Why Catholic Bishop Rejected Umahi’s State Honours Award

By Charles Igbo

“Rather than give me an award, I would prefer you set in motion actions that would facilitate the termination of murder and sundry charges against my Priest, Rev. Fr. Timothy Ngwuta”

Nigerians love titles and awards, especially when such awards come from Government – State or Federal. Very few Nigerians reject such awards. Now, there is a new entrant. It is the  Roman Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki, His Lordship, Most Rev. Peter Nworie Chukwu.

His Lordship rejected a State Honours Award given to him by the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi.

The State Honours Award is fashioned after that of Rivers State, instituted by the Governor Nyesom Wike Government. This other day, Wike went beyond  Rivers State, and conferred Umahi with the highest Rivers State’s  Honour, reserved, or so most people thought, for serving Governors and former Governors of Rivers State – Grand Service Star of Rivers State – GSSRS.

In a letter dated 12th December 2022, Umahi told the Bishop of his desire to honour him with a State Honours Award. The Governor personally signed the letter, with all his titles and Honours Awards on display  – Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi, FNSE, FNATE, GSSRS, CON.

The category for the Bishop was “Commander”. Umahi said the State Government decided to honour His Lordship in recognition of his illustrious service to Ebonyi State and humanity. The day of honour – 22nd December 2022.

Titled NOTIFICATION OF YOUR SELECTION FOR THE MAIDEN STATE HONOURS AWARD 2022 AS COMMANDER, EBONYI HALL OF FAME (CEHF), the letter read in part: ” I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected by the Government of Ebonyi State for the conferment of State Honours Award as Commander,  Ebonyi Hall Of Fame (CEHF), pursuant to Ebonyi State Honours Law No 008 of 2022. This Award of Honour is in recognition of your illustrious service to Ebonyi State and humanity.”

Bishop Chukwu was asked to forward a brief of his biographical note and personal attainment to: [email protected].

However, instead of receiving His Lordship’s details, what the Governor received was a letter which rejected the Honours Award .

In the letter dated December 16, 2022, which  Bishop Chukwu personally signed, he rejected the Honour on two grounds. First, that he had not stayed long enough as the Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese to be considered for such honour. So, he asked Umahi to bestow that honour to his (Bishop’s) predecessor, Most Rev. Michael Nnachi Okoro for his long and meritorious service to God and humanity.

But here’s the most important reason, and why many think the Bishop rejected the Honours Award.

A Priest, under him, Rev. Fr. Timothy Ngwuta has been charged to Court by the Umahi Government of murder and sundry charges. The Bishop has solid reasons to believe his Priest is innocent of the charges.  So, he asked for his release from the Governor. His letter of rejection read  in part:

“Your Excellency, I wish to respectfully decline this award. I am barely one year in office. I am still struggling to fit into the high demands of the ecclesiastical office of the Bishop. So, I feel that I have not achieved much as to deserve an award. If I may suggest, I would wish that this award be bestowed on my predecessor, Most Rev. Michael Nnachi Okoro, for his long and meritorious service to God and humanity. Rather than give me an award, I would prefer you set in motion, actions that would facilitate the termination of murder and sundry charges against my Priest, Rev. Fr. Timothy Ngwuta.”

Recall that Nigeria’s award winning Novelist and Writer, Chimamanda Adichie, recently, rejected the National Honours offered him by the President Muhammadu Buhari Government.

Umahi will leave office on May 29, 2023, at the end of his two-term tenure in office  as Governor of Ebonyi State.