Awka Anglican Chancellor Nwafor Demands N5 Billion Label Damages From Supervising Bishop Ezeofor

 

Awka Anglican Chancellor Nwafor Demands N5 Billion Label Damages From Supervising Bishop Ezeofor 

As Tension Worsens Ahead Of Take Over 

Nkiru Nwagbo 

Less than 24 hours to the take over visit of the Supervising Bishop of Awka Anglican Diocese Rt Rev Bishop Samuel Ezeofor, the Chancellor of the Diocese who was removed by him BEI Nwafor SAN  has demanded label damages to the tune of N 5 billion from Ezeofor describing it as a defamation against his name .

Nwafor ordered the Bishop to withdraw the said sack letter and tender an unreserved apology to the Diocese over his actions.

Nwafor also accused the Bishop of faking the letter headed papers of the Diocese contending that the Diocese has its letter head and that there is nothing like Office Of The  Supervising Bishop.

According to the letter to the Bishop Nwafor stated that ; 

" The said publication is libellous as it was deliberately designed to tarnish my reputation"

" Your Lordship has no right to form your own letterhead with the inscription "OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISING BISHOP Rt. Rev. Dr. Samuel C. Ezeofor," purporting it to be the letterhead of the Diocese 

 of Awka and proceed to use such letterhead to write to me.

" The Diocese of Awka (Anglican Communion) has its own Constitution, namely, The Constitution and Regulations of the Diocese of Awka, 2023, which governs the affairs of the Diocese"

"It must be emphatically stated that the purported "OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISING BISHOP" Diocese of Awka, is unknown to, and unrecognised by, the Constitution and Regulations of the Diocese of Awka, 2023. Your Lordship cannot write any letter in the name of an office which does not exist"

 The Constitution and Regulations of the Diocese of Awka, 2023, has ample, clear, and unambiguous provisions on the administration of the Diocese during the absence of the Bishop, which was approved by the Church of Nigeria Standing Committee on 14th September, 2023.

 "The Standing Committee was established by section 50(1) of the Constitution and Canons of the Church of Nigeria, 2020, and the Primate is its Chairman (see section 50(3)). Section 10.4 of the Constitution and Regulations of the Diocese of Awka, supra, provides, as follows:"

Making reference to the Administration of the Diocese during the Absence or illness of the Bishop he stated that ;

"It shall be lawful for the Bishop in consultation with the Chancellor to provide for the administration of the Diocese during his absence from the Diocese or in case of his being incapacitated through illness, or absence for more than eight weeks from the Diocese by appointing an Administrator who shall have the same authority and jurisdiction as the Bishop has, and in case of death or resignation of the Bishop, the Administrator shall retain his authority until the

Primate shall make an order for the administration of the Diocese during the vacancy."

"From this provision, it is the prerogative of Archbishop-Ibezim and myself as the Chancellor to provide for the administration of the Diocese during the absence of Archbishop Ibezim from the Diocese by appointing an Administrator who shall have the same authority and jurisdiction as the Bishop has"

 "Even in the case of death or resignation of the Bishop, the Administrator shall retain his authority until the Primate shall make an order for the administration of the Diocese during the vacancy. The events of death or resignation of the Bishop have not occurred to justify the Primate to make an order for the administration of the Diocese"

The Chancellor further stated that;

". By virtue of Chapter 16 of the Constitution and Regulations of the Diocese of Awka, 2023,"

"The Bishop of the Diocese of Awka shall at his own discretion appoint the Chancellor, Deputy Chancellor, Registrar, Deputy Registrar and Legal Secretaries who shall be the Legal Officers of the Diocese of Awka".

" Pursuant to the provision of Chapter 16 of the said Constitution, I was appointed by Archbishop Alexander C. Ibezim, Ph.D., the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger and Bishop of the Diocese of Awka, as the Chancellor of the Diocese"

"Your Lordship is the current Bishop of the Diocese of Aguata (Anglican Communion) and does not have the power to appoint or remove me from office as the Chancellor of the Diocese of Awka (Anglican Communion)"

 The Chancellor  reminded the Bishop that "You are aware that your appointment letter is being challenged in the High Court of Anambra State in Suit No. A/371/2026 and there is a pending motion No. A/1795m/2026 seeking to set aside the letter"

". By the offensive and false words contained in your Lordship's letter, your Lordship has deliberately done damage to my credit and reputation and I have been exposed to scandal, odium and contempt"

Consequently the Chancellor insisted of the following demands ; 

" That your Lordship should withdraw the said offensive letter within one day from the delivery of this letter;

 "That your Lordship should, within two days from the date of delivery of this letter, publish an unqualified written public apology to me for the said offensive publication and give such publication the same widespread publicity in the print, electronic and online media"

"That your Lordship should, within seven days from the delivery of this letter, pay the sum of N5,000,000,000 (five billion naira) being damage for the libellous publication"

"Take notice that if you fail, refuse or neglect to comply with these demands, I will institute an action in court against your Lordship to obtain redress. Your Lordship is not above the law"