The attention of the former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha has been drawn to the manhandling of the catholic Archbishop of Owerri Archdiocese, Most Rev (Dr.) Antony Obinna by some officials of Imo State Government at St. Michael’s Catholic Church Ngwoma-Obube in Owerri North Local Government Area during a burial mass in honour of the Late Mother of Chief Alex Mbata.
The former Deputy Speaker is piqued that such “reprehensible conduct could be exhibited in the house of God by those who are supposed to protect the citizenry”. He stated that nothing can justify the assault on the catholic Archbishop by the state government officials, pointing out that such “barbaric action by apologists of Governor Rochas Okorocha is indicative of the rot and malaise the present administration is infested with”.
According to him, “it is even more appalling that both the governor’s wife, Nkechi Okorocha and his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, who were present in the church, maintained conspiratorial silence. They did nothing to call their miscreants to order. More worrisome, is that this administration has sustained its notoriety with desecration of our value system”.
Rt. Hon. Ihedioha stated that “Okorocha should immediately tender an unreserved apology to Archbishop Obinna and the entire catholic community in Imo State for such reprehensible conduct by his unruly aides”. He stated that what happened in the church was most unfortunate, stressing however, this is not the first time such desecration of the house of God was perpetrated by Okorocha’s aides.
“Remember the incident of 2015 governorship debate at Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri. Hired hoodlums by the state government brazenly pulled down the podium already built and decorated for the event on the watchful eyes of the same Uche Nwosu, the Chief of Staff. This development is indeed one of the series of abominations which we have continued to witness under Okorocha’s administration”, Ihedioha stressed.
