Negative reactions trail assault on a Catholic Archbishop in Owerri

 

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For the near physical assault by loyalists of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha on the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anthony J.V Obinna over the weekend at St. Michael’s Catholic Church Ngwoma Obube, angry reactions have began to pour in as they condemned in its entirety the act describing it as an abomination.

                               

Archbishop Obinna

In his own reaction, the chairman of APC Frontier, Chief Sam Godstime, condemned the reported action “We condemn in its entirety, the reported assault on our revered priest and dissociate our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, from their action. APC is a law abiding party that believes in rule of law, respect for the clergy and the church and cannot be part of this sacrilege”, Chief Godstime said. Reacting also, Chief Uche Onyeagucha, a former appointee of Governor Rochas Okorocha, advised the Governor to retrace locu. “It is high time Governor Okorocha calls himself to order. I understand Governor Okorocha’s desperation to run for third term, hiding at the back of his son in-law, but there must be a limit to the madness”, Onyeagucha said.

The politician noted that priests/clergies are entitled to their sermon/homily from the altar, stressing that “Imo State has not and cannot be allowed to degenerate to dictating sermons of men of God.”

Reacting to the denials of government appointees, a former gubernatorial candidate of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, Dr. Fabian Ihek “Justifying an atrocity in the House of God is akin to mocking Him. Let us take it easy and thread softly when it comes to God and His oracles here on earth.”

It was also Ihekweme’s considered opinion that “His Grace, Archbishop Obinna, hate him or love him, represents the moral and spiritual conscience of millions of Nigerians, especially the Roman Catholics.”

“There is nothing wrong with defending a system where you make a living, but everything is wrong when you play dirty with your creator. Governors come and go but God remains the same yesterday, today and forever”, Dr. Ihekweme said.

A chieftain of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Captain David Mbamara, reminded the governor and his loyalists that Imo is not a conquered territory. “Violence is an ill wind that favours nobody. Indeed, it is the weak and empty that resorts to violence to cover up his inferiority complex. Okorocha and his party must know that nobody can mock God, for the judgment day must come”, Mbamara said.

He expressed shock that the APC at all levels, “have kept a conspiracy of silence, as their governor continues to terrorize, vandalize people’s property and humiliate the people he is supposed to govern”.

APC will govern Imo for 24 years—Okorocha

Meanwhile, Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday, boasted that APC would rule Imo for 24 years.

In a statement to newsmen in Owerri, by his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha also thanked Archbishop Obinna, for admitting that he was not physically attacked as it was rumoured.

Okorocha supported his son-in-law to be the next governor of Imo, by saying that, “The same America, where George Walker Bush became the 43th president, from 2001 to 2009 after his father, George Herbert Walker Bush had been the country’s 41st president from 1989 to 1993.”

According to the governor’s statement, “At the moment, the All Progressives Congress, APC, holds the political ace in Imo and will continue to govern the State uninterruptedly for the next twenty-four years.

“What gives victory in an election are achievements and the electorate and not blackmail or propaganda on social media.

“We also want to commend Archbishop Anthony Obinna for saying the truth over the allegation that he was attacked by government officials at a funeral service which the opponents of the government had tried in vain to use as blackmail tool.”

No one person shall govern Imo again —Chukwueke

In a related development, Mr. Jerry Chukwueke, a governorship aspirant in Imo State, yesterday, said a system whereby one person is governing the state, was no longer acceptable. Chukwueke spoke to newsmen in Owerri, while announcing his resignation from the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

However, he declined to mention the new political party he would be decamping to. One of his reasons for abandoning the APC is that “the party in the state has not only lost focus but has turned out to be a disgrace which bothers so much on the inability of the governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha to revive the economy and improve the wellbeing of the people of the state, as well as lack of financial probity.”

He was of the opinion that, “Imo state has not published it’s financial statement since 2015 and we have no answer to the assessment of the financial wellbeing of Imo state.”

He added that, “We need to know how much we have and how it is spent. ”Chukwueke went further to say that, “because of lack of financial transparency, Imo economy has nosedived,” arguing that, “no private establishment will bring their businesses where they are uncomfortable with the government policies.”