PRESS STATEMENT ON THE UKE ADORATION TRAGEDY: ANAMBRA PEOPLE SHOULD HOLD GOVERNOR PETER OBI RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE AVOIDABLE DEATHS

The attention of the Ngige Campaign
Organization has been drawn to the Press
Briefing by the Anambra State Governor
Mr. Peter Obi and the National Chairman
of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),
Chief Vicotr Umeh in which both men
blamed the APGA Midnight Church
Campaign Stampede at Ukc that killed
about 50 innocent people on Senator Chris
Ngige supporters. APGA National Chairman
Chief Victor Umeh further recklessly called
for the arrest of the All Progressive
Congress Candidate, Senator Dr. Chris
Nwabueze Ngige.
It is rather unfortunate that the State
Governor and APGA factional National
Chairman chose to play politics with such a
national tragedy in which they were both
principal actors.
To put the records straight and help these
men regain perspective, the Holy Ghost
(Ebube Muo Nso) Adoration Ground is
purely a House of Prayers where
traumatized Anambra people go to
reconcile themselves with God and seek
succor from pains inflicted on them by the
poor governance in Anambra State. But
Governor Peter Obi, APGA National
Chairman Chief Victor Umeh took their
candidate in the Anambra Governorship
Election Willie Obiano with their entire
campaign in full campaign uniforms to the
Prayer Ground to campaign.
Governor Obi in his Statement
inadvertently admitted that the
Worshippers openly protested the attempt
by Governor Peter Obi and the APGA
Campaign Train to turn the prayer meeting
into a campaign rally and there is no doubt
it was the same protests by the
Congregants that eventually culminated in
this avoidable deaths caused by stampede.
The statement credited to the Anambra
State Government that the stampede
which killed over 30 people was caused by
the supporters of Senator Chris Ngige
should therefore be disregarded as a tissue
of lies that it is by the good people of
Anambra State and Nigerians in general.
One thing stands out clearly which can
never be dimmed by any desperate
campaign: this tragedy could have been
avoided if the APGA campaign train did not
visit the Adoration Ground at such ungodly
hour to campaign for votes. Better still, if
the Governor had heeded the protests of
the congregants not to turn their prayer
ground to a campaign rally.
We gathered that it was the booing of
Governor Peter Obi that angered the
security personnel of the Governor to
charge at the crowd when the Governor
made his way out of the Prayer Ground.
The Governor should not hold Senator
Ngige responsible for his growing
unpopularity and how the people choose
to react to him whenever he appears in
the Public.
The Adoration Ground will not be the first
place that Governor Obi would be booed
by the people of Anambra, neither will it
be last. He was booed at Onitsha Main
Market when he ordered the closure of the
Main Market to campaign for Chief Obiano.
He was again booed at Awka Market and at
many other places. We can also recall that
on the Channels Television, the Governor
had promised that something would be
done soon to end booing by the people
and we can now see the result of that
promise with the Uke Adoration Campaign
tragedy.
We therefore condemn the attempt by
Anambra State Government to shift the
blame to the “So called Ngige supporters”
as another cheap and desperate effort to
cover up the heinous crime committed
against fellow Anambrarians. We see this
as part of the orchestrated desperate
campaigns to drag the reputation of the
candidate of the All Progressive Congress
Senator Chris Ngige in the mud. This
brazen attempt but Governor Obi has
failed and will continue to fail.
You will recall the same Government of
Mr. Peter Obi claimed that Senator Chris
Ngige slapped a Reverend Father. The
same Priest that APGA Government, in
bared-faced lie, claimed was slapped told
the world that he was never attacked by
Senator Ngige or his aides. We urge
Governor Peter Obi to accept full
responsibility for his callous actions and
insensitivity and cease to indulge in an
infantile blame game. More importantly,
he should pray for God’s forgiveness and
allow the Almighty to have His way in the
forthcoming Governorship election.
The Campaign Organization also
understands that the Governor plans to
institute an inquiry into the incident. This
we also see as exercise in deception since
evidence all gleaned from the Thousands of
the Worshipers and the Host Priest are
enough and the people already know what
happened. If there must be an enquiry,
credible human right Organizations should
be allowed to do that. The desperation so
far exhibited by the Governor calls to
question, his sincerity in this regard. We
urge Anambrarians not to be demoralized
or intimidated by such desperate actions of
the APGA.
Senator Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige has
since condoled the metropolitan
archbishop of the Onitsha Catholic
Archdiocese Most Rev. Dr. Valerian Okeke
and Adoration Ministries Rev Father-in-
charge and Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obinma
over this most avoidable tragedy. He has
equally paid a visit to the injured to wish
them quick recovery and pledged to pick
their medical bills.
Finally the Senator Ngige Campaign
Organization prays for the repose of the
souls of these martyred victims of
executive rascality and pray the Almighty
God to grant the families the fortitude to
bear the irreparable loss.
SIGNED: CHIEF DR. GEORGE MOGHALU
DIRECTOR GENERAL