I am heartbroken Catholic priest flogged me publicly – 53-year-old Anambra widow

Fifty-three-year-old widow, Maureen Ikeorah, who was publicly flogged by a Catholic priest in Anambra State, speaks to CHUKWUDI AKASIKE about her pain and the circumstances that led to the incident

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Maureen Ikeorah. I am 53 years old. I am from Ifiteduno in the Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State. I am a teacher in a school owned by the Catholic Church. I teach primary six pupils.

How long have you been in the school?

I have been teaching there for about 14 years.

Can you share the circumstances that made a Catholic priest flog you in public?

The priest came out and asked me why I called a meeting, but I told him that I did not call any meeting. He then started flogging me. We only disagreed with him because we (teachers) believed he ate (took) our lesson allowance.

Is it true you mobilised your colleagues to protest against the priest’s refusal to pay your allowance?

No. I did not call any meetings.

What was the reaction of other teachers who saw when he flogged you?

They told the public that I was not the cause of the problem and that it was the priest who flogged me that caused the problem.

Initially, they (those investigating the matter) did not meet the teachers who witnessed the incident; they only selected those they asked questions. But on Wednesday, they met the teachers, who told them what happened.

Do you mean teachers working in the same school as you?

Yes.

Who are those investigating the matter?

The church is aware of the incident. The church formed a panel to investigate it. They said they were waiting for the bishop. According to him (the bishop), it is after the investigation he will know what to say or do.

Do you think the Catholic priest took advantage of your being a widow?

I don’t know his mind. All I know is that he knows that my husband is no more; he knows that I am a widow, but if that was what gave him the belief that nobody would speak for me, I leave everything to God.

When did you lose your husband?

My husband died in 2017. He suffered from diabetes before he died. We had seven children together.

If he were alive, what would have been his reaction?

My husband would have asked him why he flogged me. How could he be happy that somebody touched his wife? For example, if your wife did something to somebody, the best thing is for the person to report the matter to you, and not to beat or flog your wife.

Since the incident happened, has the Catholic priest apologised to you?

No, he hasn’t. I am at home now. I have not seen him or received his call.

How old are your children?

They are not all children; two are adults. My first daughter is married, but her husband is also late.

How did your children react to your ordeal in the hands of the Catholic priest?

They said that they would not touch anybody. They would follow the law and a lawyer would handle the matter.

Has the priest shown any form of aggression in the past to anybody?

I don’t want to speak on that. I can only speak about what affects me.

Do you also attend the church?

No, I don’t attend that church. I attend another one. What I am saying is that it is the same Catholic Church, but not that particular church.

Has the Catholic priest paid the allowance you claimed he owed you and other teachers after the incident?

No, he has not.

What is the church saying about the allowance?

I don’t know. They only said that they would look into it.

How has the non-payment of the allowance affected you?

The allowance was supposed to be paid in December. It was the money I was expecting to spend during the Christmas period. So, it affected me seriously.

At least, I would have bought chicken and rice for some of my children so that they would get something to eat during the Yuletide and when they resumed school.

Have you received any medical treatment for the injuries you sustained when you were flogged by the priest?

Yes. Since then, I have been receiving treatment, especially for the injury I sustained on my head. I still feel pain in my head to this moment. I went for a lab test on Monday, and I was told to come and collect the result today (Friday). That is what I am preparing to go and get, and also the medicine.

Have you been paying from your pocket for the treatment?

Yes. I don’t know the cost of the medicine I am to collect today.

Has this experience shaken your faith?

The Catholic priest is not Jesus Christ; so, his actions will not change my belief in the Christian faith. We don’t worship man; we worship God.

Would you be willing to continue your job as a teacher at the school after the incident?

No. The insult is too much, and I want to avoid any further insult.

Now that you are leaving the school, will you forfeit the money they owe you?

I am waiting for them. Let them talk, whatever they say, I know what to do. When they speak on the matter, then I will know what to do.

Are you considering moving to another school to continue your teaching career?

I have thought about it; I want to go into business to avoid the incident that happened to me, and to avoid trouble generally.

Don’t you think the children you have been teaching will miss you if you decide to quit as a teacher in that school?

The children I am teaching are already crying. Some of them visited me at my house; they came on Wednesday and asked me what they should do about the incident because they were already preparing for exams.

I pitied the children; I always see them as my children. They rushed here on Wednesday. I don’t know who told them that I came back on Wednesday. After school, they came to my house to see if I was still alive after being flogged by the priest.

What is your advice to women who are going through your kind of experience?

I can only pray to God to provide for women, especially widows so that they will have enough funds to feed their children and avoid insults or any form of trouble. The insults directed at women are too much.

Did you think about your late husband when the Catholic priest was flogging you?

Yes, every woman in my situation will remember her late husband at that moment. Up till now, as we speak, I still feel sad about the way the priest flogged me. What he did to me makes me heartbroken.