The Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defender’s Foundation (HURIDE) have condemned the forceful eviction of tenants from shops in Awka, which occurred without due process and following a quit notice issued by the Catholic Diocese of Awka.
The right groups, in their statement in Awka, said it was wrong and insensitive of the Catholic Diocese of Awka to have forcefully evicted the tenants, even if they had a court judgment, since the church should be seen as a humanitarian organization, not a militarized and despotic organization.
They said throwing out those tenants in a most callous manner actually interrogates the integrity of a mission like the Roman Catholic church, which is being held in high esteem as the epitome of the gospel of Christ and hope for the oppressed.
Speaking to The News Chronicle correspondent on behalf of the groups, Dede Uzor A Uzor, who is the Chairman, CD in South East Zone and Executive Director, HURIDE, wondered how the Church could display such a degree of insensitivity, callousness, and brigandage, and what gospel they would be preaching to the people.
The group lamented that the church is seen as a fortress for the oppressed in the society, adding that when it turns around to become the oppressor, then the common man is in trouble.
The News Chronicle gathered that court bailiffs, allegedly acting under the supervision of the Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev. Father Charles Ndubuisi, destroyed the wares of the tenants during their forceful eviction from a shop along Secretariat Road, Awka.
However, the Chancellor insisted that the eviction was carried out in obedience to a court order given by Magistrate E.C. Chukwu of the Awka Magistrate Court, not the church.
The Court judgment granted the church immediate possession of the property at No 27 Secretariat Road, which was said to be owned by a late Catholic priest.
But, Osita Obi, who claimed his wife alone, a retired Deputy Director of Federal Civil Service, lost about N25m, said no quit notice or court order was served to them before the demolition.
Reacting, Dede Uzor noted that even if the church had a court judgment, it should have carried out the exercise with a human face, by first informing the tenants of the court judgment and their intention to execute it.
“This execution looks like ‘jankara’ type of execution done in a hurry to avoid an appeal, putting people’s sources of income in jeopardy.
“What is the hope of the people since the church cannot protect them anymore?” the right activist queried
He made it clear that they are not against the church recovering its property if it rightly belonged to them, but insisted that they are under an obligation to ensure that the right thing was not only done but done with a human face in line with the church teachings, in a human manner.
