Religious Politics: Soludo Waves Olive Branch, assures reverse of trends as Anglicans frown at marginalisation

(By Alex Uzoigwe & Michael Nwankwo)

 The people of Anambra State who seemed to have been long torn into various antagonistic denominatinal cleavages as a result of religious politics of past administrations, may, all things being equal, drink, figuratively, from one liturgical vessel once again.

The State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, assured the possibility of the dream.

as he preached ecumenism at the round off of the four-day annual Synod of the Diocese on the Niger at the All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha, yesterday, Sunday, June 12, 2022.

Prof. Soludo who had, while responding to various complaints by the Bishop on the Niger, the Rt Rev. Dr Owen Nwokolo, concerning short-changing and marginalisation of the Anglican Church in the state by previous governments, vowed to reverse the status quo.

According to him, “Whether Anglican, Roman Catholic or Pentecostal, we are all one — Christians. For me, I always have one single message; Ecumenism. We are all one, because we, as people of God, we are one body of Christ. 

“There’s no difference between and among the denominations. We are all one body of Christ. Anambra therefore is a Christian state. We must not surrender to the divisive antics of idolatrous elements in the state. They are back and we must unit to take back our state with the Bible in our right hand”, the governor emphasized.

He insisted that divisive language in the state would, at all cost, cease having, himself, said to have commenced what he called multi-denominational solemn worships in Government House, Awka where he disclosed that denominations in turn conduct church services on alternate days.

“We must change the language. This concept of ‘us versus them’ must change, for if we are divided, the idolaters will take over”, he said.

Concerning the contentious largesse which past administrations usually gave to denominations as grants, the governor explained that the practice would be 

reviewed based on its appropriateness considering the financial reality of the state.

He wondered the feasibility of giving financial assistance to no less than 20 faith – based universities in the state where, according to him, the state had its own universities, colleges of education, polytechnics and civil servants to take care of with lean resources.

On the issue of insecurity, Governor Soludo vowed to ruthlessly deal with all forms of banditry and criminality in the state.

calling on everyone in the state to join hands with the government in securing the state.           

He revealed that most of the criminal elements hid in various forest in rural communities from where he said they constantly unleashed attacks on the people.

 “We must take back our state from these criminals. They are in camps. They are everywhere in the bushes and in many homes. What do they do? They go about causing mayhems everywhere with juju, by which they indirectly bring back juju and Idol worship in the state.

“You can notice that idol worship is becoming the fastest spreading religion in the state now. But we are promising them that no bush, no forest, no house can accommodate them and us in Anambra any more. Darkness and light cannot be together,” he remarked, saying, “Every day we are picking them one by one”.

He promised that the state would soon declare a state of emergency on roads and streets in the state as soon as the rains were over and appealed to Ndị Anambra to be patient with the government.