FROM
ALPHONSUS EZE, AWKA
Prisons,
where criminals of different types are kept are hardly visited by many of
us. In fact many dread prison and the prisoners as plague, yet Jesus
Christ gave his followers injunction to visit and take care of the
prisoners or the inmates as they are popularly called as well as the poor.
Apart from
religious bodies, especially those of them who have specialized Ministries and
few public spirited individuals who go to donate to the inmates
some food items, clothes and cash, most of us see prisoners as the
worst offenders and rejected by God who should be allowed to perish for their
sins. But God is mercy to all is inexhaustible and therefore
still care for the worst and vile offender.
The
Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Dr. Valerian Okeke who
believes that prisoners are part and parcel of the society and therefore
should be treated with human face. Consequently, he has defiled this
discrimination against prisoners with what many now consider his ministry
or apostolate in Catholic parlance.
Started
about five years ago or there about with a visit to the
Onitsha prisons, the Archbishop has not only increased the number of his
visits to the prisons but has awaken other Christians denominations,
organisations and public spirited individuals to the stark reality of Christ’s
injunction and that prisoners are flesh and blood like all of us who equally
need the best of life.
Archbishop
Okeke has now increased the visit to during the Easter and
other special celebrations like the birthdays of the
Archbishop. In 2013 alone, the Archbishop visited the prison
three times , one during the Easter, the second during his birthday
celebration in November and the last visit during the Christmas.
In each of
the visit, Okeke would organize service or mass as Catholic calls it for
the inmates, apart from the donations of food items both cooked and raw, cow
meat and life cow, yam, detergents, biscuits, beverages among other items.
He does not
only bring those items, Archbishop Okeke has also been involved in
providing basic utilities and infrastructures to ameliorate the suffering of
inmates. He has sunk borehole for the inmates at the prison, renovated their
hostels and chapel.
The
Archbishop also promised to purchase vehicle for ease transportation
of the inmates to court.
Archbishop
Okeke has also succeeded in attracting prominent people who have never
dreamt what prisons look like not to talk of going to Onitsha
prisons. A regular feature in Archbishop‘s visit to the prison is one of the
Anambra State leading businessman and politician, Dr. Obinna Uzor.
In his last
visit to the Onitsha prison during his birthday in November last year, Governor
Peter Obi and Senator Chris Ngige accompanied the Archbishop to the Prison.
In his
homily during his Christmas visit to the prison,
the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha challenged
Nigerians to strive to be part of solving the problem of the country even
as he predicted hope and greater Nigeria in 2014, which is a transition
year to 2015 general election.
He
advised Nigerians not to constitute themselves into problems of this country,
but should be part of peace building process.
The
Archbishop said that for those who are involved in corruptly enriching
themselves, this is the time for them to take decision that they will not part
of fraudulent activities of any sort.
He
said “If you are the type that engage in corruption, don’t be part of
corruption, deceit to engage in corruption. Be part of honesty; be of goodness,
fairness and justice. Don’t dwell in finding others’ fault, find solution to
the problems of others”.
Archbishop
Okeke said that in spite of the problems including insecurity in the country, he
foresee hope in the 2014, saying that if Nigerians would have confidence
in God who is constant , Nigeria will move to greatness.
Addressing
the inmates earlier, Archbishop Okeke said that Christ came to show the
light and for those who receive the light, there will be no trouble but for
those who rejected him, they would have continuous” trouble, mayhem and
confusion in this life and society”.
He
said those who failed to receive Christ are in darkness and that is
why they engage in forms of machination of terror and horror in
their lives., stating that anybody who is thinking of killing is still in
darkness
The
Archbishop said that Christians must exhibit Christ’s virtues for all to
see and must follow Jesus with love, peace, forgiveness and justice to the
world.
He
later announced the donation of N500, 0000 for the renovation of the
hostels and items for the celebration of the Christmas by the inmate such as
cooked rice, two cows, one killed, one alive, biscuits, detergents, bags of
uncooked rice among other items
In
his brief speech, the deputy Controller of Prisons (DCP) of Onitsha prisons, Azuka
Ndupu advised the inmates to be humble and exhibit the fear of God while
serving their jail term, saying that being in prison is not the end of their
lives.
He commended Archbishop Okeke for coming to the rescue of
the prison and asked other religious leaders and highly placed Nigerians to
emulate
Rev. Father George Admike, the Archbishop’s former
Press Secretary, said that his boss’s commencement of visit to Onitsha
Prison has brought a total turn around both to the prisons and the inmates.
He said
that Onitsha prison has become a standard prison in term of the
improvement of the feeding, infrastructure and the general welfare of the
inmates due to the singular effort of the Archbishop.
He said
that with Archbishop’s constant visit to the prison, other people within the
Catholic Archdiocese and outside have equally caught the vision, stating
that an Anglican Bishop, a General Overseer of a Pentecostal Church, many
other individuals and organisation have joined.
Admike said
that the fact that others have caught the vision showed that Archbishop Okeke
has succeeded
in his apostolate to change our prisons and improve the welfare of the inmates.
in his apostolate to change our prisons and improve the welfare of the inmates.
“Working to
see the lot of the poor improved, I can say is his Grace’s apostolate.
He always wants to be with the poor and serve them” said Fr. Admike.
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