The Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rt. Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma, has denied the allegation of moral and financial impropriety being peddled against him, saying he has no case to answer.
"I think the thing is that I have no case to answer in court. I have no case to answer in the sense that I have never contravened any offence that would take me to court in the spirit of the constitution of the church of Nigeria", he said.
Bishop Chukwuma who was reacting to some newspaper publications, told City Diary that since he came to the diocese in 1998 he had made frantic efforts to move the diocese forward by initiating programmes and projects to enhance the development of the place.
He said: "I came to this Diocese in 1998 and I came with the determination to move this place forward. And since I came to once turbulent diocese, it has experienced positive change.
"There is no doubt that when a new person comes to a place, he is bound to step on toes, there is bound to be new regulations, there is bound to be some changes, there is bound to be some reactions, particularly as a young man. When people begin to react and you make them know that there is bound to be some changes for progress and they refuse, then, you may decide to keep them aside. And when you keep them aside, there might be some resistance and they may decide to go to court".
He dismissed charges peddled against him saying that they were meant to embarrass and blackmail him by those whose candidate did not emerge the elected bishop of Enugu and those, who want to continue with their known ways, perpetrating their evil act of stealing money from the church now blocked"
All awarded contracts in the diocese, he said, have been cancelled and all such jobs are now handled by direct labour just as closer monitoring of all finances is being done. people, who served in committees for six years had to be relieved of their duties to give way for others, he said.
"All these things are what they see as problems. I dont think a law court has jurisdiction to tell a bishop how to do his work. I don't think I should take permission from the court to do anything I want to do. When I want to make transfers do I have to take permission from the court?", he asked; saying that those making noise were not members of his diocese and do not belong to any committee of the church in the diocese. He urged the public to ignore such sentiments being created by those people.
The cleric said, "as far as the constitution of the church is concerned, for anybody to bring any accusation to the court, he must belong to the parochial council of the church (PCC) or of the diocesan board"
"But none of these people fomenting this trouble belong to any parish in this diocese, contributes a kobo to this diocese, belong to any diocesan board, so, they have no locus standi. they do not belong to the Synod.
"As far as I am concerned since I have been the bishop of Enugu diocese, no time has the diocese accused me of any financial and moral impropriety, I had a successful synod , a vote of confidence was passed on me by the synod. they commended my efforts in the diocese so what problems do I have. these claims strengthened me the more and I thank God for it," he said.
As part of his project in the diocese, the bishop said the diocese is building a new cathedral, which has consumed over N30 million as well as a new bishop's court and church halls in the diocese without levying any church for the purposes, adding that a debt of over N11.5 million hanging on the diocese before he came in has been paid.
He commended his members for their efforts in helping to make the diocese grow, even as he ordained 11 deacons, eight priests, two canons and one archdeacon on July 28, at the Christ Church Uwanni, Enugu.