Just In : Details Emerge As Soludo, Ngige And Obi Meet
Soludo, Ngige, Obi unite at Onitsha Catholic Bishop’s 70th birthday
Political rivals in Anambra put aside their differences on Friday in Onitsha to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke.
Among those in attendance were the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, former governor and minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor, Peter Obi, as well as Senator Victor Umeh of Anambra Central, Tony Nwoye of Anambra North, and others.
These prominent political figures belong to various parties including APGA, APC, and LP. The gathering also marked the foundation laying ceremony of a secondary school to be constructed by the Archbishop at the Onitsha Correctional Centre.
During the event, Governor Soludo pledged his support for the prison ministry led by the Archbishop. The celebratory mass took place at the Nigerian Correctional Service Medium Security Custodial Center in Onitsha.
Governor Soludo, accompanied by his wife, Nonye, and other government officials, laid the foundation stone for the secondary school and inaugurated the skills acquisition center established by Archbishop Okeke.
Governor Soludo commended the Archbishop’s dedication to aiding inmates at the correctional center, emphasizing that this work serves as a powerful reminder that everyone deserves a second chance.
He further promised to cover the NABTEB exam fees for 30 inmates preparing for the exams, in addition to installing solar panels and inverters to provide electricity to the center, which currently houses 1,125 inmates.
The Governor urged the inmates to fully engage in the skills acquisition program, highlighting its potential to enable them to become productive members of society upon their release.
He emphasized, “I urge you to take the skills acquisition program seriously. When you are released from prison, you can use these skills to build a better life for yourself and your family.”
In a homily, Archbishop Valerian Maduka Okeke expressed that gratitude to God is the greatest sacrifice one can offer. Notably, the Archbishop has been involved in numerous philanthropic efforts at the center, including the rehabilitation of a borehole supplying water to all cells, the renovation of prison cells, and the establishment of a skill acquisition program providing inmates with various vocational skills.
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The month-long celebration of the Archbishop’s 70th birthday will also involve visits to several hospitals in Onitsha, where he will cover the bills of patients unable to pay. Additionally, the Controller General of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, represented by his Deputy, SN Nwakuche, conferred upon the Archbishop the title of Grand Patron of Inmates in Custody in Nigeria.
