ANAMBRA STAMPEDE: Catholic Priest Denies Inviting Obi To Uke Adoration Centre...

247UREPORTS By Bruno Mbanaso

Obiano and APGA team at the Adoration Grounds

Obi made a surprise and unscheduled visit to Holy Ghost Adoration Ministries with his entourage, says the proprietor of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministries, Rev Father Emanuel Obinma aka Ebube Monso. Gov. Obi had in his broadcast claimed to have been invited by the Reverend father, but the spiritually gifted clergy confided in a close friend and worshipper in the church that what Obi is broadcasting to the state in not correct, as he did not invite him, but could not have asked him to leave once he had come.
Our source states: ‘Rev. Obinma as visibly angry, based on the false claim by the governor in a state-wide broadcast, which gives the impression that our church is being mixed up with politics.’
‘Well, we do not ask people to leave when they come here, We open our hands to receive all, because that is the nature of soul-winning, but to say that we sent a written invitation to him ( Gov Obi) to attend our vigil on November 1, 2013 is to say the least worrisome’ Rev Obinma was quoted as saying. According to our very reliable source, the catholic priest is yet to make up his mind whether to join issues publicly with Gov. Obi but is very resolute about straightening the records on the issue of a written invitation to the governor’.
Gov Obi had attended a night vigil in the Adoration Centre at 2.00am last Saturday along with Candidate of APGA in November 16 governorship polls, Mr Wilie Obiano, National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh,Director General of Willie Obiano Campaign Organisation, Chief Joe-Martins Uzodike, also the Commissioner for Information,Mr Oke Udeh erstwhile Deputy Governor who betrayed Dr Chris Ngige in office as a governor, and one Ifeanyi Ibezi, a native of Abatete, among others.
There attempt to speak to the crowd and convince them to vote for Obiano failed, as the people initially protested the mix-up of worship with politics. However, when Obi insisted on having his way, the crowd burst into a song, rendering praises to Senator Dr Chris Ngige, Obi’s political rival and candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), a development which angered Obi.
It took the intervention of Rev Fr Obinma for Obi to speak at all to the people, who became uncontrollable again when the governor asked them to vote for Obiano who was beside him in the uniformed delegation.
Obiano has since denied attending the vigil with Governor Obi, while Obi’s broadcast to the state carefully omitted the name of the faltering candidate of Obi’s political party.
Controversy has ensued over the actual time of departure of the governor from the venue, and how it relates to the stampede which eventually recorded a death casualty of 61 persons as the governor claims to have left at 3.00am ,while eye-witnesses say the governor and his entourage were in Uke ill the adoration closed at 5.20 am.
‘Look, telling you the story as someone who was there, forget all you hear those who felt angered by the governors intrusive presence simply hauled sachet water and other things at him ,leading to the decision of his security details to shoot into the air and release some canisters of tear gas, which created panick and a stampede in which many were trampled on’ Mr Moses Agwude said, adding ‘Anything else you hear is simply politics and propaganda