Loading ...ENUGU, NIGERIA — There was unprecedented drama and a total breakdown of political decorum at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ogbete, as an angry congregation openly revolted against the Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia. The senior official was forced to abruptly stop his speech after the church erupted in loud chants of “It’s a lie!” over the state government’s claims regarding water provision.
The explosive incident occurred during the 3rd Session of the 19th Synod of the Enugu Diocese (Anglican Communion). The high-profile religious gathering, which brought together delegates from nearly 200 churches, suddenly transformed from a solemn spiritual event into a fiery arena of political accountability.
The Claim That Triggered the Church
Trouble began when Prof. Onyia, representing the administration of Governor Peter Mbah, mounted the podium to deliver his goodwill message. Attempting to reel out the governance dividends of the current administration, the SSG boldly asserted that the government had successfully tackled Enugu’s notorious, decades-long water scarcity.
“Water has gotten to areas where there was no water before,” Onyia proudly stated.
The statement instantly backfired. Rather than polite applause, the declaration triggered an immediate, aggressive pushback from the pews. In a unified voice, the congregation—comprising everyday citizens who still rely on expensive water tankers to survive—erupted, shouting, “It’s a lie! It’s a lie!”
Demoralized SSG Forced to Drop the Mic
Eyewitnesses inside the cathedral told 247ureports that the sheer volume of the rejection completely disoriented the government scribe. As Onyia tried to regain control of the room and defend the administration’s multi-billion Naira water projects, the screams of disapproval intensified.
Realizing the congregation was entirely unwilling to digest what they perceived as “packaged propaganda,” a visibly embarrassed Prof. Onyia had no choice but to cut his address short and step away from the microphone, as church leaders scrambled to restore order.
The incident quickly spilled onto social media, with locals expressing their fury. “Imagine coming into the house of God to lie? Despicable humans masquerading as politicians,” one prominent Enugu indigene reacted online, capturing the mood of thousands who felt insulted by the government’s presentation of alternative realities.
The 247ureports Takeaway: The Public Trust is Completely Broken
While Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has continuously claimed to have met its ambitious 180-day deadline to deliver pipe-borne water to Enugu metropolis, this raw, unfiltered reaction inside a holy sanctuary tells a vastly different story.
It proves that the gap between government press releases and the reality on the ground remains a massive chasm. For politicians looking ahead to future electoral cycles, the message from the Ogbete Synod is loud and clear: the masses are no longer willing to quietly tolerate political spin—even if it is delivered from an altar.
247ureports is reaching out to the FCT and Enugu Government House for an official reaction to this embarrassing diplomatic disaster. Stay tuned.
