“Akacham”: An Existential Interrogation of Faith, Justice, and Ecclesial Responsibility in the Nnewi Catholic Experience

By

Prof. Ejikemeuwa J. O. NDUBISI

Introduction
Akacham , interpreted as ‘I will not worship again’, is a brief Igbo utterance, yet existentially profound. It is not simply a statement of withdrawal from liturgical practice; it is a cry of wounded meaning, a moral protest, and a symbolic rupture between personal faith and institutional religion. When a Knight of the Catholic Church publicly declared Akacham in response to what he perceived as the unjust treatment of the late Senator Ifeanyi Uba by the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, the declaration transcended personal grievance and entered the domain of communal conscience, ecclesial responsibility, and existential reflection. This reflection approaches Akacham not as an act of rebellion to be dismissed, but as a moral question demanding interrogation: What becomes of faith when sacrifice is ignored, gratitude is muted, and institutional silence wounds the human spirit?

Akacham as an Existential Act
Existential philosophy teaches that human beings seek meaning, recognition, and coherence between action and value. For thinkers such as Soren Kierkegaard, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus, protest emerges when lived experience contradicts expected meaning. From this standpoint, the Knight’s declaration of Akacham represents an existential revolt, a refusal to continue participating in a system perceived as unjust and alienating. Yet existential revolt is never neutral. While it asserts freedom and authenticity, it also risks self-exile from sources of meaning that transcend institutions. Thus, Akacham appears as both a cry of conscience and a tragic withdrawal, capturing the tension between moral outrage and spiritual belonging.

Late Senator Ifeanyi Uba: Sacrifice, Intentionality, and the Question of Meaning
It is widely acknowledged that the late Senator Ifeanyi Uba committed enormous personal resources, reportedly up to 80 percent, towards the construction of the Nnewi Catholic Cathedral during the episcopacy of Most Rev. Hillary Okeke. At a point, the project was largely sustained by his personal generosity until, under the leadership of the current bishop, Most Rev. Jonas Benson, he was reportedly asked to step aside.

Existentially, giving is never purely material. Every act of generosity carries intentionality: a desire to belong, to serve, and to inscribe one’s values within communal history. In Igbo moral thought, generosity establishes moral bonds, and gratitude (ekele) is not optional but obligatory. The absence of notable recognition of Senator Uba during the dedication of the Cathedral created a moral and symbolic vacuum, especially in a culture where memory and acknowledgment sustain communal harmony.

At the same time, Christian theology insists that authentic giving is sacrificial and not transactional. The existential tension lies precisely here: between the spiritual ideal of selfless giving and the human need for symbolic affirmation. In death, Senator Uba can no longer interpret the meaning of his sacrifice; that burden now rests on the living.

The Catholic Nnewi Diocese: Institutional Integrity and Pastoral Responsibility
From the perspective of the Diocese, the Church is a divine institution governed by canon law, liturgical norms, and theological discipline. Cathedrals are consecrated to God, not to benefactors, and excessive personalization of sacred spaces can threaten the Church’s spiritual integrity.

However, existential and pastoral theology remind us that institutions exist for persons, not persons for institutions. Catholic Social Teaching emphasizes human dignity, solidarity, and justice. The Diocese’s apparent silence during the Cathedral’s dedication, given the magnitude of Senator Uba’s contribution, may have been canonically defensible, yet pastorally insufficient. Silence, in such contexts, is never neutral; it communicates meaning, often unintended.

A simple, symbolic acknowledgment could have preserved doctrinal propriety while affirming human dignity. A simple gesture such as “a minute silence for Sen. Ifeanyi Uba” would have been seen as enough recognition. But the failure to manage this delicate balance contributed significantly to the moral outrage that birthed Akacham .

The Knight and the Declaration of Akacham: Prophetic Protest or Spiritual Withdrawal?
As a Knight of the Church, the individual who declared Akacham occupies a morally symbolic position. Knights are called to defend the faith, promote justice, and strengthen communion. His declaration therefore resonates beyond personal emotion; it becomes a public moral statement.

On one level, the declaration reflects moral courage. The Christian tradition is not alien to protest against injustice; indeed, prophetic resistance is integral to biblical faith. On another level, however, the refusal to worship raises serious existential and theological questions. Worship, in Christian understanding, is directed to God, not to ecclesiastical authorities. To abandon worship because of institutional failure risks transforming protest into spiritual self-alienation.

Existentially, the Knight’s action illustrates the danger of allowing institutional disappointment to eclipse transcendent commitment. Authentic protest within faith seeks reform, not rupture.

Akacham as a Communal Mirror
Beyond the individuals involved, Akacham exposes a deeper crisis within contemporary religious life: the uneasy relationship between wealth and the Church; the tension between authority and gratitude; and the fragile balance between personal conscience and institutional loyalty. In Igbo cosmology, community is sustained by reciprocity, recognition, and shared memory. When these are disrupted, social harmony fractures. Akacham , therefore, is not merely a personal declaration; it is a communal mirror reflecting unresolved tensions within the Church and society.

Conclusion: From Akacham to Itughari Uche
Akacham is a wound spoken into public consciousness. Yet, in both Igbo existential thought and Christian spirituality, rupture is never meant to be final. A more fitting existential response is iyụghari uche, deep, deliberate reflection that leads to moral reorientation rather than abandonment.

For the Catholic Nnewi Diocese, itughari uche calls for a renewed synthesis of institutional discipline and pastoral sensitivity. Authority must be exercised with empathy if it is to sustain communion.

For the memory of late Senator Ifeanyi Uba, itughari uche demands justice in remembrance. While Christian giving is not transactional, gratitude affirms dignity and nurtures a culture of generosity.

For the Knight who declared Akacham , itughari uche invites protest that remains rooted in worship, dialogue, and hope rather than withdrawal.

Existentially, the task before all parties is to move from rupture to responsibility, from silence to meaning, and from withdrawal to renewed communion. Akacham should not stand as a final negation, but as a troubling question that summons deeper moral consciousness.

The ultimate challenge, therefore, is not whether one will worship again, but how the Church, its benefactors, and its faithful can worship, remember, and relate in ways where justice, gratitude, and faith meaningfully coexist. Let practical reason prevail always!