Fear grip Odumeje as pericoma’s family reject his apologize

Chukwuemeka Ohaneme popularly known as Odumeje has been on the front burner of discourse of many kinds recently.

His name has waged on many tongues for many reasons. His controversies got so much that he trended on Twitter Nigeria for more than three consecutive days.

No doubt, he benefited from the controversies. Some may say he also got the negative side of it. But I argue that the exposure his recent controversies gave him may outweigh the downsides.

His controversies ranged from his unconventional way of performing miracles, his dress style, mode of entry into the church, ways he addressed his congregants, the kind of music he played, the kind of members that visited his church, fraternising with some group of people to his command of English language and then the insult and consequent challenge he threw to the family of late Pericoma of Arondizogu in Imo state.

Of all the issues, the one that got people talking most, especially in the country’s southeast, is his confrontation with Pericoma’s family not because of anything but the late man’s record of alleged diabolical prowess which he passed to his children.

In a video that went viral, the controversial cleric said Arondizogu has no capable and successful men and went ahead to make some scathing comments about the late man.

Days later, a video surfaced on the internet showing Pericoma’s son cursing the acclaimed prophet at a number of shrines in his community.

This sent jitters down the spines of people. Many feared that the late man’s son would use diabolical means to attack Odumeje who many believed was not a genuine cleric.

More worrisome was the fact that Pericoma’s son challenged Odumeje to a spiritual battle.

Only yesterday, news emerged that the controversial cleric has apologised to the family.

He didn’t just apologise to the man’s family but to Awka (capital of Anambra state) people and the entire Igbos.

He announced this via a statement released by his church.

The most interesting aspect of the apology is: his reasons for apologising.

According to the apology, Arondizuogu people are peace loving people. He said he has shared fellowship in church with very many of them. To the family of Pericoma, he said, he understood util his death, he was a diligent servant of God. Many people would actually contend this.

To Awka people who he had threatened to stop their festival, Imo-Awka, he referred them as having great people of repute.

He also hinged his apology on the fact that he is a servant of God with humility.

The cleric assured all that he had learnt his lessons and would not make unguarded statements again as he is a servant of God, while also advising people to follow instructions from the government on how to fight and win the coronavirus war in the country.