THE embattled Anglican priest in the Diocese on the Niger, Rev. Canon LumenCristi Eboh, has said nobody has the power to dismiss him in the communion.

He said he remained a priest in the Melchizedek order and could not be dismissed from priesthood, except by God.

The diocese had at a news conference announced Eboh’s dismissal, following alleged misconduct and disobedience.

The Bishop, Rt. Rev. Owen Nwokolo, through the Deputy Chancellor, Sir Ben Uzuegbu (SAN), accused the priest of abscondment to several invitations to various allegations.

But the cleric said yesterday that his purported dismissal by the bishop, which was in exercise of his canonical powers, was limited to his (Eboh’s) ability to serve only in the diocese.

Speaking through his lawyer, Stanley Okafor, he accused the bishop of making references to matters already in court against him, as well as anchoring his suspension and dismissal on imaginary allegations.

He claimed to be the only priest not on the payroll of the diocese.

He said: “My attention has been drawn to statements, which emanated from the deputy chancellor and director of communications of the diocese that tainted my character and portrayed me in bad light at a news conference.

“Needless to say that these agents of the diocese acted at the pleasure of my lord bishop.

“One would have expected a respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his peers to advise the bishop aright that matters in court should be stepped down pending determination of substantive matters by court of proper jurisdiction.”

“If indeed these matters are before the court of law, why would my lord bishop therefore pre-empt the court by suspending and dismissing me on those same allegations, even when my innocence or otherwise has not been determined by these courts?”

Eboh had resigned his priesthood, stressing that the decision followed protracted threats from the bishop, as well as accumulated acrimony between two of them.

He refuted being a Catholic seminarian before switching over to the Anglican Communion, saying he had been an Anglican from birth and would remain there till death.

Describing his alleged impregnating of a girl as funny and diversionary, Eboh said he was advised by his legal team to refrain from comments on the matter, pending conclusion of investigations.