Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has (5 December 2002) appointed Bishop of Otukpo (Nigeria) Reverend Father Michael Apochi, a member of the clergy of the same diocese.
The Bishop elect of Otukpo Reverend Father Michael Apochi was born in August 1960 at Ichama District, diocese of Otukpo. He studied in his country and in the United States. He was ordained a priest on 19 July 1986 for the diocese of Makurdi but since 1995 he has belonged to the diocese of Otukpo. He has been: assistant parish priest, parish priest and head of vocations pastoral, professor and bursar at the major seminary in Makurdi; rector ad interim of the major seminary in Jos. At present he is completing his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington.
Otukpo diocese was created in 1995. It has been vacant since 7 December 2000 because of the sudden death at the age of 47of the first Bishop, Fidelis Orgah. Otukpo diocese is a suffragan of Abuja archdiocese. It has an area of 9,600 sq km, a population of 1,520,000, of whom 454,000 are Catholics gathered in 30 parishes, looked after by 48 priests (35 diocesan and 13 religious) assisted by 30 women religious and there are 47 major seminarians. (Fides Service 19/12/2002)