In the last couple of years, the Nigerian Anglican church—under the leadership of Peter Jasper Akinola, who retires this month (March 2010)—has been at the forefront of the fight against homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Church. However, what personally amazes me is that the amount of time, energy, and resources which this guy had expended on fighting homosexuality ostensibly was never devoted to dealing with the mammoth of problems identified with the church he leads in Nigeria. I will cite two such problems.

First, occult practices amongst some Nigerian Anglicans. Some leading and influential Nigerian Anglicans (lay and ordained) are members of different cults and fraternities. As an Anglican myself, I’ve lost count of how many times—and, yes, during Akinola’s tenure—I’ve been to cemeteries for interment which takes place after funeral services in the church, only for the members and officials of different secret cults to which deceased belonged to take over from the officiating clergy. Besides, there are some Anglicans (like some Christians of some other denominations) up and down the country who are involved in fetishistic practices. How many times has Akinola spoken out to condemn this? And, can we reasonably compare his outspokenness on this matter with the way he championed the cause against homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Communion?

Second, the practice of polygamy amongst some Nigerian Anglicans. [/i]Some Nigerian Anglican Church officials, ranging from the ordained (vicars and bishops) to the lay (church wardens, PCC members, and diocesan officials like Registrars and Chancellors) including highly influential members of the Nigerian Anglican Church are polygamists. One classic case is that of His Excellency, Senator (Chief) Evan Enwerem, former governor of Imo State, former President, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whose funeral “goes down as one of the most scandalous events in Nigeria in the year of our Lord, 2007” (See http://www.thesourceng.com/meridianoct15.htm). Again, how many times did Akinola speak out to condemn this? And, can we reasonably compare his outspokenness on polygamy with his bluntness on homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Communion?

In my own humble opinion, I think, as an Anglican, that the contents of Matthew 7: 3-5—Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, "Let me take the speck out of your eye,' while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye—aptly applies to Peter Jasper Akinola. If the amount of energy, time, and resources which Abp Akinola expended on the campaign against homosexuality had been diverted to kick against the evil perpetrated and perpetuated by the Nigerian political class ([i]JUST AS ABP DESMOND TUTU RELENTLESSLY FOUGHT APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA), all Nigerians should, today, be reaping the good fruits and dividends of democracy.

Nigerians do not fight anything they consider culture.

@ the poster,
As a Catholic, I deeply appreciated the efforts of Peter Akinola when he was the leader of the Nigeria Anglicans! He tried his best and was a voice at the world Anglican forum! Occultism, polygamy and other things he did not fight to your satisfaction might not be wiped out with a fiat! Local priests and their lay leaders can address that. Even in Catholic, Methodist and Pentecostals , they have their own problems they are trying to solve

@ rotimy:

I perfectly agree with you but the point 'am making is that Peter Akinola utterly failed to address the problem confronting the Church he locally leads in the process of addressing the problems of the wider church. I thought charity begins at home. If the Anglicans in the West were to probe into what's been going on in the Nigerian Anglican Church (priest and bishops misbehaving: financially [ http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/feb/14/national-14-02-2010-04.htm ], [ http://www.lagoswestdiocese.org/phpApp/news.php?news_id=51 ], & sexually [ http://www.wlwt.com/news/21171084/detail.html ], two examples which can only highlight the rot within the Nigerian Anglican Church) may be Akinola would have shut up his BIG mouth to address the problems not only facing the Nigerian Anglican church, but also the leadership problem we have in the political arena. A perfect example of an Anglican bishop who continues to address Nigeria's political problems, even in his old age and after his retirement, is Bishop Emmanuel Bolanle Gbonigi.

@ POSTER,
Are you a HOMOSEXUAL?
The gays are the only ones I know that have been telling the man to shut up his big mouth!

rotimy:

@ POSTER,
Are you a HOMOSEXUAL?
The gays are the only ones I know that have been telling the man to shut up his big mouth!

I am HETEROSEXUAL. Your assertion that "gays are the only ones I know that have been telling the man to shut up his big mouth!" is in deed far from the truth. George Cantuar, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, sometime in 2008, around the time the Lambeth Conference was held, told Akinola to shut up his big mouth or else he'll expose him: whatever that means! Akinola had since soft-pedalled. Tom Wright, the Bishop of Durham, and one of the sharpest theological minds in the Anglican Communion, and a host of others also cautioned Akinola and other Global South leaders, albeit, not in the same tone deployed by Geroge Cantuar. So, my brother, you're, indeed, very wrong to conclude that only gays asked Akinola to shut up.

Anyway, I think your question derails the raison d'être of this thread, which is to higlight the fact that Akinola as the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) for no less than a decade (2000-2010), failed to expend the same amount of energy, time, money and all manners of resources, which he spent on anti-homosexuality campaign (which, by and large, is not a 'serious' [at least no known openly gay priest in Nigeria] internal problem in the Nigerian Anglican Church) on dealing with the problem of polygamy and henotheism (worshipping a single God/god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities).

NO OFFENSE MEANT, PLEASE. Because you chose to ask me whether or not I'm gay, which I've clarified, and considering that you failed to tackle the issues raised in this thread, may I ask whether or not you're a polygamist and henotheist. Or, indeed, whether or not you support these lifestyles.

if akinola "tackled these issues" ie secret cults,polygamy and gay lifestyles, as you put it, he'd be dead by now.

besides, you're implying homosexuality is the dominant culture in those countries involved in the imbroglio.

or why exactly are you drawing an analogy between polygamy and homosexuality?