Sapele: The battle between Rt Rev, Dr. B.A Erifeta(JP), the bishop Sapele Diocese Anglican communion and members, seems to have no end in sight as the crisis lingered on and gathered momentum as the entire members remained resolute on their earlier position that Bishop B.A Erifeta should leave them alone for the diocese to move forward despite spirited effort and an appeal by Erifeta to convince them for his continued stay as their leader failed and met a brick wall. 
Members of the diocese who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, the recent move by the Bishop to manipulate the resolve of the people for him to go, was his last movement to members’ homes begging that he should be pardoned for his errors if there be any after several alleged allegations he had levelled against the members of the diocese failed woefully.
They added that Bishop Erifeta took his begging train to the homes of notable members of the diocese such as Chief(Dr) K.B Omatseye, the ONE 1 of Warri kingdom, Sir E.K Gbaragada, the DARE 1 of warri kingdom, Sir Simon Agbaroli, Chief S.I Efemini a prominent Idjerhe Chief, Sir Ejiro Nelson and many others in the company of the Bishop of warri Rt. Rev C.E Ideh, Rt Rev Aruakpor, Bishop of Oleh and a clergyman where they pleaded seriously that they should allow the past to go for Bishop Erifeta to continue, yet in all, the Bishop was asked to go for the church of God to move forward.
Chief Dr Paul Aki (JP),Member of St Stephen Anglican Church also told journalists that all the elders of the diocese who are notable state men in Nigeria have resolved that the Bishop, Bishop Erifeta must leave Sapele Diocese alone as they are still calling on their primate with an appeal on him and the house of Bishops to take Erifeta away for them to move forward.
It could be recalled that the church of God had earlier petitioned the primate of the church of Nigeria Anglican communion most Rev Nicholas D.O Okoh on the tyrannical leadership style of the bishop, vis a vis alleged embezzlement of Diocese funds of over 500,000,000, million, refusal to render account to the diocese , refusal to disburst clergy cooperative account of 8,000,000, refusal to remit payee to the board of internal revenue, refusal to render account of the diocese own
school, pure water factory of the diocese which is now moribund, buying of church vehicles in his name, turning of his staff of office upside down, while placing curses on elders of the diocese.
Others are Erifeta’s involving the church in frivolous loans without recourse to the diocesan board, etc including the aborted synod where some women of the diocese were wounded by soldiers he invited to the venue at the St. Johns Anglican Church Amukpe. An elder of the church, Sir Agbaroli Simon who shared tears as he was addressing journalists in Sapele, recounted how the aforementioned Bishops visited him in his shop, along palm avenue Sapele, pleading that he should forgive Bishop Erifeta for the insult he rained on him, adding that even though he has forgiven him, yet he Erifeta cannot remain the Bishop again in Sapele diocese.
He told journalists that he was ‘’baptised into the Anglican communion in 1952 when Bishop Erifeta was not even born and for the bishop to rain insults on him who has used his time and resources to serve God all his life and receiving such insult from a man of God that is highly respected by all is beyond his explanation, explaining emphatically that to pardon Bishop Erifeta to stay on, as their Bishop is the decision of the elders in church whom the Bishop has equally insulted’’.
But in a swift reaction, the public relations officer of the church, Mr Churchil Akure who is also a journalist at the Delta Broadcasting Service Warri, confirmed the visit of the Bishops to the homes of the elders of the diocese and added that the visit is yielding positive result hoping that in no time, the crisis would have been finally resolved for the church of God to move forward.
