By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Emotions ran high in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday shortly after the dedication of the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi Cathedral, as a Knight of the Roman Catholic Church, Sir James Louis, popularly known as Ebube Anaedo, publicly renounced his knighthood and declared his exit from Christianity, citing non-recognition and non-acknowledgement of the late Senator Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah during the historic ceremony, despite his contributions to the gigantic project.
Sir Louis, a native of Nnewi, was seen in widely circulated videos weeping uncontrollably shortly after the dedication ceremony, lamenting what he described as a grave injustice and unjustifiable omission against the late Senator, whom he said played a critical role in the construction of the Cathedral even from the foundational stage.
According to reports, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah was, at a point, the only financier of the massive Cathedral project and also remained the largest individual contributor to the project up to finishing stage before death stuck.
However, it was alleged that throughout the dedication ceremony, which attracted high-profile dignitaries, clerics and stakeholders from within and outside Anambra State; Ubah’s contributions to the project was never acknowledged, nor his efforts appreciated.
Moments after the videos and expressions of Sir Louis began trending on social media, it was gathered through further details that emerged, that the widow of the late Senator was neither invited to the event nor sighted anywhere at the venue, a development that further deepened the sense of grievance expressed by sympathisers.
Speaking emotionally in the viral videos that have since dominated social media discussions, Sir Louis accused the Roman Catholic Church of failing to honour the memory and sacrifices of the late lawmaker. He lamented that Ubah was not even mentioned for prayers or acknowledged with a simple “May his soul rest in peace” during the ceremony, let alone being honoured with an observance of a minute of silence usually declared in memory of a dead who made significant contributions.
In his words, Sir Louis described such omission by the Nnewi Catholic Diocese as deeply painful and unacceptable, repeatedly crying “Ifeanyi Ubah ndooo (sorry)” as he addressed those around him. He went on to declare that the incident marked the end of his Christian journey, stating bluntly that he was no longer interested in the Church.
To underline his protest, Sir Louis was seen holding his Knighthood boots (shoes) in his hands, having pulled it off already while coming out of the church building after the dedication mass. Standing barefooted with just his stockings, he also pulled off his chapeau (Knighthood cap), while publicly declaring before the people of Nnewi, the Catholic community and the wider public that what was done to the late Senator was unfair and morally wrong.
These expressions and videos of Louis expectedly sparked intense reactions and counter-reactions online, with many netizens sharing same perspectives with him and agreeing that the late Senator deserved explicit recognition, given his undisputable largest financial commitment to the project.
However, others have criticised Sir Louis’s action as excessive and unnecessary, arguing that such personal protest should not translate into his total renunciation of faith, and that Ubah’s recognition should be in heaven and not on earth.
Some commentators also challenged the claim of non-recognition, sharing excerpts from the Cathedral’s event brochure which reportedly acknowledged Senator Ubah’s support, as well as circulating what has been described as an old video showing a Bishop publicly recognising Ubah’s contributions during a previous mass.
Another video excerpt has also recently surfaced on social media showing the Bishop “passively” mention Senator Ubah’s name while speaking at the dedication ceremony.
These defences, however, have been dismissed by commentators as weak, disjointed, flimsy, and baseless; as well as ineffective in addressing the concerns raised.
As of the time of this publication, the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi is yet to issue any official statement in response to or addressing the allegations raised by Sir Louis; neither has there been any official clarification by the Diocese on the extent to which the late Senator’s contributions were acknowledged during the dedication ceremony.
