EBONYI ‘CAN’ SHARING OF N100 MILLION LARGESSE, SHROUDED IN SECRECY AND SUSPICION
Cycle Of Events- Xtraying The Present And The Past
….Reflect And Digest
By Otu Obiahu
AJM NEWS
Monday, 03/02/2025
THE PRESENT::
The Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, in his magnanimity gave the sum of N100 million (One hundred million naira) to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), when the group paid him homage during the last Christmas/New Year festive period.
According to reports, the Chairman of CAN, Rev Scamb Nwokolo decided to share the N100 million largesse to the few persons that went with him to Oferekpe, the governor’s home town and to some selected individuals, despite the objections and contrary opinions raised by his deputy against the idea.
AJM NEWS also gathered that most of the heads and leaders of the blocs of CAN at the local governments did not know that the governor gave a whooping sum of N100,000,000 to CAN, let alone knowing how it was shared.
Some of the leaders who were contacted by AJM NEWS reporter, including; the CAN Chairman/CSN leader, Afikpo LGA Chapter, Rev. Fr Acha Simon; the Secretary of CAN, Afikpo LGA Chapter, Apostle Nnachi Godwin Udume; the CCN leader, Rt.Rev. Samuel Agha Okoro; the ECWA/TEKAN leader, Pastor Habibu Maikarfi; the PFN leader, Pastor Jesse Okey Nweze – Afikpo LGA Chapter, said they didn’t know anything about the money.
However, Rt.Rev. Samuel Agha Okoro of the CCN, Afikpo, said that the sum of N26,000 was transferred to the bloc by the CAN Secretary, Afikpo LGA, Apostle Nnachi Godwin Udume, while the PFN Chairman, Pastor Jesse Okey Nweze, said he was told by the CAN Secretary, Afikpo LGA, that the sum of N30,000 would be given to the bloc, though the PFN is yet to receive the money, according to Pastor Jesse, adding that nothing was mentioned by the Secretary about the N100 million in connection to the money he promised to transfer to their blocs.
Meanwhile, information gotten from a credible source also revealed that a paltry sum of N9 million (Nine Million Naira) was given to the state chapter of PFN, out of the N100 million, which was also shared to nine selected PFN Executives, as allegedly directed by the CAN Chairman, Rev Nwokolo, thus:
Prof. Wilberforce Oti; Dr. Augustine Ukanwa; Rev. Abraham David; Rev.Dr. Emmanuel Nshi; Rev. Ezeudu; Rev. Nice Wogu; Rev. Mrs Rita Okpaku; Rev Nwandiagu; and Pastor Columbus Okpara, – all got N1 million each.
This time again, all the CAN BLOCS in the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi State: Catholic Secretariat Of Nigeria (CSN), Christian Council Of Nigeria (CCN), Pentecostal Fellowship Of Nigeria (PFN), Organization Of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), and ECWA/TEKAN, are all spectators, as it was alleged that nothing was given to them from the N100 million largesse.
It would be recalled that the state governor, Rt.Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, during the inauguration of the present leadership of CAN, urged the CAN executives to see their inauguration “as a call to serve God and humanity, and not for merchandise.”
One member of CAN said:
“Looking at the ways money matters are handled, particularly as it concerns the sharing of money and items received from the government or external bodies by the organisation, CAN, one would rightly say without any fear of contradiction that some persons are now making a merchandise of their position in CAN, contrary to the governor’s advice, and no longer as “a call to serve God and humanity.”
Meanwhile, many have expressed their shock, disappointment and disapproval of the sharing formula used by the leadership of CAN in the distribution of the largesse given to them by the governor, noting that both the state and local government executives should be carried along during such sharing.
Lending his voice on the development, one time Chairman of PFN, Afikpo LGA Chapter, Bishop Prof. Francis Ashian Idika, urged the CAN Chairmen in the 13 local government areas of the state to sit up to their responsibilities, by making sure they are carried along adequately by the state CAN executives.
Bishop Idika added: “The local government chapters of CAN should be considered while sharing anything that comes from the government, because without the LGA Chapters, there would be no CAN at the state level.”
Some other members of CAN who spoke with our reporter from Abakaliki and other LGAs said they didn’t hear about the largesse, while a few others said they knew about it, but tactically avoided talking about how the money was shared with our reporter.
One of the the ministers, Pastor Okpaku said: “I heard about it! It’s true, but I can’t say anything regarding the sharing of the money.
“I noticed the way they were going about it selectively and in a shrouded manner, I removed myself.”
THE PAST::
Exactly One Year Ago
N50 MILLION EMBEZZLEMENT SCANDAL ROCKS CAN IN EBONYI, CRISIS GETS MESSIER
In February, 2024, due to an alleged misappropriation of N50 million Christmas largesse allotted to the Ebonyi State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, by its (then embattled) Chairman, Reverend Scamb Nwokolo, the leadership of the association was factionalized.
The crisis that rocked the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ebonyi State chapter during the aforementioned period became so serious that the splinter group led by Pastor Dr Aloysius Nweke Ogah and Rev Dr Ogwale Ogwale vowed that Rev Scamb Nwokolo cannot lead the Ebonyi State chapter of CAN.
The splinter group, in a statement signed by the chairman, Pastor Dr Aloysius Nweke Ogah and Rev Ogwale Ogwale alleged that Nwokolo and cohorts refused to account for the money given to them on behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ebonyi State.
A statement by the duo said, “The general public is hereby informed that due to the illegitimate and unscriptural inclusion of Rev. Dr. Scamb Chinedum Nwokolo, Bishop Dr. Anayo Ilo and Pastor Solomon Eriugo in Ebonyi State leadership structure of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, with their inconsistent lifestyle and refusal to give an account of over N50, 000,000,00.
“The members of the association have decided to abandon and avoid these three ministers and cohorts.
Consequently, a new membership structure to oversee the interest of CAN in Ebonyi State has been formed.
“Last Christmas (December 2023), His Excellency, the Governor of the State, gave Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Christmas largesse to the sum of 100,000,000 (One hundred million naira) and 1000 (one thousand) bags of rice, but he (Nwokolo) didn’t share up to twenty bags of rice, but took the remaining one to his Umunze town in Anambra State where he shared it and people were hailing him as a hero while ministers here in Ebonyi State celebrated Christmas on empty stomach.
“We are demanding that he should pay this money and we have written to the national office to inform them.
“Looking at some of these things, we cannot bear it any longer. Nwokolo was a vice chairman of CAN under Rev Fr Abraham Nwali and occupied the chair of head of blocs at the same time and always collected a double share of whatever was coming to CAN, including cars.
“So, we are no longer kidding. In 2017, in Anambra state, one Rev Dr John Ndubuisi from Abia State was elected as CAN Chairman and the same Nwokolo, alongside his group, protested until he was removed from office, paving the way for an Anambra indigene to hold the position, but he is here doing the same thing he fought in Anambra.
“All the members of CAN EXCO who signed the vote of confidence on Nwokolo were those who did not get the message we sent to them, but we have reached them to relay rightly what is happening. Any Ebonyi person rising up to deny what we are doing is a Judas Iscariot in our midst.
“We want to inform the general public that Ebonyi State has come of age and no more neo-colonialism, no more taking what belongs to us to another state.
“Since 1976 when CAN was created by Nbang, Nwokolo has been there for 48 years, which if Nwokolo is in civil service would have retired. He has no other business other than CAN. That is his ministry, business and source of income, which is why he is finding it difficult to leave.”
The statement continued:
“We want to state it categorically that if anybody had elected him in that election, it is null and void because it is contrary to the country’s constitution, nature and Christianity, and we are insisting that he returns every property of CAN with him and our money.”
However, in response to the allegations, the (embattled) state chairman of CAN, Rev Scamb Nwokolo claimed the splinter group are non-members of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Ebonyi.
His words:
“I don’t have anything with them, I don’t even know them. They’re not even members of CAN. “I can only react to issues coming from members of CAN, but for them, they’re not our members and you can check their antecedents.”
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