A degree of an anti-climax of a Requiem mass that almost became a free for all was recorded a fortnight ago at a Catholic Church in Ngwoma, Owerri North LGA part of Imo State, where the Archbishop of the Owerri Ecclesiastical province, Anthony Obinna presided.
A Requiem mass in Catholic set up is a church service in honour of a deceased member of the church.
It was the funeral mass of late Juliana Mbata the mother of a prominent politician in Imo State and the pro-chancellor of Imo State University, Alex Mbata, at St Michaels Church, Ngwoma on Saturday, March 3, 2018.
According to reports, suspected members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, said to be loyal to the governor of the State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his Chief of Staff, who is also the son- in –law, Uche Nwosu anointed to take over from him, caused pandemonium at the funeral mass, following the Archbishop’s comment and two responses apparently from the APC and PDP supporters.
According to The Leader, the newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Owerri of Sunday March 11, 2018 (Vol Lix. No 10), then hell was let loose. The newspaper went further to state “His Grace, Most Rev Anthony Obinna, the Archbishop of Owerri, has no apology for saying that Imo State needs a seasoned administrator to govern it”.
The newspaper quoted Obinna to have said that “what we need is a democratically elected Governor and not a handpicked successor”
Going further, The Leader posits in the story that “The Archbishop also has no regrets in saying that governor Okorocha cannot succeed himself and that pushing for his son-in-law, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, to replace him is an indirect way of doing that, which is unacceptable. That was basically the beginning of what caused the fracas.
“Speaking to the congregation which included Nwosu, the governor’s wife, Nkechi and other top government officials, His Grace condemned the idea of imposing a candidate on the people and urged the faithful to register and arm themselves with their voter’s card, for next years election.
The Catholic newspaper states that Obinna said “you cannot impose anyone on the people, the people’s vote will decide. We have become miserable. Imo is now an empty basket. Rebuilding Imo State and restoring its dignity is a challenge. Get your voter’s card. Let us vote for who will serve the people not dominate them”
His Grace was quoted to have also added “Imo needs a seasoned technocrat who will right the wrongs and correct several anomalies and hardship inflicted on the people by the present administration and not the Governor’s stooge who lacks the experience and maturity needed for such exalted office”
The Church newspaper further adds that “the Archbishop’s advice follows a decision of a the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) for the Church to help end people’s apathy towards voting by encouraging the faithful to register and be prepared to exercise their civic responsibility”.
Trouble, according to the newspaper, started during the funeral mass when two other men who raised their hands were allowed to speak “One of them, obviously a supporter of Governor Okorocha defended the governor saying he was doing well. The second speaker, however, spoke against the governor, saying there was much poverty and pain in the land, demanding a change of government in the next election. It was at that point that APC supporters went beserk. The Bishop was not physically assaulted but was insulted”, the Sunday tabloid added in its report of what actually transpired.
Divergent views however have been trailing the incident with interesting political coloration added to it. To those who may not be informed about the responsibilities of the Archbishop and have taken turn to lash at him for delving into politics during a church service, his words at the Ngwoma Church remains one of the clerical functions expected from Obinna as an anointed Man of God.
Christ the founder of the Catholic Church who laid the path of evangelism never hesitated to condemn societal ills and activities of leaders in contrast to expectation of the masses at any given time. For several commentators who expressed reservations about the speech of Obinna at the funeral mass and took a swipe at him for waging a frontal attack on the State government at the pulpit are expected to note the fact that Christ was bold and fearless in addressing group of people irrespective of profile at any given place, time and occasion.
During Christ time there were various religious groups like the Pharisees, Sadducees and others, who today can be likened to leaders and political parties of our era. Matthew 23 has it that Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples”, The Pharisees and the teachers of the law are experts in the Law of Moses. So obey everything they teach you, but don’t do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else. They pile heavy burdens on people’s shoulder and won’t lift a finger to help. Everything they do is just to show off in front of others”
There were other encounters too Christ had to admonish his audience which were written in the Bible space available for this piece may not contain.
Archbishop Obinna has the rights and privileges to not only to warn or notify of a fault but also counsel against wrong practices noticed in the political system.
That takes us to the rich pedigree of fiery cleric as not just a spiritual director but social crusader, activists and politically enlightened religious leader since he assumed the Lordship position over the years. The Archbishop has a record of battling successive governments both at Federal and State levels whenever he feels anti people policies have come into play.
A reporter’s delight any day, apart from his reserved poetic license he dishes out during interviews and Press parleys, an encounter with Obinna produces headlines to any thoroughbred journalist with a medium to reach the public. And such stories from him that dominate headlines cannot be separated from politics.
During the military era, Archbishop Obinna was the architect of anti Ikenga statue positioned at a prominent Roundabout in Owerri. He fought the military administrator to a standstill by mobilizing the dominant Catholic and other Christians to kick against the placement of the statue at a prominent location in the State Capital.
The contributions of Obinna to the coming of Nigeria’s nascent democracy are unquantified. Despite his white garment robe, the Archbishop joined in street protest against the thwarting of democratic rule by the military regime. He was once branded a NADECO member and almost victimized by the military junta for lending support to pro democracy groups of the past who fought the khakhi boys to a standstill.
Those familiar with the administration of Achike Udenwa can testify that the Orlu born politician latter shifted his church programs to his home Diocese following a faceoff with the Archbishop Obinna who never ceased to critize his administration when found wanting in the act of governance. Despite the presence of Owerri Diocese that host the seat of power, Udenwa towards the end of his regime shifted to Orlu Diocese to avoid the wrath of the Archbishop.
The fall of the Ikedi Ohakim government in 2011 which led to his loss of a second term ticket cannot be divorced from Obinna’s stiff oppositions to his return to power. The controversial encounter, Ohakim’s convoy had with a serving priest of Owerri Diocese pitched the former governor against the Catholic led by the Archbishop. At a Governorship Debate organized by the church ahead the 2011 election, the disapproval of Ohakim’s return to Govt House by the church manifested. When Ohakim picked the microphone to address the audience, the Bishop tactically cut in intermittently to call the former governor to order, which somehow made a mincemeat of his chances to win the support of the people at the event. It was enough signal to all that he was not the choice candidate of the Archbishop and the outcome of that election is best told for another day.
It is left for Okorocha, his son-in-law, Nwosu, APC members in Imo and the greater Imolites to take another look at the critical aspect of the sermon of the Archbishop at the St Michaels Catholic Church, Ngwoma, particularly the aspect that affects the governor’s preferred choice for next guber election.
Okorocha needs no witchdoctor to be told that Archbishop Obinna is against his intention to field the son-in-law as a successor in Governor’s office come 2019. The cleric’s utter rejection of a “handpicked successor” in place of a “democratically elected governor” is enough signal that his alleged plot to foist Nwosu on Ndi Imo may not work.
The subsequent motions of Obinna that Imolites should vote for “a mature, responsible citizens who will serve the people not dominate them” speaks volumes of the suspicious capacity of the choice candidate of the governor to manage affairs of the state if given the mandate in 2019.
Okorocha should also be conscious of another injunction of the Archbishop during the sermon which Imolites will consider in 2019 before votes will commence. Remarkably, the part that touches the background of his would be successor as His Grace succinctly puts it “Imo needs a seasoned technocrat who will right the wrongs and correct several anomalies and hardship inflicted on the people by the present administration and the governor’s stooge who lacks the experience and maturity needed for such exalted office”. If the head of the Catholic Church in Owerri Archbishop feels the present administration has inflicted hardship on the people through several alleged misdeeds, then the governor’s son –in-law who has been part of the government of the day should not be the suitable successor.
Let’s watch and see if the popular saying of the Latin words Vox Populi, Vox Dei the (Voice of People, Voice of God) will reverse 360 degrees to be the Vox Dei, Vox Populi in next general election.
