A 92 year old widow, Madam Juliana Onuorah, has
accused the priests of Our Lady’s Catholic Church,
Nkpor of attempts to snatch away her property
situated at Our Lady’s Industrial Centre, Nkpor in
Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.
Onuorah cried out to the world over alleged threat of
her life by the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha over
the property.
She described as untrue, reports that her family
engineered the attempt to burn down the building
housing the resident Reverend Fathers in the
church, adding that the arrest of her workers by
police officers was instigated by the church.
In an interview with our reporter, Madam Juliana
recalled that the foundation of Our Lady’s Catholic
Church Nkpor, was laid by the then Archdiocesan
Bishop, Cardinal Francis Arinze in thanksgiving and
fulfillment of her promise to God that she will build a
befitting Basilica to God if she returned to Nigeria
alive from Western Germany where she went for
medical treatment.
She regretted that after building the church inside
her estate, the Bishop of Onitsha Archdiocese and
the priests of the church were now trying to take
away the property from her.
Speaking on allegation of instigating arsonists to
burn down the priests’ house, Onuorah said, “I built
this place because I am in good term with the
priests and bishops. How can I instigate my
workers to set my property ablaze as the church
authority alleged and it is even a taboo to burn a
church. I don’t know why the church is fighting me
over my property.
“I built the church in
fulfillment of my promise
to God. I never knew that
my magnanimity will turn
against me. They
arrested all my workers,
closed my bakery and
chased my only
daughter around, pulled
down my perimeter
fencing and are
threatening to also burn
me alive here. Let God
reward all of us
accordingly”.
Juliana, who sobbed
uncontrollably when our
reporter visited, added
“let me state clearly that
the church is for worship
of God, they should
come and worship God
and go, but leave my
property alone. I am not
interested in the
proceeds they get from
the church. I even give
the little I have to
support the work of God
but what I cannot
tolerate is them taking
my own sweat and that
is why I am calling on
the world, the
government, activists to hear my cry. I don’t have
anything to fight the church and I don’t want
anything to happen to my only daughter”.
On her part, the daughter of the old widow, Lady
Patricia Onuohah who said she was in hiding
expressed disappointment at the church for
oppressing the old widow.
She said there was nothing the church had not done
to ensure they take away her mother’s property,
and that all that was possible because her father
was late.
When contacted on the matter, the Police Public
Relation Officer (PPRO) in Anambra State, Mr
Emeka Chukwuemeka said he had not been briefed
on the matter.
The Spokesperson of the Onitsha Archdiocese, Rev
Father Pius Ukoh did not pick his calls nor respond
to the text message sent to his mobile phone.
accused the priests of Our Lady’s Catholic Church,
Nkpor of attempts to snatch away her property
situated at Our Lady’s Industrial Centre, Nkpor in
Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.
Onuorah cried out to the world over alleged threat of
her life by the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha over
the property.
She described as untrue, reports that her family
engineered the attempt to burn down the building
housing the resident Reverend Fathers in the
church, adding that the arrest of her workers by
police officers was instigated by the church.
In an interview with our reporter, Madam Juliana
recalled that the foundation of Our Lady’s Catholic
Church Nkpor, was laid by the then Archdiocesan
Bishop, Cardinal Francis Arinze in thanksgiving and
fulfillment of her promise to God that she will build a
befitting Basilica to God if she returned to Nigeria
alive from Western Germany where she went for
medical treatment.
She regretted that after building the church inside
her estate, the Bishop of Onitsha Archdiocese and
the priests of the church were now trying to take
away the property from her.
Speaking on allegation of instigating arsonists to
burn down the priests’ house, Onuorah said, “I built
this place because I am in good term with the
priests and bishops. How can I instigate my
workers to set my property ablaze as the church
authority alleged and it is even a taboo to burn a
church. I don’t know why the church is fighting me
over my property.
“I built the church in
fulfillment of my promise
to God. I never knew that
my magnanimity will turn
against me. They
arrested all my workers,
closed my bakery and
chased my only
daughter around, pulled
down my perimeter
fencing and are
threatening to also burn
me alive here. Let God
reward all of us
accordingly”.
Juliana, who sobbed
uncontrollably when our
reporter visited, added
“let me state clearly that
the church is for worship
of God, they should
come and worship God
and go, but leave my
property alone. I am not
interested in the
proceeds they get from
the church. I even give
the little I have to
support the work of God
but what I cannot
tolerate is them taking
my own sweat and that
is why I am calling on
the world, the
government, activists to hear my cry. I don’t have
anything to fight the church and I don’t want
anything to happen to my only daughter”.
On her part, the daughter of the old widow, Lady
Patricia Onuohah who said she was in hiding
expressed disappointment at the church for
oppressing the old widow.
She said there was nothing the church had not done
to ensure they take away her mother’s property,
and that all that was possible because her father
was late.
When contacted on the matter, the Police Public
Relation Officer (PPRO) in Anambra State, Mr
Emeka Chukwuemeka said he had not been briefed
on the matter.
The Spokesperson of the Onitsha Archdiocese, Rev
Father Pius Ukoh did not pick his calls nor respond
to the text message sent to his mobile phone.
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