By Johnson Obuemezie
Among Fr. Ebube Muonso, Governor Soludo, Law Mefor, Osita Obi and others, who is a hypocrite, pretender and false prophet? Is it a priest, who uses his position as a good shepherd to speak against rising insecurity in his state and calling on Mr. Governor to brace for the challenge? Is it a governor, who does virtually nothing in the face of kidnapping and violent crimes that occur everyday under his watch, but pretends that such monsters do not exist? Is it a commissioner, whose doctorate degree has rather destroyed his moral rectitude than lifting it? Is it a commissioner, who speaks from both sides of his mouth? Is it a commissioner to whom everything evil is good? Is it a commissioner to whom kidnapping and killings are normal businesses? Or is it the self acclaimed activist, who rather than using his platform to promote good governance, and challenging security operatives on the rising cases of insecurity, chose to sing the governor’s praises in order to curry favour?
For the second time, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State and his ‘boys’ have staged major media war against a charismatic Catholic priest, and Spiritual Director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry (Uke), Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, aka Fr. Ebube Muonso.
The first time was about two years ago, when the priest warned the Anambra state governor against possible invasion of killer herdsmen, and called for prayers.
Like wild cats whose testicles were suddenly removed with sharp objects, the number one citizen and his boys went uncontrollably wild – branding the Catholic priest with all sorts of names, and claiming that the prophecy was to extract money from the governor.
In his 2025 New Year message, Fr. Ebube Muonso, again, warned the governor about rising crime waves in the state under his watch, and challenged Soludo, as the chief security officer of the state, to take proactive steps against the increasing menace.
Instead of taking the bull by the horns, Soludo and his boys opted to go their usual way by insulting the person of Fr. Ebube Muonso and the institution of priesthood.
While this war was raging, one Ejiomofor Opara, who they say, is the national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), described the fiery priest as a hypocrite. At the same time, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Law Mefor, wrote his own article, describing the Catholic priest in different languages. As if that was not enough, another character called Osita Obi, who said that he is an activist, went as far as giving Fr. Ebube Muonso 14-day ultimatum to tender apologies to Soludo. Isn’t that funny?
It is too perturbing that Anambra has become a state where citizens are not permitted under any circumstance to tell the truth. No wonder traditional rulers, priests and politicians hardly talk. When has it become a crime for a priest to stand at the pulpit and tell a governor to fight insecurity? Is the governor not the chief security officer of the state? What is his security vote running into billions of naira meant for?
Even if many citizens are afraid to condemn violent crimes in Anambra under Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Fr. Ebube Muonso is not one of them. Even if the priest would like to overlook many things happening at the government circle, it cannot be issues relating to kidnapping and killings that have affected not only members of his congregation but also fellow clergymen and the religious.
For instance, on December 24, 2024, a lawmaker representing Onitsha North 1 State Constituency in Anambra Assembly, Justice Azuka, was kidnapped, and nobody is sure whether he is still alive. On December 26, 2024, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Nnewi, Fr. Tobias Okonkwo, was brutally murdered in Ihiala area of the state. On December 27, 2024, three principal staff of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company were kidnapped in Nnewi area of the state, and till date, they are not released. On Monday, December 30th, 2024, gunmen killed seven persons, including policemen, at a burial ceremony at Ihiala area of the state. Earlier on December 7, 2024, a retired Anglican Archbishop, Prof. Godwin Okpala, was kidnapped alongside his personal driver within Umuchu area of the state. It was learnt that the church paid heavily to secure their release after four weeks in captivity. Also, within the same period, another Catholic priest, Fr. Nonso, was kidnapped, and Fr. Ebube Muonso, according to him, committed a huge sum of money to track the kidnappers, and rescue the victim. The latest of the religious persons kidnapped are two reverend sisters: Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette Okoli, who were abducted on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
While all these are happening, efforts of security personnel in stemming the tide were hardly felt. Governor Soludo, who has the security vote at his disposal, could only announce a monetary incentive to whoever that can help track the kidnappers. Is that not funny?
Fr. Ebube Muonso’s offence is that he told Soludo to use security votes available to him to fight insecurity; and that if he cannot do so, he should feel obliged to resign. But Soludo’s reply to this message is that kidnapping is not new in Anambra; after all, his aged father was also kidnapped under the watch of a governor.
In as much as the attack from Soludo’s boys is expected (as it is an effort to preserve their daily bread), but their approaches to the matter were disappointing. When the priest challenged the governor about rising insecurity, the governor and his boys should, as a matter of fact, challenge the priest with records of efforts made by the governor in stemming the challenges. Quarrels and name-calling emanating from Soludo’s camp are mere escapist approaches aimed at diverting attentions from matters on the ground.
Some of them telling the priest to leave security issues to security personnel should be told that a chief security officer and his security personnel, who pretend not to be aware that insecurity exists in Anambra, must be told the truth, so that they will act.
For those telling the priest to leave politics for politicians – if telling Soludo to fight insecurity which is affecting Anambra residents, including thousands of Ebube Muonso’s congregation members, is a political statement, Fr. Ebube Muonso should be deemed proper, fit and right to talk about it.
Again, some of the paid jobbers saying that Fr. Ebube Muonso’s message is aimed at extracting money from the governor should be told that Fr. Ebube Muonso is not a beggar.
Therefore, the real pretenders and hypocrites are Law Mefor, Osita Obi, Ejiomofor Opara, Izuchukwu and others engaged by Soludo to tell lies, foment troubles, and cast aspersions on persons telling the truth.
Johnson Obuemezie, a journalist, writes from Abuja
