Email: totalpolitics@ymail.com
Prior to the February 25, general election, I wrote on this page that Labor Party is deceiving APGA in Anambra State. I warned those being nice and emotional towards LP, that LP would go for the broke once APGA yield an inch. Some chieftains of the party disagreed with me. They argued that they will vote LP for President and that Anambra is naturally APGA when it comes to our local elections. Partly they were right. APGA is our heritage but will LP be nice to APGA if the reverse is the case?
In the just concluded presidential election, ndi Anambra and majority of APGA members gave LP nearly 90% of the votes casted. Rather than being grateful and thankful, the new sing song of the Labor Party is that APGA is the reason for their candidates failure in the North East and North West. Big fat lie!
The new argument is that they need LP to control the majority seats in the Anambra State House of Assembly to consolidate their electoral gains. Why do they need to control the legislative body if not to disrupt the ongoing progress being recorded by the State.
To achieve their end, they are employing all manners of tactics including violating the sanctity of the altar, the church , and using some infamous clergies to advance personal sentiments against the governor and APGA as a political party. They are spewing venoms capable of destroying the hard-earned reputations of their victims. I dare say that such contrary teachings shouldn’t have a place in the house of God.
The beauty of democracy is that it gives us freedom of thought, freedom of speech and liberty to elect our choice of leaders. The rights guaranteed by the law and the platform offered by the Church to hold freedom of thoughts does not bestow any right to priests like Rev Fr Cajetan Obiekezie to violate the privacy of others in other to advance their personal sentiments.
Rev Father Obiekezie may not like Governor Charles Soludo’s progressive inclination and he doesn’t need to like him. It is within the boundary of his privilege to hate or like anyone. Both He and his acolytes may not like the fact that Governor Soludo accepts all Christians irrespective of denominations as children of God.
The Oath of Office sworn to by the Governor does not permit him to discriminate against any individual on the basis of religion, denomination , gender or ethnicity. For Rev Father Obiekezie who on record called Anglicans cockroaches that must be sentenced to hell fire and not worthy of being appointed into public office, I believe his personal and vicious attack against Mr. Governor must viewed not as the position of the Catholic church but his personal sentiment.
I am a Catholic and my faith means a lot to me, and Governor Soludo is a Catholic in communion. As a Christian Catholic, Fr Obiekezie’s hate filled homily does not represent my values. He does not speak for me. Anglicans may be in minority as he said in one of his poisonous sermons, but I have nothing against them. My catholic upbringing that transverse through the junior , minor and major seminaries taught me love and not hate. My being a Catholic taught me that the strong have the duty to protect the weak. The Catholic Church if they are in the majority by the teachings of Christ are duty bound to protect the minority. That’s being your brothers and sisters keeper. Anglicans are not cockroaches that need to be fumigated or discriminated against as wished by Rev Fr Cajetan Obiekezie . The body of Christ is one.
There is no dispute between the Mr. Governor and the Catholic Church. There is no inferior or superior Catholics. When we break the bread and consecrate the wine in the eucharist, we receive the same body and blood of Christ as a family of brethren. I therefore see no justification whereby the Church will chose among the faithful who is worthy and who isn’t . That’s a decision left for God who sees the hearts of men.
kevin kesto, [3/19/2023 10:59 AM]
In a civilized country Obiekezie should be going to jail for hate speech and public incitements. Since he is an ordained and anointed priest in the order of Melchizedek, I will leave his fate to God and to his superiors. If he has abused the privilege of his priesthood or violated the canonical law, his diocese beyond issuing a statement distancing themselves from his evil teachings should take appropriate actions to serve as a deterrent to him and others that may be inclined to bring disrepute to the gospel.
The upcoming election scheduled for March 11 is important to Anambra State. When we the people of Anambra State gave our mandate to Governor Soludo sometime in November 2021, we did so based on his manifesto which is his contract with the people.
To fulfil this contract, he will need work with a body of legislators that share in his progressive agenda. It will not be in the interest of the State to populate the state House of Assembly with hostile opposition members whose only driving force is stall our onwards political development for political gains.
I have heard people ask what has Soludo done as governor? Where is the Dubai – Taiwan that he promised? They ask these questions as if the governor had spent a century in office. Rev Father Obiekezie in his mischief asked similar questions.
Like I noted earlier, I can understand Fr. Obiekezie not liking Gov Soludo and his disruptive progressive agenda but he must not trade on lies. As Christians we should not encourage people feeding the public with lies at the expense of the truth and the detriment of others.
Governor Soludo is barely 11 months in office and I can close my eyes and articulate his numerous achievements. Come to think that he has accomplished all he did at a difficult time when the Federal Allocation has crashed by N240BN. Contrary to opinions held in some quarters ; the governor has not taken a kobo as loan despite the approval by the State House of Assembly for him to secure a loan of N100BN.
By sheer economic wizardly , the governor despite the dire financial situation faced by the state has been able to put the people first in his development agenda by ensuring that children are kept in school with the employment of 5000 primary and secondary school teachers. He ensures that salaries and pensions are regularly paid to civil servants and pensioners. The arrears of gratuities which were inherited are also being cleared.
To lift millions of youths out of poverty, he has powered one youth, two skilled project which has benefited over 20,000 youths in 11 months and still benefiting more.
Nearly all the 21 Local Governments have benefited from ongoing 256.1 km road projects. So far he has awarded over N160BN worth of road projects with the contractors mobilized with up to 50% down payment.
His urban renewal projects targets waste management, environmental sanitation , clean, green and liveable homeland etc.
He has not shied away from confronting insecurity in the state. He has confronted the monster frontally and the state is winning the war on insecurity despite occasional flashes of violence.
For those asking questions about the Dubai Taiwan that he promised . Need I remind us that neither Dubai, Taiwan nor any smart city was built in 11 months. The blueprint and foundation for a prosperous homeland has been laid. He is focused on this agenda. What the governor needs is our prayers and supports. As a leader, he understands the responsibility and weight of his office.
He understood from day one that government alone cannot resolve all of our problems hence he has always reached out to ndi Anambra irrespective of political affiliation to team up with him to unlock the great potentials of the state. Many a times he has challenged our minds to ask ourselves this salient question: What is your contribution to make the state a livable homeland? To those that share in the ideals of the solution agenda, I say thank you and God bless you!
