Archbishop celebrates birthday in prison

The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, on Sunday took his 64th birthday celebration to Onitsha prisons, where he marked the occasion with the more than 700 inmates of the prison, officials and Catholic faithful.

Prominent among those who attended the celebration service include the Chief of Staff Government House, Awka, Mr. Joseph Asike, who represented the governor, Chief Willie Obiano, PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, former Minister of Defence (Air force), Dan Chuka, national chairman, Catholic Laity Council, Nnagbo, among others.

In his homily, Okeke enjoined the inmates to put their faith in God and always pray and hope for a better future. He told them not to think that being in prison was the worst thing that could happen to anybody since they still have opportunity of rising to a great height.

The Archbishop also advise them to regard their stay in prison as a retreat to build their spiritual life and prepare for a better tomorrow so that when they come out of prison, they will become great people, especially now that inmates now have the opportunity of taking the West African School Certificate Examination and acquire skills that could sustain them in life.

In his vote of thanks, the Chaplain for Onitsha Prison, Rev. FR. Pius Nwankwo, extolled the Archbishop for various facilities he installed in Onitsha Prisons and for his display of love towards the inmates.

He noted that the archbishop had within the last two years installed borehole, television viewing centres, worship centre, while the skills acquisition centre building was ongoing.