By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
A Knight of the Catholic Church, identified as Sir James Louise, also known as Ebube Anaedo, on Wednesday publicly renounced Christianity, alleging unfair treatment meted out to the late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah by the leadership of the Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral, Nnewi.
Sir Louise expressed deep disappointment over what he described as the Church’s failure to acknowledge the significant contributions of the late senator toward the construction of the cathedral.
During the official inauguration of the cathedral on Wednesday, Sir Louise openly protested, stating that it was unjust that Sen. Ubah’s name was neither mentioned orally nor included in the inauguration brochure as one of the major contributors to the project.
In a video currently circulating on social media, the visibly distraught knight broke down in tears shortly after the Mass.
He lamented that despite the enormous financial and material contributions made by the late senator toward the cathedral’s construction, his efforts were completely ignored during the ceremony.
The emotional man was seen removing his shoes and cap items that form part of his knighthood regalia before declaring his renunciation of Christianity.
“This is my last day as a Christian. I am done. This is awful. How could anyone believe that this cathedral, which Ifeanyi Ubah laboured so hard to build, could be inaugurated without a single mention of his name? This is wrong. I am done with Christianity,” he said.
The video has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with many users condemning the Catholic Church for failing to acknowledge Sen. Ubah’s contributions.
As of the time of filing this report, however, the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi had yet to issue any official statement or explanation regarding the matter.
The grand and colourful cathedral edifice was inaugurated for use on Wednesday, an event that attracted numerous dignitaries and prominent personalities from within and outside the state.
The late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah had initiated the construction of the cathedral and reportedly financed the project up to an advanced stage. He had completed roofing the structure and installed windows, with the project estimated to be about 85 percent completed, before work was halted.
Further findings indicate that the situation changed following the posting of a new bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Jonas-Benson Okoye, to the Nnewi Diocese in 2022, who reportedly ordered Sen. Ubah to discontinue his involvement in the project.
