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Special to United Methodist Insight
Editor's Note: We received the following letters by email on Oct. 24 and 25. We present them verbatim along with accompanying photographs.
Dear UM Insight,
We are delegates of the Fan District Southern Nigeria Annual Conference, we want our voices to be heard.
So much is happening right now in Nigeria that is causing harm to the Church which the United Methodist Church, specifically Africa College of Bishops is ignoring. The fact that Bishop Yohanna is causing so much harm and damage to the Church in Nigeria.
We write to you on behalf of our delegation, to request for urgent attention in Nigeria to address serious problematic issues that are escalating in violent conflict within the United Methodist Church in Nigeria.
You could recall that five months ago complaints were filed against Bishop John Wesley Yohanna before WACOB, shortly after those complaints were filed some pastors and laity were taking to police station and later to court. There was a strong protest by United Methodists in Jalingo where the police/court case were filed. It was the intervention of some senior United Methodists who told people to calm down that the West Africa Central Conference College of Bishops has agreed to address the matter that calm people down, otherwise there would have been violent situation in Jalingo. Now it is over five months the West Africa College of Bishops is yet to address this matter, even by using online meeting arrangements.
Another ugly situation occurred on the 09/09/2021 where over 70 clergy of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference were denied entrance into the venue of the 2021 Clergy Retreat holding at the United Methodist Church Cathedral Mission Compond Mayogwoi, armed police men were hired by Bishop John Wesley Yohanna to prevent people from entry into the Church vicinity.
Three weeks ago, there was another ugly confrontation among Young People's group (NAZARIN LITAFI MAI TSARKI DA WAKOKI) at Kona District over the command given by Bishop John Wesley Yohanna to stop Rev. Eli S. Yakku from preaching during the annual retreat of the group.
In a similar ugly incident on October 10th, 2021 at the United Methodist Southern Conference Youth Concert , Church worship service ended in uproar as Bishop Yohanna's aids tried to force the young people to give them award.
Another bad situation happened on October 17th, 2021 at the United Methodist Church TSBS Mile 6 during the retreat program of Nazarin Littafi Mai Tsarki Da Wakoki, (a Conference youth Group), the Sunday service came to an end with an uproar because the Conference Evangelism Director who was representing the bishop while addressing the young people begin to utter abusive to the young people.
Beside the above our delegation received a letter from Bishop John Wesley Yohanna through his cabinet barring our delegation from attending the 2021 Annual Conference Session dated for November 10-14, 2021, include the next General Conference and West Africa Central Conference. We learned that this also apply to other Conferences in Nigeria. Over 700 Annual Conference delegates, 18 General Conference delegates and 14 West Africa Central Conference delegates in Nigeria are about to be disenfranchised from their roles as elected delegates beginning November 10 by the autocratic leadership of Bishop John Wesley Yohanna who continue to disobey order and discipline of the United Methodist Church. These ugly situations has culminated into violent situation that is about to explode anytime from now.
Our delegation is requesting for the urgent attention of the West Africa College of Bishops in addressing these issues. we call on our bishops to act now. Our Church is losing grounds in Nigeria. It is over five months now when these complains were filed before WACOB and we have not seen your action in accordance with Paragraph 413 of the 2016 Book of Discipline despite several follow up.
Rev. Samuel Ahmed, Head of Delegation
Fan District of the Southern Conference
The United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN)
Kunini District
We are the delegates/Alternate delegates of the Annual Conference, West Africa Central Conference, and the General Conference from Kunini District of the Southern Nigeria Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Among us are:
1. Rev. Danladi Alhaji of the United Methodist Church Kunini.
2. Rev. Agness Maigoro of the United Methodist Church G/Sarki.
3. Pastor Akila Musa Ajeh of the United Methodist Church G/Tafita
4. Pastor Saira Ayuba of the United Methodist Church Kunini.
5. Mr. Benjamin Y. Yoila of the United Methodist Church G/Sarki.
6. Mr. Boniface S. Nambo of the United Methodist Church G/tafita
7. Mr. Kingsley Danladi of UMC Kunini
8. Mr. Ezekiel Yunana of UMC Kunini
We write to you on behalf of our delegation, to request you publish the serious problematic issues that are escalating in violent conflict within the United Methodist Church in Nigeria caused by Bishop John Wesley Yohanna.
You could recall that three months ago complaints were filed against Bishop John Wesley Yohanna in May, shortly after those complaints were filed some pastors and laity were taken to the police station and later to court. There was a strong protest by United Methodists in Jalingo where the police/court case was filed.
Our delegation received a letter from Bishop John Wesley Yohanna through his cabinet barring us from attending the 2021 Annual Conference Session dated for November 10th, 2021, include the next General Conference and West Africa Central Conference. We learned that this also apply to other Conferences in Nigeria. Over 700 Annual Conference delegates, 18 General Conference delegates and 14 West Africa Central Conference delegates in Nigeria are about to be disenfranchised from their roles as elected delegates beginning November 10, 2021 by the autocratic leadership of Bishop John Wesley Yohanna who continue to disobey order and discipline of the United Methodist Church. These ugly situations has culminated into violent situation that is about to explode anytime from now.
UMC must act now.
Akilah Musa Ajeh
Head of Delegation
Kunini District of the Southern Conference
The United Methodist Church in Nigeria