Owerri, 09 March, 2022 / 8:35 PM
Four days after being appointed Archbishop for Nigeria's Owerri Archdiocese, Bishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji who has been at the helm of Umuahia Diocese has been elected President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
In a Wednesday, March 9 statement, officials of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) say Archbishop-elect Ugorji was elected at this year’s first CBCN Plenary Assembly.
He is expected to take over from Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubueze who has completed his four-year tenure.
“To assist Archbishop Ugorji as the Vice President is Archbishop Matthew Ndagoso of Kaduna Archdiocese,” CSN officials say in the statement.
The new CBCN Secretary is Bishop Donatus Ogun of Uromi Diocese. Bishop Peter Kayode Odetoyinbo of Abeokuta Diocese is the Assistant Secretary, CSN leadership has reported about the officials for the four years.
Born in January 1952, the new CBCN President was ordained a Priest for the Catholic Diocese of Umuahia in April 1977.
As a Priest, he served as Secretary to the then Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Bishop Anthony Gogo Nwodo.
He was ordained a Bishop of Nigeria’s Umuahia Diocese on 1 July 1990.
The Archbishop-elect is also the Apostolic Administrator of Ahiara Diocese, a role he has had since February 2018 following the crisis that resulted in the resignation of Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke.
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