A Benin High Court, headed by Justice Roland
Amaize, has granted an injunction stopping the proposed installation of
Augustine Obiora Akubeze as the Catholic Archbishop of Benin
Archdiocese on the 28th of April 2011.
The Edo Liturgical Group had insisted that a
bishop of Benin extraction should be installed as Archbishop of Benin
Metropolitan See, claiming that since 1485, when the first Catholic
missionary priest visited Benin kingdom, the choice of any Benin priest
to reach the exalted position of bishop in the Catholic Church has
always been subverted.
The injunction followed a suit filed by Osakue
Vincent, A.I. Ayemwenre, and Chris Aghimien on behalf of Edo Liturgical
Group, seeking an Order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining Mr
Akubeze from presenting himself for installation.
In the suit No. B/286/M1/2011, in which Anthony
Okonkwo Gbuji, also a bishop, and Mr Akubeze are defendants, the
applicants are seeking an injunction to stop Mr Gbuji from taking any
further steps to actualise Mr Akubeze’s wrongful appointment “or any of
the Defendants doing anything whatsoever and howsoever inconsistent
with the rights and privileges of the plaintiffs pending hearing of the
Motion on Notice.”
After listening to counsel to both parties,
Justice Amaize granted the order sought by the applicant and thereafter
adjourned sitting to May 3rd, 2011, for hearing of the case proper.
It was gathered that Catholic faithful in the
state were already donating towards the installation of Mr Akubeze as
Archbishop of Benin Metropolitan See scheduled to hold on the 28th of
March, 2011.
