Prior to his new arrangement, Bishop Okpaleke was the Bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Ahiara, Mbaise, Imo state.
Reporting the arrangement Thursday at St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral, Awka, Catholic religious administrator of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor depicted it as 'wonderful astonishments.'
He clarified that the new Diocese was shaped from part of the domain of the Diocese of Awka and would be a suffragan See of the Metropolitan See of Onitsha.
The minister revealed that the recently made Diocese would cover Akpu, Ekwuluobia and Achina Regions.
He stated, "After arrangement of letters kept in touch with Pope in regards to making new bishoprics out of Awka Diocese previously, the Vatican City turned it down and rather decided on for a helper religious administrator.
"I was amazed to get a mail today advising me of the formation of Ekwuluobia as a bishopric and the arrangement of Bishop Okpaleke as first diocesan.
"We have composed bunches of letters in the past requesting that the Vatican give us two additional wards, Ekwuluobia and Adazi. It was turned down.
"They approached us rather to apply for an assistant priest which we did and Bishop Jonas Benson was delegated as a helper priest in the year 2014. We didn't stop there.
"We kept on pushing on the grounds that here in Awka Diocese we have the most elevated number of clerics and Awka is too huge for individual to deal with even with an assistant minister. It was difficult.
"We are happy for this incredible news. We said thanks to Pope Francis for these arrangements, it is an incredible help."
In their seperate responses not long after getting the news, the Awka Diocesan Chancellor, Very Fr. Francis Chidume and Administrator of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Very Rev. Fr. Matthew Attansey offered thanks to God for the making of the Diocese just as the arrangement of Bishop Okpaleke.
The Episcopal Vicar of Ekwuluobia Region and Parish Priest of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Ekwuluobia, Rev. Fr. Ignatius Onwuatuegwu couldn't likewise hold his happiness as he wished the Bishop well in his new arrangement.
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