By Jude Atupulazi
Popular human rights activist, Comrade Osita Obi, says he has apologized to fiery Catholic priest, Fr Emmanuel Obimma, popularly known as Fr Ebube Muonso, over his threat to the priest to invade his prayer ground following the priest’s spat with Gov Chukwuma Soludo. Obi, who said he was directed by the Holy Spirit to apologize to the priest, however challenged Ebube Muonso to do same.
Obi said while Ebube Muonso was well within his rights to criticize the government, it was wrong of him to call the governor a reprobate mind, noting that the priest went beyond the borders of decency.
‘Ebube Muonso is free to show concerns about insecurity but I’m only against him for his confrontational stance against the governor, that is why I insist that he should apologize, just as I have apologized to him,’ said Obi who insisted that Ebube Muonso acted beyond the borders of decency.
‘I’ve nothing against him. He’s my son. I’m 64 years old and if I married early I could have had a child of around his age,’ he said, describing the priest also as his friend.
Obi said he had been an activist keen on deepening democracy and recalled how he led the campaign to prevail on Peter Obi to conduct LG polls because he knew the benefits.
‘I rooted for the conduct of LG polls to deepen democracy and create jobs,’ he said, recalling his past travails in the hands of security agencies in the course of that, even as he reeled out the benefits of his activism in the areas of improved power and facelift of the Awka Capital.
‘I have paid my dues and people are enjoying today because of my activism. I’m saying this because of those who call me an arm chair critic. They’re hypocrites,’ he said, recalling also how he led tipper drivers to ensure that palliative work was done on Ezeuzu Junction in Awka, just as he called the FG to intervene permanently there, to save lives or allow the state government to do it and be refunded.
On insecurity, he recalled his attack in 2022 by eleven cultists, saying he was saved by God’s grace.
He hailed Gov Chukwuma Soludo’s launch of the security outfit, Agunechemba, and said he was overwhelmed by the government’s action, calling for concerted efforts to make it a success.
On cultism he questioned the competence of the police, recalling how the Nibo killers passed many police checkpoints while armed and called on the police to engage more on surveillance and intelligence gathering.
‘It’s the modern way to go and that’s why I was happy when the Governor said he was fighting insecurity with modern gadgets,’ he said.
However he denied being funded by government, insisting that he funded himself.
He recalled touring government’s projects to test their claims after which he agreed that Soludo was, according to him, fantastic, and called on opposition politicians to channel their money into Anambra security trust fund as Soludo remained the best instead of wasting their money on trying to replace him.
On the alleged curse placed by Ebube Muonso on his attackers, Obi said he was above human destruction and that it was only God who had the power to take his life. ‘I’m not afraid of any curse,’ he said, while insisting that Ebube Muonso should apologize.
He however admitted that Soludo had done some substandard jobs on roads like Ukwuaki Junction in Ifite Awka, fearing that it could be washed away by the rains. He stated this when pressed on whether there was nothing he saw wrong in Soludo’s Administration.
On Soludo not showing enough empathy to victims and families, he said it could be another of his shortcomings but said it was the police that should be giving updates, rather than the Governor.
On alleged provision of refurbished vehicles to security agencies by government instead of brand new ones, Obi said it was a non-issue as he himself used second hand vehicle that had been serving him well for seven years.
‘Let’s congratulate the Governor for the little he has done so he does more,’ he said.
