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| Governor Obi Of Anambra State |
The leadership of International
Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law deeply offers
condolences to the families of over a dozen innocent citizens that reportedly
died in hospital as a result of the Friday night (01/11/2013) stampede at the
exit gate of the Uke Adoration Ground of St Dominic Catholic Church, Uke in
Idemmili North LGA of Anambra State. The Adoration Ministry Ground belongs to
Reverend Father Emmanuel Obimma, popularly called “Ebube Nmuonso” of the
Onitsha Catholic Archdiocese.
The Catholic Adoration
Ministry at Uke became popular of late and started attracting very large crowd
of devotees who go in search of spiritual and physical solutions to social
challenges facing their lives. It is a replica of the popular Holy Ghost Adoration
Ministry in Enugu run by Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka of the Enugu Catholic
Archdiocese. Among devotees and visitors are politicians of various
political parties who use such holy periods to canvass for support and votes.
The governorship candidates of APC, Labour and APGA have visited the scene
recently and made several promises including tarring the entrance road,
tackling the gully menace near the Holy Ground and provision of vehicles to
convey devotees from far distances during Adoration days and hours.
While Dr. Chris Ngige
and his APC reportedly fulfilled their recent promise of grading the entrance
road to the Adoration Ground, the camp of Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah and his Labour
reportedly took charge of providing some vehicles to convey devotees from far
distances to the Holy Ministry. The camp of Governor Peter Obi and his Party
have reportedly promised to tar the entrance road and tackle the gully menace
threatening the Adoration Ground before the end of the Governor’s tenure by
first quarter of 2014. Cash donations and other material promises have also
been reportedly offered or made to the Ministry by some politicians.
According to
eyewitnesses including some of our members who usually attend the Adoration
Prayer sessions and who particularly attended the stampeded session, the fatal
stampede was caused by panicky retreat of a mass of devotees at the exit gate
of the Ministry at about 5:05am in the morning of Saturday, November 2nd,
2013. A crowded movement off the gate resulted in the falling of a frying pan,
belonging to a woman hawker, which emptied its hot oil into the fire. The
flames resulted in people running and scampering for safety during which the
stampede ensued.
The independent accounts
further informed that up to one hundred devotees fainted and were brought back
to the Adoration Ground for first aid treatment. Those in critical state were
taken to three hospitals in Onitsha and environs for medical attention, from
where over a dozen were reportedly confirmed dead. Governor Peter Obi and his
encourage attended the Uke Prayer session at about 10:30pm on 1st of
November, 2013 and left at about 3:30am 02/11/2013. The tragedy occurred at
about 5:05am at the end of the prayers session.
It is our advice to the
authorities of the Adoration Ministry led by Reverend Father Emmanuel Obimma to
ban the official attendance and recognition of politicians and their political
parties. Such politicians may be allowed to attend in their private capacities.
Ban should also be placed on their mass of supporters, who at times turn
mischievous. Donation of vehicles by politicians to convey devotees to the
Adoration Ground should also be banned. Politicians including those in charge
of affairs in the Government of Anambra State may be invited officially in the
day time to participate in the official activities of the Ministry including
fundraising.
It is shocking and sad
to note that some politicians have formed habits of sending and stationing
their hatchet men on the Adoration Ground to disrupt their opponents’ successful
participation in the Prayers’ session either by voice or physical disruptions.
The authorities of the Adoration Ground should reorganize the entire security
and exit and entry procedures in the premises of the Ministry. The mammoth
crowd that graced the stampeded prayer session is dotted with suspicion of
“menacing rented crowd” possibly imported by some politicians to create such
homicidal atmosphere.
Though the fatal
stampede has been linked to “frying oil flames”, but other intervening forces
such as political sabotage may not be ruled out. The desperation of some
criminal politicians to capture and loot Anambra State premised on the
all-important November 16, 2013 governorship poll is evidently pronounced. We,
again, offer condolences to the families of those that died as well as the
authorities of the Uke Adoration Ministry led by fiery Reverend Father Emmanuel
Obimma and the entire Onitsha Archdiocese of the Catholic Church.
May the souls of the
departed rest in vineyard of the Almighty God and May they hunt those who are
bent on rigging Anambra governorship poll again.
Signed:
Emeka
Umeagbalasi, Chairman of the Board
International Society for Civil Liberties &
the Rule of Law
08033601078, 08180103912
Comrade Justus Ijeoma, Head, Publicity Desk
08037114869
