By Dr Chiemeka Durunwa 

The impasse between the Catholic Diocese of Orlu and the host Community over the ownership of the land that accommodated the defunct Bishop shanahan Teachers Training College Orlu is presently generating heat among the people of the Community both at home and in the diaspora. While the vast majority of the indigenes of the town are crying foul and telling the church that “enough is enough”, there are a few elements that are goading the oppressors on and are encouraging this day light robbery for pecuniary gains.

For the purpose of clarity, let me delve into a brief history of the Catholic Church in Orlu Autonomous Community (Orlu Gedegwum). The white men that arrived in Orlu in 1911 brought civilization that gradually put Orlu in the world map. When the Catholic Missionaries came in 1919 to establish their Church, the people of the town embraced the new order.

The Anglican Church arrived Orlu before the Catholic Church as we were told by our elders. They settled at the present site of the Mater Christy Maternity Hospital Umuokwara Orlu though without any structure in place and without making any impact on the Community. They left when the Catholic Church arrived and the people embraced the church wholeheartedly. At first, Orlu was under ST. Gregory’s Parish Amaigbo from where the Catholic Church gradually metamorphosed to its present status.

With the warm reception accorded to the Church, it began to thrive and soon became an integral part of the Community. Today, the vast majority of the indigenous people of Orlu are Catholics. From the inception of the Church, the Orlu Community has been donating their lands whenever they demanded such lands for their numerous projects scattered in every nook and cranny of Orlu Town.

Bishop Shanahan College (BSC) and the sister institution, Bishop Shanahan Teachers College (BSTC) were established on a very vast expanse of land that transverse at least four villages in Orlu namely, Eluama, Ndiowere, Umuire and Ndukabia. As a Student of BSC in the 80’s, I used to marvel at such generosity as I wondered how my people could afford to donate such property to the Church without any form of monetary compensation. A Secondary School that has three football fields which we used to call senior, Intermediate and junior football fields is indeed a very big school. The land that BSC stands on can occupy any university and more. Same for the defunct BSTC which is the subject of litigation between Orlu Community and the Catholic Church presently.

Academic activities began in BSTC and BSC in 1948 and 1949 respectively. At the back of BSC, the Marist Brothers who managed the school initially established their Institute in a land provided by Orlu. They are still there. In Umueleke, Catholic Reverend Sisters has their lodge, another free land. Before the Catholic Church took over these lands, there was an agreement between the white missionaries and Orlu Community in the areas of preferential treatment for Orlu indigenes, employment opportunities, scholarship to deserving sons and daughters of Orlu, payment of rent for the lands and others. These agreements and others were later hijacked by some stakeholders in line with the well known divide and rule policy of the Catholic Church. This ugly trend has continued as some privileged people in the town has aligned with the Church once more in their bid to continue with their usual practice to the detriment of the poor and downtrodden people.

n Orlu has done so much for the Catholic Church. The site of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Orlu Diocesan Headquarters was given freely by Orlu. The old Church stood there until the coming of Orlu Diocese in 1980 when massive expansion of the site was done. Practicing school 1 Orlu was relocated from the site to give room for the expansion. Orlu was agog in 1981 when the new Diocese kicked off. The arrival of the late Dr. Gregory Ochiagha, the first Bishop of the Orlu Catholic Diocese was celebrated for weeks. The day he came to live in Orlu was the greatest day in the history of Orlu Town.

As children, we contributed in our little way by picking stones for the erection of the monumental edifice that is the Holy Trinity Cathedral today.

The Bishop’s House standing beside the Holy Trinity Cathedral is sitting mainly on my father’s land. I still remember how my late father, Mr. John Durunwa Ogbumma arrived home one day and unannounced that the Church had taken many plots of our land for the erection of structures for the new Diocese. Everybody, including little children as we were flowed with the tide because of our love for the Catholic Church. He was merely handed a drawing of the plots of the land taken. No compensation, no recognition, no award, no thank you.

Chiemeka Durunwa is the Secretary General of Orlu Town Development Union (OTDU), Owerri Branch.