WE WON'T BE INTIMIDATED AND THREATENED BY OKOROCHA- OWERRI ARCHDIOCESE

The drama between Governor Okorocha and Archbishop of Owerri Diocese Continues as the Owerri catholic Archdiocese of Owerri Province said it will not tolerate any form of intimidation or threats against the Archbishop from Governor Okorocha .

The Archdiocesan position was made public yesterday, in its official mouthpiece, The Leader and widely circulated within and outside Owerri.

The church held that the press conference addressed by Okorocha’s Liasion officer Dr. Edward Ihejirika and Special Adviser on Electoral Matters, Mr. Steve Asinobi in Abuja was not only inciting but also a declaration of war on the Archbishop and the Catholic Church.

According to the Archdiocese, the duo not only accused the Archbishop of “blackmail and intimidation”, but also warned that the Okorocha administration would “not handle him (Archbishop Obinna) with kid gloves, as was done by the Ikedi Ohakim government.We will not tolerate any intimidation or blackmail coming from anybody or anywhere, even from the spiritual realm.”

The Archdiocese said that the Archbishop did not make any verbal attack on the governor’s wife and Uche Nwosu, adding that “the Archbishop was addressing everyone present, on issues concerning the state, which he has the right to speak about, without fear or favour.”

“ will not bury its head In the sand like an Ostrich , while things go wrong in the volume of threat and intimidation from the state government. We vowed to hold Governor Rochas Okorocha responsible if anything happens to his grace Archbishop Anthony Obinna or any of those working with him.

The problem allegedly started when the Catholic Archdiocese, during commendation service admonished people to go out and get their permanent Voters Card (PVC) and vote wisely in the 2019 general election.

He complained about bad roads in the state insisting that despite the ministry of happiness, Imo state indigenes have not experienced happiness with the bad state of the roads in the state.

It was reported that the statement of the ArchBihop aggravated an  APC chieftain who grabbed the  microphone from him to defend the government. Another person suspected to be a member of the opposition party,  PDP also came and called for change from APC misrule.

It was at that point Jeff and his followers rushed to the alter to take the microphone from the Archbishop.

According to witnesses gathered from news report, the Leadership of Ugwumba Movement, a political structure campaigning for the 2019 Governorship ambition of Imo State Governor’s Son-in-law, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, led by Mr Jeff Nwaoha, Chairman Imo State ENTRACO attacked the  popular Catholic Archbishop during the event.

The Archbishop AJV Obinna however escaped the scene with the help of Catholic Priests, Knights of the Catholic Church and Christian fathers, who shielded the Archbishop from being beating up, before whisking him off to an unknown location.

The incident was said to have happened at St. Micheal’s Catholic Church, Ngwoma, Owerri North LGA of Imo State during the burial of Late Mrs. Mbata, mother of the Pro-Chancellor of Imo State University, Owerri, Chief Alex Mbata.