Benin-City — Since he was appointed as the Archbishop of the Benin Metropolitan See on 18 March, 2011, Augustine Obiora Akubueze has not had peace. Prior to his installation on 28 April, 2011, a group of Binis, under the aegis of the Edo Liturgical Group,agitated for a Benin bishop, accusing the hierarchy of the Catholic Church of marginalizing the Binis, especially their priests from emerging as bishops.
Attempts made to stop Akubueze’s installation through the courts and the Benin Traditional Council met a brick wall since the Vatican had spoken. In Catholic Church, the making of an archbishop or a bishop is a difficult process that requires divine guidance. One of the key leaders of the Edo Liturgical Group, Pa Vincent Osakue, a Knight of St Mulumba, led the opposition to the installation of Akubueze who also doubles as the Vice Chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference, to the palace of the Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, through petitions.
Meanwhile, Osakue’s action attracted the wrath of the top hierarchy of the Knight of St Mulumba. He was suspended from the Knighthood as his action was tagged anti-Catholic. However, the Benin monarch intervened in the matter and urged the parties to sheathe their sword while he looked into the matter. His intervention brought cessation of hostilities between the parties until Akubueze, an Igbo man from Anambra State, was installed. In 2012, the archbishop led a delegation to visit the Oba who gave him gifts from the palace. But unknown to Akubueze, more trouble was to come!
Agitation for Bini bishop
Sunday Vanguard learnt that the battle for an indigenous bishop started when Archbishop Patrick Ekpu, the immediate past Archbishop of Benin, was nearing retirement. Various groups such as the Afemai (Edo North), Esan (Edo Central) and Bini (Edo South), started praying for the creation of more dioceses to foster development. Sunday Vanguard gathered that before the Auchi Diocese was created, a prominent Esan son advised Ekpu to ensure that indigenous bishops were installed in the three senatorial districts of the state.
After the creation of Auchi Diocese, an indigenous bishop, Gabriel Dunia, emerged. But when Uromi Diocese (Esan) was created, Akubueze, who was then a priest at Iselle-Uku Diocese, was posted to Uromi, where he was ordained bishop on 25 February, 2006. Having found him worthy due to his performance at Iselle-Uku and Uromi and, particularly due to the universal nature of the church, he was moved to Benin Archdiocese to head the Metropolitan See.