home/ubuntu owner changed to opc so SSH connection as ubuntu fails

Please someone help: problem is that after a reboot "something" is changing user/group of the /home/ubuntu folders from ubuntu/ubuntu to opc/opc. This deativates ssh login for the ubuntu user which is supposed to be used according to oracle. I think oracle cloud init scripts do this. I am only on free tier and cannot contact support. I still have ssh root access but this is not supposed to be used as login.

I tried to fix it by commenting out the #-users_groups line of the cloud_init_modules part in /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg but apparently this is not even considered when rebooting because the home/ubuntu folder still gets its username changed to opc. When I manually do