Catholic Bishop Performs His Easter Ritual in Correctional Centre; Boasts Inmates’ Moral 

FROM TOBIAS EKIRIKA (ONITSHA)

The multimillion Naira skill acquisition center, singlehandedly built by the Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, His Grace, Most Rev. (Dr.) Valerian Maduka Okeke is expected to be operational by October this year.

This disclosure was dropped by the Metropolitan Archbishop during his annual ritual Easter Sundays celebration with inmates at the Onitsha Correctional Center where the inmates and the Archbishop wind and ate together in remembrance of the death and the resurrection of the Son of Man.

Recall that the skills acquisition center, located behind the main Correctional facility ought to have begun operation before now but was waiting for the approval of the Comptroller General, Nigeria Correctional Center Abuja.  

 While expressing his joy that the CG has finally penciled down his signature for the fencing of the skills acquisition center as requested by the Catholic cleric, (Most Rev.Dr.Valerian Okeke) even as the Archbishop assured that the facility would begin operation by October this year.

247thirdeye.com reports authoritatively that the facility, now fully equipped with modern technology for skills acquisition would go a long way in making the inmates useful to themselves and to society at large after serving their jail term(s).

Earlier in his homily in a Holy mass celebrated to mark the event, the Archbishop enjoined Christians to serve God with faith and prayer, adding that, nothing is impossible with God and there is no accident in God’s plan even as he urges the inmates to follow God with faith, noting, that Easter remains a celebration of victory.

In his remark, the Comptroller of Anambra Correctional Centers, Mr. Patrick Chukwuemeka advised the inmates to reciprocate the Archbishop for his extra love for the center by turning around and changing the respective character that brought them to the Correctional Center. The Comptroller, however, on behalf of his staff, little thanked the Archbishop and prayed to God to give the Archbishop good health and longer life.

While commending those that contributed to the building and equipping the skills acquisition facility, the cleric urged them to continue to work with the Church for positive results, stating that abandoning the inmates to their fate was not part of Christian practice and teaching of Christ.

Also in his remark, the Chaplain of the center, Rev Fr. Bartholomew Okpalaugo thanked the Archbishop for the visit which according to him always accompanied by goodies for the Inmates.

You may recall that the Onitsha Correctional Centre has been abandoned by the Federal Government, resulting in its deterioration except for the intervention of the Catholic Archbishop Okeke who has continued to assist the facility and inmates by providing infrastructure and other social services to the center