Soludo is not the only person in power that Fr. Ebube Muonso has confronted and rebuked for one reason or another. The priest is not known for rebuking authority when power is handled well. It is only Soludo who has decided to beat the drum of war among all those whom Fr. Ebube Muonso has rebuked
Mokwugwo Solomon I Tuesday, February 25, 2025
AWKA, Anambra- “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The evidence of this notion, attributed to 19th-century writer Lord Acton, is clearly visible in the Anambra Government House in Awka, where Governor Charles Soludo has transformed himself into “Eze Onye Agwanam” (nobody must advise me).
When Governor Charles Soludo assumed office three years ago, expectations were high that things would work out well for Anambra State. With his promises to turn Anambra into the Dubai/Taiwan of Africa, no one would have imagined that anyone in the state would, for any reason, regret having the professor at the helm of affairs.
One of the issues that the governor must be ashamed of, and must regret engaging in, is his constant confrontation with the Spiritual Director of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma (Fr. Ebube Muonso).
Fr. Ebube Muonso offered candid advice to Charles Nwa Mgbafor, and instead of the advice motivating the governor to sit up and readjust, he reacted angrily—going uncontrollably wild, to the extent that he is now spending Anambra State money, running into hundreds of millions of naira, to engage e-rats. One of these individuals, “Rev. Fr. Eustace Onyeneke,” is reportedly paid heavily to write against Fr. Ebube Muonso as someone whose voice will carry weight.
Others benefitting from the humongous budget running into hundreds of millions for the “Operation Condemn Ebube Muonso” include Law Mefor, Izuchukwu Adichie, Chinedu Obigwe, Machi Pious Igwe, Mazi Opara, and others.
Fr. Ebube Muonso’s “Sins”
The “sin” of Fr. Ebube Muonso that made Soludo go out of his way to make big promises to anyone who writes anything evil about the Catholic priest is that he speaks truth to people in power.
Soludo is not the only person in power that Fr. Ebube Muonso has confronted and rebuked for one reason or another. The priest is not known for rebuking authority when power is handled well. It is only Soludo who has decided to beat the drum of war among all those whom Fr. Ebube Muonso has rebuked.
Specifically, on January 1, 2025, Fr. Ebube Muonso, considering the alarming rate of insecurity in Anambra, called on Soludo, as the Chief Security Officer, to step up action against insecurity, or rather resign if he was overwhelmed.
This assertion was the initial straw that broke the camel’s back! Before Ebube Muonso’s advice, no day passed without one horrific news item or another in Anambra—whether it was murder, kidnapping, ritual killings, or cult violence. Under Soludo, Anambra was always on the headlines of national media platforms because of insecurity. In response to this, Ebube Muonso spoke, and a media attack was launched against him as a way of silencing him. Yet, he continued to speak until Soludo succumbed to pressure and formed “Operation Udo Ga-Achi,” a crime-fighting security outfit.
When individuals linked to the killing of Anambra lawmaker Justice Azuka were arrested, justice was not served on them before news came that they escaped from police custody, still in handcuffs. The story was incredible, and nobody spoke. So, Fr. Ebube Muonso spoke again—requesting Soludo, as Chief Security Officer, to give an account. Again, Soludo became distracted. Instead of engaging and confronting the police to find the escaped murderers, the governor rather rejigged his media workers, pumping more money into attacking Fr. Ebube Muonso.
Why Fr. Ebube Muonso Cannot Be Cowed
A society whose leaders have no person or persons to advise them constructively is a destroyed society. Soludo, no doubt, wants to lead a destroyed Anambra State. Traditional rulers, who are the custodians and fathers of the people, are looked upon to offer constructive advice to people in political power such as Governor Soludo. Regrettably, the monarchs have been cowed to such an extent that they fear even uttering a word, as it could result in the withdrawal of their certificates the next day.
Since its inception, Anambra monarchs had a tradition of electing their leadership themselves; however, Soludo has decided that he will handpick whoever will be the chairman of the traditional rulers’ council. In recent times, the governor withdrew certificates from some traditional rulers who conferred titles on people without his permission. Some monarchs were sacked, and new ones installed in communities in Anambra. Why should such people be expected to complain against political leadership?
Other citizens empowered by law to act as watchdogs are members of the state assembly. Regrettably, they hardly perform this function in Anambra State. Some are sympathetic to the governor due to their party affiliation, while others are afraid because it is the governor who gives them money, and they lack financial autonomy. Some of them, particularly those in leadership positions in the state assembly, reportedly signed undertakings that have caged them both directly and indirectly.
Many church leaders, who should speak out over societal ills, are no longer interested in correcting the ills of society. Should Fr. Ebube Muonso also keep quiet?
Biblical Perspective on Fr. Ebube Muonso’s Confrontation of Persons in Authority
Though some individuals working to protect the interests of Governor Soludo because of financial incentives have provided their interpretations of the priest’s approaches, their perspectives are driven by the flesh, not by scripture.
A priest has the responsibility to pray for people in positions of authority, as Fr. Ebube Muonso does in accordance with scripture. However, priests and prophets must confront those in power when they take things for granted.
In the Bible, many prophets and individuals confronted and criticized those in positions of authority. Jesus Christ confronted the Scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy; John the Baptist rebuked King Herod for living with his brother’s wife. In the Old Testament, Shemaiah confronted King Rehoboam and the House of Judah, Jeremiah rebuked Israel for turning their backs on God, Micah criticized corrupt leaders, Amos rebuked the sins of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and announced God’s punishment on them, Samuel rebuked King Saul for unlawfully offering a sacrifice, and Elijah confronted Ahab for his injustice and foretold his downfall.
No doubt, prophets often interpret their culture and historical moments from the perspective of the Divine, and their acts of interpretation often lead to social criticism.
I offer these perspectives for the likes of “Rev. Fr. Eustace Onyeneke” and Machi Pious Igwe, who claim to be Bible scholars but limit their knowledge to what Ebube Muonso must not say to Soludo.
Why Soludo Must Listen to Fr. Ebube Muonso’s Advice
One fundamental problem Governor Soludo has as a person is pride and arrogance. He displays these traits wherever he goes. But the only thing that can save him is to listen to constructive criticism and also call his subordinates to order.
There is nothing wrong with Fr. Ebube Muonso telling Soludo to work harder in the area of security. Fr. Ebube Muonso has not told Soludo to pay salaries, fix roads, or promote education in the state, because the governor is doing all these. The security situation in Anambra State is dire, and concerned authorities must work hard or relinquish their offices. That is what the priest is saying—and that is the truth. There’s nothing wrong with the priest telling the governor to resign if he is overwhelmed; after all, there are many world leaders more powerful than Soludo who resigned from power.
For instance, on March 12, 2024, Ariel Henry, Acting President and Prime Minister of Haiti, resigned in the midst of a major security crisis in the country. Similarly, in 2024, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, resigned following violent protests. These are just a few examples of world leaders who resigned in 2024 alone because of insecurity in their countries. Yet, Soludo not only clung to power amid the security crisis in Anambra, but also waged a media war against a Catholic priest who told him to sit up. That’s the all-knowing professor for you.
Why Soludo Must Call His Errand Boys to Order
History has proven that workers, friends, and associates of many leaders became the proverbial banana peels that ultimately led to their downfall. Governor Soludo has carefully selected the most inappropriate media aides in the history of Anambra State. They are not only inexperienced in their jobs but also pose a major relationship threat to the governor.
There are priests, politicians, and others who have criticized certain policies and programs of the governor, but instead of Soludo’s aides highlighting the governor’s achievements and addressing the criticisms to silence the opposition, they launch media attacks—spending endless time and resources fighting. I cannot blame the likes of Izuchukwu Adichie and Mazi Ejiomofor Opara, who have moved from Andy Uba to Chris Azubogu, to Ifeanyi Ubah, to Willie Obiano, and now to Chukwuma Soludo. These young men have spent many years jumping from pillar to pole without caring to learn the basic tenets of their jobs. What they know is how to write “Ebube Muonso, Achikota Ekwe Onu,” or “Ebube Muonso, liar,” and so on. Is that how they intend to occupy office and consume Anambra people’s money?
For Law Mefor, the elderly man must respect his age and academic qualifications by doing the right thing at any point in time. If his work as Information Commissioner is to abuse a Catholic priest who tells Soludo to sit up, it suggests that the separatist agitators’ nzogbu nzogbu disposition still runs in his blood. He must purge himself to move forward.
Chinedu Obigwe, the self-styled Evangelist and media warrior, need not be dignified with a response, as he is not regarded as someone with a sane mind in Ogbaru, where he comes from.
One can only pity “Fr. Eustace Onyeneke” (if he is truly a priest) and Machi Pious Igwe, who also claims to be a Bible scholar, as they have presented themselves as commodities for sale.
There is no need to beg Soludo to either remove these characters or call them to order—the choice is his. It is already clear that they have become banana peels that will ultimately pull the governor down.
The reason for God’s judgment on Eli is outlined in 1 Samuel 2:27-29, where a prophet tells Eli that he is going to be judged for the sins of his sons, because Eli did not do enough to stop them from doing evil. In 1 Samuel 2:29, God states that Eli honored his children more than he honored Him. It was for this reason that Eli was judged and ultimately destroyed.
If Soludo does not understand what the scripture says about reverence and relationship with prophets and priests, he should read Psalm 105:15 and 1 Chronicles 16:22. If the governor turns a deaf ear to the abuses his “small boys” heap upon Fr. Ebube Muonso, it means the judgment that came upon Eli will come upon him as well.
I read an article authored by one of the characters writing for the governor. In the article, the individual attacked Fr. Ebube Muonso for allegedly invoking the spirit of death upon one of the governor’s aides who repeatedly abused the priest. The writer was mocking what the charismatic priest said in a moment of anger. To him, such a curse was a joke.
According to the Bible in 2 Kings 2:23-25, Prophet Elisha cursed a group of children who mocked him, and as a result, two bears came out of the woods and attacked them—killing 42 of them. Essentially, the animals were used as a means of punishment for the children’s disrespectful behavior toward the prophet. No one prays for anyone’s death—fools bring death upon themselves.
Refuting Obigwe’s Claim that Soludo Gave Fr. Ebube Muonso a N100M Cheque
One is not entirely doubting the fact that His Excellency, Governor Charles Soludo, gave such money to Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, aka Fr. Ebube Muonso. But for what purpose? Obigwe himself gave the answer succinctly: he said it was to support road projects in Nkwelle Ezunaka, Ebube Muonso’s community.
As a son who is always willing to give back to society, Fr. Ebube Muonso has singlehandedly constructed and reconstructed many roads, including in his hometown, using his personal money. If Soludo, out of gratitude and joy, decided to support the road projects, there is nothing wrong with that. He did not give Ebube Muonso money to buy food.
Haters have been maligning the priest for being wealthy. To me, that is not something people should complain about. Ebube Muonso is a product of Divine grace and favor. He is “possessed” by the grace of Divine multiplication.
One of Soludo’s writers hinted at the source of Ebube Muonso’s wealth. In fact, one Machi Pious Igwe, in his article, tried to draw comparisons between Fr. Ebube Muonso, Okite practitioners, fake pastors, and dibias, attempting to paint an ill picture of the priest, as though telling Soludo that Fr. Ebube Muonso should be arrested to explain the source of his wealth. I laughed! When the nza bird eats to the full, it wages war against its personal god.
Fr. Ebube Muonso, born in 1980 in Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, is the last born in a family of eight boys.
Having been blessed financially by God through the ministry, he singlehandedly built the multi-billion Naira Adoration Ground in Uke, Anambra State, where souls are won for Christ, and where those tormented by evil spirits are set free.
As a pioneer priest, he built Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish and Pilgrimage Center in just one year and a few months. He also built the multi-billion Naira Divine Rays British School in Obosi, and another multi-billion Naira St. John Vianney Science College in Igbariam, Anambra State. He established the Parraclet Table Water in Umuoji, among other ventures. In all these establishments, the priest employed thousands of people, helping to put food on their tables and aiding the state government in reducing both unemployment and crime rates.
As of the last count, Fr. Ebube Muonso has provided scholarships to 3,403 people across primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions. In fact, about 47% of students in his schools enjoy free education, including indigent and highly intelligent individuals.
Don’t Expect Fr. Ebube Muonso to Stop Attacking Erring Leaders
It is clear that Fr. Ebube Muonso will not stop challenging erring leaders until they amend their ways. No amount of intimidation or blackmail can deter him. The leadership of the Mother Church knows he is bold in telling the truth, and they will not stop him. Therefore, political leaders in this space should either do the right thing or learn to tolerate the priest!
Soludo often says, “If you see something, say something,” but unfortunately, when Ebube Muonso sees and says that something is wrong in the state, this same governor attacks him. That is not the behavior of a good leader.
NB: Mokwugwo Solomon is a journalist and Media Assistant to Fr. Obimma Emmanuel of the Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke
