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Church Offering Tears Abuja Catholic Church Apart

Published

6 years ago

April 27, 2021

It is no longer at ease at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, Sun City Estate, Galadimawa, Abuja, as offering from church members is already tearing the church of Lord apart.

While it is the responsibility of the Finance Committee of the Church to count the money, the Parish Priest, Fr. Marcel Livinus, has allegedly taken taken over the responsibility the to the reasons best known to him.

A member of the church who pleaded anonymity due said the Parish Priest stopped the church wardens from counting the money undèr the pretext of allowing the Finance Committee committee to take over it duty.

The source said: “The church wardens are like ushers in other churches; they are the ones that collect and count the money. Then they give the record and the money to the finance committee and copy him on the total money collected.

The source said maybe the Parish Priest felt they were stealing the money, but added that since he started counting the money himself, the figures have not really changed, rather the figures are even lower.

She stated: “We were surprised, all of a sudden, he asked us to stop counting the money and no information to the finance council about this and not even the Parish Pastoral Council. He made us feel we are thieves – stealing church money. For crying out loud how much is the money? We are just rendering humanitarian service to the church and God.

“The people counting the money have just been like this. This one just came and changed everything and no one is talking about it as if it is normal. If he is the only one counting, how then can we know what comes in?. Is it not what he gives that we know.”

Asked if the issue was reported to the appropriate authority, she said they only did as the priest instructed, adding that they did not report him to the Committee or council because they did not want to be seen as having personal interest.

It was further gathered that the Parish Priest is alleged to be in a serious relationship with a married woman who attends the church.

According to a source who pleaded anonymity said the Priest in order to cover his tracks sacked more than five security men in less than one year.

The source said, “Many members of the Church that would have helped build and grow the church have all abandoned the church and moved to other churches.

“The church has become stagnant because of this. The poor handling of the Church by Livinus has resulted in the management of the estate not allocating land for the permanent structure.”

Responding to the allegations, the Head of the Parish Communication Committee, Mr. Ifeanyi Valentine, said those behind the allegations were just trying to seek attention and to be an hindrance to the peace the church currently enjoys.

He stated categorically that the allegations that the Parish Priest took over the responsibility of counting church offering was not true, saying it is not his responsibility.

Valentine said: “The Priest have lot of responsibility to run the church, rather than counting money. There is a Finance Committee, they are the one counting the offering. I think that is same thing in all churches.

“It is neither Father’s job to count offering, there is a Finance Council whose responsibility is basically Finance of the church. So, Father has never count offering and will never because it’s not his duty

“I think the person is just trying to seek attention and to be an hindrance to the peace we enjoy in the church.”

Valentine noted that while there was no suspicion of theft or allegations against the church wardens who were counting the money before, the Father only asked the appropriate committee to take over the duty.

He added that there was no truth in the allegation that he sacked the security personnel working in the church.

According to him, The security in the church currently are same set of security even before the Priest they are accusing came to the Church. It’s quite strange where all this false information are coming from.

Valentine explained that the Parish Priest was putting in so much efforts to ensure that the church get the land, saying allegations against the Priest were neither through nor genuine.

Asked if there was a clash of interest in the church, he added, “No. A big No. The church is peaceful, very peaceful, absolutely Peaceful without any clash of interest.

“Be mindful that the church is not a political ground, catholic church is not a one man church where they fight for interest.

“My candid advice to your source is that you tell him or her to stop fighting against the church of God, He or she shouldn’t disturb the peace we enjoy, we are one family of God’s People. Our Parish shouldn’t be used for his or her personal motive.”

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NJC Cannot Dictate Chief Judge Nominee to Imo JSC, Attorney-General Insists

Published

3 hours ago

November 6, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Paul Obinatu has challenged the constitutional authority of the National Judicial Council (NJC) to direct the Imo State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on the candidate whose name it should submit for consideration in the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge of the state, describing such an intervention as an encroachment on the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the State Commission.

In a statement issued on November 6, 2026, the Attorney-General maintained that the NJC lacks the constitutional authority to dictate, control or substitute its preferred candidate for the independent assessment and recommendation process entrusted to the Imo State JSC under the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The objection follows a directive reportedly issued by the NJC to the Imo State JSC at its 112th meeting held on November 3, 2026, concerning the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge for the state.

The Attorney-General argued that the NJC’s constitutional responsibility to recommend a candidate to the Governor does not confer on it the additional power to determine or dictate the candidate the State Judicial Service Commission must submit to it. He maintained that the directive is constitutionally untenable because it interferes with a responsibility expressly vested in the State Judicial Service Commission.

SECTION 202 GUARANTEES IMO JSC’S INDEPENDENCE

Central to the Attorney-General’s objection is Section 202 of the Constitution, which expressly provides that the State Judicial Service Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other authority or person in exercising its constitutionally assigned powers.

He argued that this provision establishes a clear constitutional safeguard against external interference in the Commission’s responsibilities and cannot be overridden by the NJC through administrative directives or procedural guidelines.

According to him, the NJC cannot invoke its national institutional status or its recommendation powers to exercise control over the Imo State JSC in a manner inconsistent with the Constitution.

Consequently, any directive requiring the State JSC to submit a particular candidate or dictating the outcome of its independent assessment would, in the Attorney-General’s interpretation, amount to unconstitutional interference.

CONSTITUTION ASSIGNS DISTINCT RESPONSIBILITIES TO NJC AND STATE JSC

The Attorney-General anchored his position on Section 271(1) and the relevant provisions of the Third Schedule to the Constitution.

Paragraph 6(a) of Part II of the Third Schedule empowers the State Judicial Service Commission to advise the NJC on suitable persons for nomination as Chief Judge of the state.

Conversely, Paragraph 21(c) of Part I of the Third Schedule empowers the NJC to recommend to the Governor, from among the list of persons submitted by the State JSC, a candidate for appointment as Chief Judge.

Section 271(1) further provides that the appointment shall be made by the Governor on the recommendation of the NJC, subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly.

According to the Attorney-General, these provisions establish a clear constitutional sequence: the State JSC identifies and advises on suitable candidates, the NJC considers the submitted names and makes its recommendation to the Governor, while the Governor exercises the appointing authority subject to legislative confirmation.

He insisted that the NJC’s recommendation powers cannot be interpreted as authority to dictate which candidate the State JSC must select or submit, as doing so would effectively transfer the Commission’s constitutional responsibility to the NJC and render Section 202 meaningless.

NJC GUIDELINES CANNOT OVERRIDE THE CONSTITUTION

Addressing the NJC’s Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers, the Attorney-General acknowledged the Council’s authority to prescribe and enforce procedural requirements for judicial appointments.

However, he maintained that such guidelines cannot confer powers beyond those granted by the Constitution or be used to compromise the independent functions of the State JSC.

He stressed that the NJC’s responsibility to ensure compliance with appointment procedures must not be extended to usurping the constitutional authority of the Imo State Judicial Service Commission.

COURT DECISIONS REINFORCE ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S POSITION

In support of his argument, the Attorney-General cited several judicial authorities which he said affirm the importance of constitutional boundaries and institutional independence.

They include Elelu-Habeeb & Anor. v. Attorney-General of the Federation & Ors. (2012) LPELR-15515(SC), Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission & Anor. v. Salisu & Ors. (2019) LPELR-47107(CA), and Bamisile v. National Judicial Council & Ors. (2012) LPELR-8381(CA).

Other authorities referenced are FRN v. Nganjiwa (2022) LPELR-58066(SC), NJC & Ors. v. Senlong & Ors. (2010) LPELR-4582(CA), and Attorney-General of the Federation v. Attorney-General of Abia State & Ors. (2024) LPELR-62576(SC).

The Attorney-General maintained that these authorities reinforce the principle that every constitutional institution must exercise its powers strictly within the limits prescribed by law, irrespective of its institutional standing.

IMO CHIEF JUDGE APPOINTMENT MUST FOLLOW CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURE

The Attorney-General warned that allowing the NJC to assume functions constitutionally assigned to the State JSC would undermine the integrity of the judicial appointment process and compromise the independence of the Commission.

He maintained that the issue is not a contest for institutional superiority between the NJC and the State JSC, but the need for each institution to respect the constitutional boundaries of its authority.

He further emphasised that the NJC’s responsibility to recommend a candidate to the Governor must not be confused with the power to control the independent selection and submission process of the State Commission.

The Attorney-General insisted that the ongoing appointment process must be conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution, without interference that could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

For the Imo State Attorney-General, the constitutional position is clear: while the NJC has the responsibility to recommend a candidate to the Governor, it has no authority to dictate to the Imo State Judicial Service Commission the candidate whose name it must submit in the exercise of its independent constitutional mandate.

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