Failed Catholic Church Debate In Owerri And The Many Lies Of Governor Okorocha And Sam Onwuemeodo
It has become a fact that any person who works with Governor Rochas Okorocha in his administration will completely lose value, quality and integrity at the end of the day.
The man Sam Onwuemeodo used to be highly respected for telling the truth. But now, the name has become an epitome of lies, misinformation, mischief and malice in the information dissemination world. This is because of the media activities of the Mbaise-born journalist as a media aide to Governor Okorocha.
His latest stand on the failed governorship debate at Maria Assumpta Cathedral Church Owerri clearly shows the low level the once admired writer has degenerated to.
I can vividly remember when the Economic Crime Commission (EFCC) gave a clean slate to the impeached former Imo Deputy Governor Sir Jude Agbaso on the Jpros saga, Onwuemeodo came to the press and lied to the public that nothing like that happened. Today, Jude Agbaso is walking freely while the Okorocha Government has refused to recover the money the governor intentionally gave his agent provocateur in the whole saga.
In his earlier work, titled ‘The Only Sin of the ‘Ogboko-Born Governor’, in his usual hype for his pay-master, Mr. Sam who never sees anything bad in all Okorocha does said that the only sin the governor committed was that he ‘refused to share money’. However, in my reply to that piece, I pointed out more than 80 cogent and verifiable atrocities the governor had committed as a governor. Till today, not minding how weighty, damaging and serious the atrocities are, Sam has ignored commenting on them because he knows all I wrote are true.
Recently, the media aide in his usual wicked act told the public that it was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that destroyed the 11th March political debate at Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, Since then, he has been abusing and insulting both the Archbishop that convened the debate and the Catholic Church. The climax of his insult was where he alleged that the Catholic Church is using her tabloid the Leader to campaign for the election of the APGA governorship candidate in Imo State Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho. He cited some instances where he alleged the Leader had been publishing ‘lies, blackmail, unprovoked and ill-tailored propaganda against the Okorocha government’. The instances he cited to prove his point are a post mortem the paper did on a report that the governor once offered =N=2m to some Imo youths that converted to Islam, the recently alleged borrowing plan by the state government, the said failed 11th March governorship debate in Owerri etc.
Before I come to the debate, let me re-visit the Islam issue.
On the 16th November, 2013 at the National Mosque Abuja, seventeen youths from Imo State publicly renounced Christianity and defected to Islam and Governor Okorocha offered each of the converts =N=2m. Ex-Governor Orji Uzo Kalu gave =N=1m while Gov. Wamako of Sokoto State or Gov. Kwankwanso of Kano also gave =N=5m to each of the contestants.
The above incident shall continue to be a reality till eternity no matter how many times Sam Onwuemeodo attempts to refute it. It was even carried by many media houses. I can vividly remember Governor Okorocha’s speech at the occasion. Speaking in Hausa language, the governor described the conversion of the 17 youths as ‘an important milestone in the growth of Islam in the Eastern Heartland’. Anybody in doubt should check the internet and NTA.
On the issue of latest bid to borrow money, the proposal was dully presented to the Imo State legislature and it was the legislators that informed the public.
However, it is very mischievous that Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo could tell the public lies that the above did not happen.
In the 15 March edition of the Leader Newspaper, the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri clearly and unequivocally narrated what truly transpired during the said debate. In its report and press statement from the organizers of the event, details of the assault on the priests and destruction of the podium and other equipment for the event by Imo State Government functionaries and supporters of the All Progressives Congress were given.
Subsequently, in his statement and write-ups, Mr. Onwuemeodo has said that the above account was false and that the debate was designed to blackmail the Okorocha administration to the advantage of the APGA candidate Capt Ihenacho.
It is only a lying governor that can work with a lying media aide like Sam Onwuemeodo. Also, it is only an evil-minded and wicked governor that can retain the services of an evil-minded and wicked media aide like Sam Onwuemeodo.
With this latest media statement of Sam, it is now very clear that the Mbaise-born journalist needs his head to be re-examined. This is because, I do not see any correlation between what happened at the said debate and the alleged sponsorship of Capt Ihenacho’s candidature by the Catholic Church. This is cheap blackmail that cannot hold water; best described as show of insanity and obsession.
I remember when Capt Ihenacho attended the dedication of St Peter’s Catholic Parish, Onyeaghala-Nwanneya Ngor-Okpala L.G.A Imo State the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese Most Rev. Anthony Obinna did not allow the ex-minister to speak during the event. Also the said Leader newspaper hardly publishes materials or campaign stories of the former minister which I usually send to their email address. In everything, Archbishop Obinna has never for one day campaigned for Capt Ihenacho or used the Catholic Church to campaign for the candidate in question.
Incidentally, three days before the debate saga, governor Okorocha’s deputy assaulted Prince Eze Madumere assaulted Capt Ihenacho before the Imo state Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) in the police boss’s office in Owerri. This happened when the former minister went to complain over the removal of his campaign bill board by the Okorocha group. Even the governor’s son in-law and Commissioner for Lands Uche Nwosu and the Chief of Staff Government House Owerri Jude Ejiogu threatened to beat Capt Ihenacho. All the above named government functionaries did not show any regard to the Deputy Commissioner of Police and by the following day, the governor ordered and his henchmen and thugs destroyed what remained of Capt Ihenacho’s campaign bill boards in the entire state. On the debate day proper the fracas perpetrated by Okorocha and his men caught up with Capt. Ihenacho when one of his security vehicles accompanying the ex minister to his Owerri residence was attacked by some youths at the order of the governor’s Chief of Staff Chief Ejiogu around Whare-House Roundabout Owerri. The thugs subsequently destroyed a campaign bill board being conveyed by the Toyota Hilux security vehicle in the convoy of the former minister, pulled out and thoroughly manhandled the driver and an APGA supporter in the vehicle Mr. Osita Megwa. Mr. Megwa was later recued by some good Samaritans who took him to the hospital for treatment.
Therefore, with all these, it is now very clear that the candidature of the Emekuku-born administrative guru is really giving the Okorocha group serious nightmare. This is because the governor knows that he is fake in all ramifications while the highly civilized, honest, better and capable profile of the international mariner which has endeared him (Ihenacho) to many is a big problem to the so called ‘Rescue Mission’ group.
Initially, Mr. Onwuemeodo’s headache on the failed debate was the PDP. Now the truth is completely out.
Be that as it may, it is only a mischievous person like Sam Onwuemeodo that can say that it was not his colleagues and political party that assaulted the priests and destroyed the venue of the event. This is because, the action happened before the watch of over 30,000 crowd and those that committed the desecration did it with all amount of effrontery and impunity. Even after chasing the people away, these hoodlums continued to occupy the damaged podium for a long time celebrating the success of their atrocity. Therefore, no amount of misleading information, propaganda or blackmail can change the truth.
I know that if the governor had performed well as he always claims, he would not be expressing anxiety over his re-election. But that is not the case. Governor Okorocha has committed a lot of evil while serving Imo State as a governor and the fast approaching ‘judgment day’ for him is making him and people like Sam Onwuemeodo jittery and mad.
Unfortunately, Rochas I know is a very violent and devilish person. The level of violence he will introduce in the 2015 general election is the type Imo has never witnessed since 39 years of its creation and it is only God that can cage him and not man.
Nevertheless, if the governor is finally ousted out of office, Sam Onwuemeodo will be among the people to be held responsible for he never sees anything wrong in all the evil his master perpetrates in Imo in the name of governance.
Barr Emperor N. Iwuala
Director Media and Publicity Captain Ihenacho Campaign Organisation
