The Catholic Diocese of Gboko in Benue State has suspended a priest, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, for joining the 2023 gubernatorial race.
Alia had, in April 2022, declared his intention to contest the 2023 governorship election in Benue State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He subsequently picked up the N50m governorship form of the All Progressives Congress and had been cleared by the ruling party to participate alongside 11 successful aspirants in the party’s primary.
Speaking at a media briefing on May 11, Alia said his mission was to ensure that government continues to prioritise the needs of residents.
“Benue is broken enough and it’s time to fix it. I joined partisan politics to salvage the state from collapse,” he had said at the roll-out of his seven-point agenda for the state.
But the Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Gboko, William Avenya, in a letter dated May 20, 2022, announced the suspension of Alia from public ministry “after series of admonitions” to him.
The bishop explained that the Catholic church frowns at clerics getting involved in politics.
The letter titled, ‘Suspension of Revd Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia from Sacred Ministry’ partly read: “I write to communicate to you the suspension of my priest, Revd. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia from public ministry after a series of admonitions to him.
“The Mother Church does not allow her clerics to get involved in partisan politics on their own.
“You are aware that my son, your brother, and your priest has purchased the party forms to contest for the Office of the Governor of Benue State under the All Progressives Congress which is totally against our vocation.
“Therefore, to respond to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the Church in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, I have suspended him from the exercise of sacred ministry.
“This canonical suspension takes effect from the moment it is communicated to him and lasts until he ceases from contumacy.”
However, in a swift response, Alia, in a statement issued by his head of Media and Publicity, Kula Terso, said the suspension was “a normal practice of the church,” noting that he was fully aware of the sacrifices he was required to make for his political aspiration.
“From the day I took the decision to answer the overwhelming calls of my people to contest the Governorship of Benue with the aim to rescue our people from the shackles of maladministration, I was fully aware of the sacrifice I was going to make.
“And I’m convinced that it is worth the cause I am fighting to serve the souls of Benue people and the State. I have a freer leverage to give more time to achieve this pursuit.
“I remain resolute and please don’t be anxious either because I am well prepared and focused. More importantly, I am more charged because I have seen the genuineness in the agitations for me to step in and help salvage the already sorry situation the state has found itself for sometime,” the statement read in part.
The priest also called on all his supporters, fans and admirers to remain steadfast, continue to pray and work in order to actualize the ‘Alialization 2023 project’.
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