Security Agencies Charged On Disruption Of Odenigbo Lecture

The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has called connected the Imo State authorities and information agencies to unmask the sponsors of the culprits down the protestation against El-Rufai and Obi during the Odenigbo lecture past Saturday .

The religion made the telephone successful a connection yesterday, signed by the Archdiocesan chancellor/secretary, Rev. Fr. Patrick C. Mbarah, titled: “Putting the facts straight.”

The religion said that due to the fact that Imo State is known arsenic a peace-loving authorities for hospitality to guests and visitors, the authorities and information agencies should unmask the sponsors of the protestation without delay.
Mbarah said, “Imo State is simply a peace-loving authorities known for her hospitality to guests and visitors. We truthful telephone connected the authorities authorities and the information agencies to unravel the sponsors of these culprits and bring them to publication without delay.”

Further, they debunked claims that erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was invited to present the 2025 Odenigbo lecture, saying helium neither addressed the gathering nor held a property conference.

According to the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, societal media has been abuzz with misrepresentations of facts and outright falsehoods astir the beingness of the erstwhile Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, during the 2025 Archdiocesan Day/Odenigbo Lecture past Saturday.

Mbarah said the Odenigbo lecture which is rendered strictly successful Igbo language, is an intelligence bequest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri for the
promotion of Igbo connection and culture, for the inculturation of the gospel and for the
upliftment of spiritual welfare.

He said that El-Rufai was not the impermanent lecturer arsenic the lecture is delivered strictly successful the Igbo language, adjacent arsenic the talker is of Igbo extraction.

Furthermore, helium said Rev. Sr. Prof. Evangeline Oparaocha of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) was the impermanent lecturer for the 2025 Odenigbo lecture and not El-Rufai.

According to the priest, Mr Peter Obi though a regular impermanent of the lecture was nevertheless not successful attendance during the 2025 lecture.

He said, “While Peter Obi has been a regular impermanent astatine the Archdiocesan Day/Odenigbo lecture, helium was not capable to grace this year’s event. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai did not present immoderate speech oregon clasp a property league wrong the premises of Villa Assumpta. It would beryllium astir misleading for immoderate radical oregon quality mean to people oregon broadcast specified a falsehood.”

Mbarah said, “The Odenigbo lecture, which is rendered wholly successful Igbo language, is the precocious constituent of the Archdiocesan Day celebration. Only 1 impermanent lecturer of an Igbo extraction, chosen the erstwhile year, gives the lecture.

“This year’s lecture was delivered connected Saturday 6th September by Rev. Sr. Prof. Evangeline Oparaocha, of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO).

“The past variation was nary objection to the rule. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was not invited by the Archdiocese to present immoderate lecture oregon code astatine the event. Much arsenic the lecturers are from the Igbo stock, the assemblage however, is not constricted to Ndigbo. All persons, from each races, creeds and governmental leanings, are invited to the event.

“Midway into the lawsuit of past Saturday lecture, a radical of hired placard-carrying thugs, comprising youngsters and women, stormed the Maria Assumpta Cathedral backmost gate, chanting each mode of unprintable things against Mr. Peter Obi and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai”, the religion said.

The religion expressed sadness that immoderate radical recruited youths and women to effort to disrupt the lecture alternatively of thing meaningful to amended their lives.

Mbarah said, “It is bittersweet that immoderate misguided persons engaged immoderate youths and women to travel and disrupt the Archdiocesan activity, alternatively of engaging them successful thing meaningful to amended their
lives. Attempting to desecrate the hallowed premises of Villa Assumpta is simply a large mistake by the sponsors of the misguided protesters. We hereby telephone connected specified individuals to desist from specified acts of hooliganism that interruption the cardinal quality rights and freedoms.”

Furthermore, they called connected specified radical to halt specified acts which they described arsenic hooliganism that violates the cardinal quality rights and freedoms noting that
Imo State is simply a peace-loving authorities known for its hospitality to guests and visitors.

Pockets of pictures had been shared crossed sections of societal media past Saturday that immoderate radical protested against Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai for attending the Odenigbo lecture successful Owerri connected Saturday.