By Rev. Fr. Gerald Nwafor
Both people in the title above are from the Igbo nation. They are from the same state called Anambra state. They are domiciled in the United States of America. In a larger sense, we may say that they are from Nigeria. So, they have a lot in common.In this episode I will deal with facts only and what the customs of the Igbo people would portend.
The Igbo people say that an elder should not be in the house and the goat would deliver a baby in tatters (Okenye ada anon a uno ewu amua na ogbuli); there is another version of the saying that posits that an elder cannot be in the house and the goat would strangle itself (Okenye ama ano na uno ewu anwua na ogbuli).
The Igbo people cherish their sons and daughters (Okpala and Ada) so much that they are given a proper place and post in the traditional Igbo milieu. When any of them achieve success proper respect is accorded. Chimamanda is a literary giant acclaimed by the whole world. I have read most of her works (Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, et al) and listened to most of her interviews and presentations.
You cannot but succumb to the talent thereof. On the other hand, Fr. Christopher is a catholic priest who has served in the US Army and is well-read with a PhD. The people of Agulu in Aniocha local government have given us a worthy son in Rev. Fr. Dr. Christopher and the people of Abba in Njikoka local government have given us a worthy daughter in Chimamanda Adichie. They have represented us exceedingly well in the private and public domain.
The bruhaha that enveloped the social media between the two siblings (if I may use the Igbo context that connects every Igbo person as your brother or sister) is mind-boggling. Our daughter was called to speak to the ruling class or what one may refer to as the political class and she once again made reference to her encounter with Rev. Fr Christopher and said it had been two years since this happened, but she was still dealing with the anger. Therefore, she was talking from a standpoint of rage.
She said that she had forgotten about the interview, but the priest had not forgotten it. Their proverb (Igbo people) states that the mouth may forget what it said but the heart that was addressed does not forget (Onu kwulunu ga echezo mana obi agwalu ada echezo).Chimamada said that she gave an interview in which she criticized the Church, which is a fact.
As an intellectual and an academic is it not a common thing in the circle of intellectuals to expect a rebuttal and a right of response when they speak? Because knowledge or learning is an intellectual marketplace where ideas are traded (bought and sold). One may wonder why Fr. Eze’s rebuttal became a thing of rage to Chimamanda that has not gone away for two years.
According to our daughter Ngozi, she said that she is suffering from “shimmering, glowering, unending rage” as she speaks. Maybe she did not expect this parish priest to do the rebuttal. The parish priest is a child of the Church that was criticized.
The Igbo people say that a child who arrives at the village square and sees the father pinned down and being rough-handled should not wait for an explanation. The child should rescue the father first before asking what the problem is; if not the villagers would ask about the paternity test (Nwata fulu ebe eji nna ya na ani kajubagodu ife na ese, malu na oburo nwokea mulu ya). Fr. Ezeh did the needful as a child of the Church. Besides, when the rage or anger in our daughter subsides, she will come to appreciate the good Fr. Ezeh did for her. Imagine if Fr. Ezeh did not respond to the interview and no one did it would be a mad person’s statement, because the people from the Igbo tribe said that a word or statement that was not responded to are words of mad people (Okwu asaro asa bu okwu onye ara).
The worry should be if Fr. Ezeh insulted Ngozi our shining star in the literary world, the Igbo people would take offense. But if it is a constructive rebuttal to constructive criticism there is nothing to worry about. Our people would like to know what the problem is. Content of Fr. Ezeh’s rebuttal or context of the rebuttal. Chimamanda said it was her mother’s funeral and I believed her.
That is to say that what Fr. Ezeh said would be on camera because I saw Chimamanda’s speech on the internet, but no one has seen the priest’s speech. For good judgment we should be able to hear from both sides: none should be hidden from the public.
The person who was recording the funeral ceremony should also publish on the internet the priest’s rebuttal because that is the crux of the matter.Chimamanda said that the bishop of Fr. Christopher supported Fr. Christopher, and a friend of hers who she did not want to mention by name probably supported Fr. Ezeh which was why she no longer considers the person a friend now.
Maybe the friend’s name needed to be mentioned because the friend may have a mega microphone like her so that Channels TV, AriseTV, AIT, and NTA would carry all the opinions for the public to judge correctly. She said that the Catholic Church in Nigeria has become too much about money, she further said that it was true and flagrantly true. That is a bold statement and hasty generalization. I don’t know how many churches she has gone to in Nigeria to make that statement.
I saw in one of her interviews where she said that she doesn’t go to church anymore but with the position of Pope Francis she may come back to the Church. Hence, she was reporting what people told her. If people are reporting Catholic Church activities to you and you are using it as a point of reference or factual statement, should it not be wise as a scholar to do some kind of ethnographic studies to have a firsthand experience and not hearsay because (Onye ana agbalu ama ona ekweta, ojukwalu ma onye etulu ori ekwego na ozulu).
She wanted the Church to punish Fr. Ezeh for defending the Church but allow her to continue criticizing the Church. Between the two siblings now, who has a fragile ego and is unable to take criticism? This family feud would have ended at St. Paul’s Catholic Church Abba where it happened, if not for the rage of our respectable daughter who chose to make it a point of reference.
Our daughter wanted justice, not peace. What would be justice if one may ask? Public apology? Excommunication of Fr. Eze? Laicization of Fr. Eze? Remove Fr. Ezeh from Abba? I do not know which one our daughter would like.
I would like her to stop the anger and rage for now because according to Rumi “Anger is like a strong wind, it calms down after a while, but lots of branches are already broken.” Every statement needs peer review, a rebuttal, and a reconstruction.
If you do not feel comfortable with that feedback, please do not speak (Ofia na aso nkata, nya epuna elo). The elders in Abba and Agulu, we are calling on you to call our daughter and our son to sheath their swords so that justice and peace may reign (Enu ji offor, ani ji offor (but thanks to God that) Offor ma onye ji ya).
