Barely a month to the inauguration of Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo state, a fiery charismatic priest, Rev. Fr. Magnus Ebere, has attributed the failure of out-going Governor Rochas Okorocha to his plan to foist his son-in-law on Imo people during the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election despite his political maneuvers as a lesson from God.

The Spiritual Director of Canaan Land Adoration Ministries (E-Dey Work Catholic Centre), Nnobi, Anambra State, said every politician in Nigeria should now see the outgoing governor as a political dictionary from where they could learn to know their limits.

Rev Fr Ebere, popularly called Father E-Dey Work by his congregants and critics of his ministry alike, said Okorocha had bitten more than he could chew, neglected the counsel of men of God and consequently the hand of God departed from him leading to his fall.

Speaking at his adoration programme, the Imo-born priest said he personally advised Governor Okorocha not to attempt foisting his son-in-law on Imo people because the plan would fail, but he ignored his advice.

He also cited the Ekeukwu market, Owerri incident, which led to the death of a 12-year old boy from stray bullet of security operatives sent to enforce demolition of the place by the government as part of the governor’s atrocities.

“When the incident happened, I gave the Governor 72 hours to apologise to the people of Imo State otherwise he would face the wrath and vengeance of God. I told him he would end his tenure in shame. And he shunned the message because, may be, it was not coming from a Bishop or someone like that. It was coming from someone he considered to be a small boy. He did not know that what makes a priest to be what he is has to do with the spirit of God in him and how he relates with God. He did not listen to me and see how he has ended up.

“His party, APC suspended him, he failed in his bid to foist his son-in-law on Imo people and his purported senatorial election victory is in controversy. You see how things have fallen apart with him and the centre cannot hold again. That actually makes him a political dictionary for other politicians to learn from it, if they can, and know their limits,” he said.

The cleric drew a moral lesson from what happened in Imo State to show that if God did not sanction any policy decision taken by a political leader or any project embarked upon without God’s approval, that such a project is bound to crash.

He declared that the electorate are now politically conscious more than ever before and should not be taken for granted. The priest made it clear that nobody in the modern world would think that everything must begin from him and end with him. He said Governor Okorocha had the resources to pull any string but could not do that against the will of God.

As for the incoming governor, the priest advised that he should tread with caution “because God is now interested in Imo State.” He urged him to surround himself with good advisers, not praise-singers and to make sure he never played with any counsel coming from ordained priests of God whom he said must be listened to.

Reacting, the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha said a priest should not be talking like a politician. Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, he said Imo people voted for the Action Alliance (AA) candidate, Uche Nowsu and not Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said: “I am not sure an ordained priest would say such a thing but if he said it, may God have mercy on us.

“The question is what is wrong in Uche Nwosu contesting the governorship elections in Imo State. Is he not a child and creation of God? Is Uche Nwosu not qualified to contest Imo governorship election?

“A priest should not be talking like a politician; he should not be talking evil.”