The Catholic Diocese of Umuahia has officially denied the existence of a group that calls itself the Catholic Network of Nigeria (CNN) and claims to be part of the diocese.

It was reacting to a recent protest by CNN at Corpus Christi Parish in Bende, during which one Ambrose Udensi, who claimed to be a Catechist, addressed newsmen on behalf of the group, calling for the removal of judges of the Owerri Appeal Court Division as the people have no confidence that they would be fair in handling election matters brought before them from Abia State.

In a swift reaction, the Liaison Grand Knight of the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia, Sir Nwanevu Christopher, had dissociated the church from the group, which he declared to be non-existent.

This was followed up with a statement from the Coordinator of Justice, Peace and Development Commission (JPDC), Church and Society Department, Catholic Diocese of Umuahia, Rev. Fr. Paschal Opara, who said unequivocally that the group does not exist in the diocese.

He said: “The attention of the Catholic Church has been drawn to a publication in the media on the purported protest in Bende Local Government Area calling for change of Appeal Court judges in Owerri,

“For purposes of keeping the records straight, the group which reportedly carried out the protest, Catholic Network of Nigeria does not exist in the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia.”

Opara maintained that the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia “is not partisan and does not involve herself in any partisan political activity,” adding: “The purported protest as was published in a section of the media did not take place in Corpus Christi Parish, Bende, and we do not know any Catechist by the name Ambrose Udensi.”

“We categorically state that the Umuahia Catholic Diocese dissociates herself from the CNN and the purported group protest in Bende Local Government Area, calling for a change of Appeal Court judges of Owerri Division.”

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