Aba Catholic Congregation Heckle Gov. Orji, Walk Out On Him
ABA, August 01, (THEWILL) - The Aba Diocese of the Catholic Church, on Friday, staged a walkout on the embattled Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji. He was at the Christ the King Cathedral (CKC) Church in Aba to attend the closing ceremony of a one week fasting and prayer session, which was organized by the church to intercede on behalf of the Abians, who have been on the receiving end of violent crimes and kidnappings.
Orji it was learnt was scheduled to address the congregation after the prayer session, but he was unable to do so as there was no congregation to address. The worshippers had left the premises in anger, booing and calling him unprintable names to show an obvious rejection of his person and the government in the state.
It was gathered on Saturday that Orji, who had been away in Abuja, went straight to the C.K.C. Aba from the Sam Mbakwe International Airport in Owerri to attend the ceremony. He arrived at about the time the congregation was concluding the interventionist prayer season it organized for God's intervention in Abia State.
But the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kingsely Emereuwa debunked the news saying no such incident took place. He however admitted that the governor was at the church to see the Bishop at about the time the church was having a prayer season.
"What you asked is a complete lie. There was nothing like that. Yes the governor was at the church the time they were having prayers. And he went to the Bishop's Court to see him, that's all I know and I was there. Nobody walked out on the governor and the governor didn't address any congregation," Emereuwa said.
Several worshipers however confirmed the incident on enquiry. Mr. Callistus Madubom, who was at the prayer session disclosed that the on arrival at church, the governor went straight to the Bishop's Court from where he emerged to address the congregation before the worshipers started walking out on him in anger.
Also, a lady parishioner informed that immediately the governor saw the congregation walking out on him, he went into the Bishop's Court again through the rear entrance where he stayed for hours before leaving the church premises.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that traders and passersby on the Port Harcourt-Aba road and Asa road also threw sachets of packed water on sighting the governor's convoy in expression of their anger.
"We have been praying since one week for Abia State because nothing is working here, businesses have almost completely grinded to a halt, so the church organized a one week fasting and prayer for God to intervene in the state. I can assure that everybody in this state is frustrated, completely dejected and obviously we have been traumatized, so we have no choice than to seek the face of the almighty," one of the faithfuls told THEWILL.
Asked why the worshippers walked out on the governor, he said; "The governor was one of the reasons we were praying. Since he became governor, he has not been coming to Aba and has done nothing in Aba to alleviate the problem knowing fully well that it is only businesses and petty trading that sustains the people here.
Recall that the governor is no doubt embattled, smarting from his quarrel with his erstwhile political godfather, Orji Uzor Kalu and his dilema on either abandoning the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which he joined about a month ago from the Progressive People's Alliance (PPA) to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He was accused by his former party of gross under performance in the state, particularly in Aba, the commercial hub of the state. It is the same accusation that led to the current humiliation inside the catholic cathedral that is judged as the citadel of all Catholic worshippers in the city.