Catholic cleric, Ejike Mbaka, has explained his role in the alleged contract seeking allegation from the President Muhammadu Buhari administration against him.
Mr Mbaka, a staunch supporter of the president when the latter was in opposition, had last week called for the resignation or possible impeachment of the Nigerian leader whom he said have failed to tackle worsening state of insecurity bedeviling the nation.
He also berated the federal government, Imo State government and security agencies for killing members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) without trial.
Reacting to the criticism, the presidency through Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman, said the cleric attacked its principal because he failed to secure contracts from the Buhari administration.
In his explanation on Sunday while speaking to thousands of faithfuls in his Adoration Ministry, Emene, Enugu State, Mbaka admitted to have gone to see the president for contracts on the request of three contractors who reached out to him asking to be linked to the president.
The cleric who endorsed Buhari for second term said the alleged contract seeking occurred during the first tenure of the president and not recently as being peddled in some quarters.
“When they talked about giving Father Mbaka contracts, I don’t want to talk about that, I was laughing. It is a laughable, childish accusation. Whoever is saying that is a shame to himself and shame to the people he is representing,” Mbaka said. “The three men he talked about, I am not here to defend anybody’s stupid allegation but God used that man to tell the world that Buhari’s government is not giving me money.
“Shehu, may God bless you for telling everybody that you are not giving me a contract. And these are the three men that we brought that will handle insecurity for the country; they had the gadgets. The white people had the facilities. That was during the first administration.
“They said they will help them in conquering insecurity. They had the platform to end insecurity in this country under one month; under Abba Kyari. I just handed them over to the government people. They denied them of these.
“I don’t even know these people. They just came to Enugu and said, can I help them reach the government, that the level of insecurity in this country and how Nigeria has been shipping their oil out, refining and bringing them back, that we are losing.
“That they have all it takes to revive the oil apparatus in the country and get the whole youths employed and the issue of insecurity will die. These are the three people they rejected their offer, since they know how to talk.
“All the people they have been giving contracts, are they better than me? Am I begging them, do they know how many people I feed? Fortunately, they reported that they denied me of the contract — which contract?”
“And even the people they are talking about that went there, I didn’t even discuss one percent of ‘if you get this contract’; contract of securing the country? What am I going to gain from it?
“They have shown that they don’t have what they will call, reward mechanism. If Shehu is a human… I don’t even know who the Shehu is. He should be apologising that by now, they have not come down to say nagode Allah for surviving whatever they are passing through.
“The last person this administration should fight is Father Mbaka talking here because if they speak against me, the anger of heaven will be upon them and how they will end will shock everybody,” he added.
The Adoration Ministry boss also dared the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) to report him as threatened to Rome where Pope Francis heads the universal church.
“If Rome hears that Father Mbaka is challenging evil governance, Rome will clap for me, so quickly go to Rome,” the cleric advised. “Why I don’t want them even to report this to Rome is because if pope hears the extent of my involvement, they may give me a position I may not like, you want to report Messi to FIFA that he plays too much ball? They will make him soccer ambassador.”
