OKOROCHA’S INLAW, UCHE NWOSU’S TROUBLE WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH INTENSIFIES

The battle between the Catholic Community in Imo State might be far from ending as the Archbishop of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, AJV Obinna, on Friday took a swipe at the Governor and Uche Nwosu, saying that the Governor is leading him into temptation by anointing him to succeed him in 2019.

Archbishop Obinna made this known during the Cathedraltecum Mass held at the Assumpta Cathedral in Owerri on Friday.

He wondered why  Governor Okorocha would want to bestow such a monumental assignment on a young man who knows little to nothing.

The Archbishop promised he would “continue to pray for the young man”, Uche Nwosu, “not to fall into the temptation”.

The Archbishop had earlier this month at a commendation Mass at Mgwoma Obube Community in Owerri North LGA said that Uche Nwosu would not be Governor of the state in 2019, noting that Imo State needs a matured and experienced administrator as Governor.

He added that Uche Nwosu was still small to become the Governor of Imo State, even as he said that the people of the state were suffering under the Okorocha administration. He called on the people to obtain their PVCs and get ready for the election.

Reports said that the wife of the Governor and Uche Nwosu who were present at the commendation mass were uncomfortable with the Archbishop’s remarks, leading to the attack on the priest by members of the Ugwumba Movement, a political group championing the governorship ambition of Uche Nwosu in 2019, without them uttering a word while the fracas lasted.

Commenting on the development, the Catholic Church said they accepted the assault and humiliation of the Archbishop as “Christ’s humiliation on the cross of Calvary”.

Also, following the comments credited to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electoral Matters, Barr Steve Asinobi, that the state government would not handle the Archbishop with kid-glove, the Church has cried out saying that the Governor should be held responsible should anything happen to the Archbishop.

In a publication by The Leader newspaper, the voice of the Church, the Catholic Church raised alarm over what it said was serious threat to the life of the Archbishop.

According to The Leader, the Church said that it would not hide it’s head like the ostrich in the face of the bad governance going on in the state under Okorocha.

It also quoted a press conference held in Abuja recently by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Electoral Matters, Barr Steve Asinobi, as saying: ‘We’ll not handle him (AJV Obinna) with kid gloves’.

The Church said it “will not bury it’s head in the sand like an ostrich while things go wrong in Imo State, no matter the volume of threat and intimidation”, adding that “the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has vowed to hold Governor Rochas Okorocha responsible, if anything happens to His Grace Archbishop Anthony Obinna, or any of those working with him.

“This follows an inciting press conference held last week, in Abuja, at Imo State Liaison Office, where two representatives of Governor Rochas Okorocha declared war on the Archbishop and the Catholic Church.

“The press conference was published on Monday, March 12, 2018, by the Daily Sun Newspaper, with banner headline ‘Okorocha draws battle line with Catholic Priests’.

“Speaking at the Press Conference, Liaison Officer Dr Edward Ihejirika and the Governor’s Special Adviser on Electoral Matters, Bar Steve Asimobi, accused the Archbishop of blackmail and Intimidation, saying that the Okorocha government would not handle him, the Archbishop, with ‘kid gloves’ as was done by the Ohakim government”.

The newspaper further quoted the appointees of the Governor as saying that ‘Archbishop Obinna succeeded in his blackmail then because Ohakim’s government handled the issue with kid gloves. But that would not be the case this time. We will not tolerate any intimidation or blackmail coming from anybody or anywhere even from the spiritual realms’.

In a similar development, the state government, in about 24 hours after the Catholic Church raised the alarm that the Archbishop was in danger and that they would hold Governor Okorocha responsible should anything happen to him or any of his workers, Governor Rochas Okorocha Monday, 19, March, said he has no scores to settle with the Owerri Catholic Acrchbishop, but that his only problem with him was that he does not like the APC.

In a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the Governor said that the Archbishop does not hide his dislike for the APC but rather likes APGA, even as he warned The Leader newspaper, owned by the Catholic Church, to stop destroying the name of the Archbishop.

“The only issue is that the Archbishop does not seem to like APC as a Party and he does not hide it. He does not hide his affiliation to APGA. So he finds it extremely difficult to be on the same page with President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Rochas Okorocha, who are products of APC. That is all.

“We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to The leader newspaper owned by the Diocese to stop damaging the reputation of the Archbishop by publishing falsehood and blackmails as if it is an opposition medium”, said the Governor.

He added: “They know that the governor has never in any way offended the Archbishop or the Diocese. They know that Governor Okorocha’s achievements in Seven years have exceeded all that his predecessors since the creation of the State in 1976 put together had achieved. And they equally know that the governor has invested in the Diocese more than any of those before him as governor, whether Military or Civilian, had done.

“Even the reported incident at a funeral service at Ngor-Okpala, most members of the Diocese were there and know the truth, beyond the propaganda of frustrated opposition in the State. And luckily too, the Archbishop himself had told the world that he was neither attacked nor manhandled by anybody”.

Governor Okorocha reminded the Archbishop that in 2011 and 2015 respectively, he and the APC won overwhelmingly in Owerri Municipal where most members of Owerri Catholic Diocese reside and more than 95% percent of the Diocese and the Archbishops’ senior brother and frontline politician in the State, Sir Paddy Obinna, have remained his strong supporters.

He boasted that in the coming 2019 elections there is no doubt that the Diocese will also vote for his choice for the governorship because they know the truth of the whole story.

“For instance, accusing Governor Okorocha of threatening the Archbishop which they made banner headline last Sunday over an interview by Chief Steve Asimobi in Abuja which was also harmless was very unfortunate and unchristian.

“It makes the newspaper look junk. A Christian newspaper should be conveyor of truth and peace and not marketer of falsehood and incitement”, Okorocha said.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in State had also condemned the attack on the Archbishop.

In a press release signed by the State Publicity Secretary, the party described the attack on the Priest as “most unfortunate”.

“To have attacked the Archbishop is indeed most unfortunate and intolerable in any civilized clime. Imo people are consequently implored to be on the alert for such further occurrence”, the party said.

The PDP added that it was convinced that ” like Ahab the Prophet of Baal in the Bible, Imo State Government officials and their paymasters who delight in indulging in reprehensible attacks against anointed men of God will soon be visited with the wrath of God”.