A Catholic knight, Sir James Louise, popularly known as Ebube Anaedo, has announced his exit from Christianity following what he described as the Catholic Church’s failure to acknowledge the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s role in the construction of the Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral in Nnewi, Anambra State.
The newly completed cathedral was officially inaugurated this week in a grand ceremony that drew prominent personalities from across the country. The project was reportedly initiated by the late senator, who volunteered to fund and build the cathedral and had completed about 85 percent of the structure before leadership changes occurred in the diocese.
According to reports, tensions arose in 2022 after a new bishop, Dr Jonas-Benson Okoye, was posted to Nnewi and allegedly asked Senator Ubah to step away from the project. The directive reportedly sparked controversy, with many insisting that full credit for the cathedral’s construction should not be transferred to others after the senator had invested heavily in the project.
During the cathedral’s inauguration on Wednesday, Sir James Louise publicly protested, expressing anger that Senator Ubah was neither mentioned in the inauguration brochure nor acknowledged verbally during the ceremony.
In a video now circulating online, the Catholic knight was seen emotionally distraught after the mass, breaking down in tears as he removed his shoes and cap—symbols of his knighthood—while declaring his departure from Christianity.
“This is my last day as a Christian. I’m done. This is awful,” he said.
“How could anyone believe that this cathedral which Ifeanyi Ubah slaved to build could be inaugurated without a mention of his name. This is bad, I’m done with Christianity. This is my last day as a Christian.”
The video has since sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many users condemning the Catholic Church for failing to acknowledge the late senator’s contributions.