* Give gov’s aides 7 days to retract derisive remark against priest
The Omambala Youths Association (OYA), an umbrella body of youths in Oyi, Anambra East, Anambra West, and Ayamelum councils, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, demanding that his aides and supporters publicly retract statements made against Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma aka Fr. Ebube Muonso.
The youths accused the governor’s allies of using “inflammatory, defamatory, and demeaning language” against the outspoken priest.
The OYA specifically named Ejimofor Opara (APGA National Publicity Secretary), Law Mefor (Commissioner for Information), Chinedu Obigwe (Coordinator of the APGA media forum), and Osita Obi (self-proclaimed activist) as key figures who accused Fr. Obimma of hypocrisy and acting as a mouthpiece for opposition parties.
Osita Obi, they noted, also gave the priest a 14-day deadline to apologise to the governor.
The conflict arose from Fr. Obimma’s public warning of escalating insecurity in Anambra State.
The OYA’s resolution statement, which was released following an emergency meeting in Otuocha, expressed disappointment that the governor and his supporters chose to attack the priest rather than address his concerns.
The statement described a litany of recent violent crimes in Anambra State, emphasising the gravity of the situation:
Hon. Justus Azuka, a lawmaker representing the Onitsha North 1 constituency, was kidnapped on December 24, 2024, and his death is suspected.
On December 26, 2024, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Nnewi, Fr. Tobias Okonkwo, was brutally murdered in Ihiala.
Three employees of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company were kidnapped in Nnewi on December 27, 2024.
On December 7, 2024, retired Anglican Archbishop Prof. Godwin Okpala and his driver were kidnapped in Umuchu.
Another Catholic priest, Fr. Nonso, was kidnapped, and Fr. Ebube Muonso was reportedly “forced” to pay N1 million to the police for assistance in his rescue.
The OYA lamented that these incidents highlight the urgency of the security situation, describing Soludo’s response as inadequate and dismissive.
They see the attacks on Fr. Obimma as an attempt to silence constructive criticism rather than a genuine effort to address the root causes.
The youth group warned that failure to secure a retraction of the comments within seven days, combined with a lack of visible commitment to improving security within the same timeframe, will result in OYA withdrawing its support for the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Governor Soludo’s administration, especially in view of the 2025 governorship election in the State.
They specifically criticised Osita Obi’s style of activism, calling him a “disappointment” for failing to hold political leaders responsible.